samfie

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæmˌfaɪ/
• Hyphenation: sam‧fie

Adjective

samfie (comparative more samfie, superlative most samfie)

1. (Jamaica) Pertaining to a scammer or a con artist.
   • 2012, Martin Henry, “Samfie Government - Broke pockets and broken education”, in The Jamaica Gleaner‎^[1]:

     “The students were up in arms about being barred from exams over fees they owed. They were angry at the university, not at the Government, the biggest 'samfie' man in the country. […] ”

Noun

samfie (plural samfies)

1. (Jamaica) A confidence trickster, especially one who pretends to have supernatural powers.
2. (Jamaica) trickery
   • 2017, Paulton Frankson, “Ed Ministry trying to muzzle NCEL head”, in The Jamaica Observer‎^[2], archived from the original on 30 October 2020:

     “The examples of classism and gross inequity of the education system are abundant, and there is no amount of 'samfie' that the corporate communications office of the ministry can be ordered to publicise that will change this. […] ”

References

• OED (online) 2007

Anagrams

• Femias

Jamaican Creole

Alternative forms

• sam fie, samfi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsamˌfaɪ/
• Hyphenation: sam‧fie

Noun

samfie (plural samfie dem, quantified samfie)

1. con artist, con man, scammer, swindler, trickster

   Synonym: ginnal

   Nuh badda gi' 'im nuh money. Da bredda de a real samfie. ― Don't give him any money. That guy is a known scammer.

   • 1995, Carolyn Cooper, Noises in the Blood: Orality, Gender, and The"Vulgar" Body of Jamaican Popular Culture. (in English), →ISBN, page 153:

     “Mi a go tell yu di trut(h), mi naa go tell yu no lie
     No bodder follow dem ya man, dem full up a samfie. […] ”

     I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm not going to tell lies.
     Don't emulate these guys. They're a bunch of scammers. […]

References

• Richard Allsopp, editor (1996), Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 486