General
passa passa
What does passa passa mean?
A famous Kingston street dance; also used to mean gossip, drama or a public fuss.
"Nuh badda bring dat passa passa come a mi door."
Origin
Jamaican Patois reduplication; the Passa Passa street dance began in Tivoli Gardens.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'passa passa' mean?
It's the name of a famous Kingston street dance, and it also means gossip, drama or a public fuss.
Where did Passa Passa the street dance start?
In Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, where the weekly Passa Passa street party became legendary in Jamaican dancehall culture.
Why does 'passa passa' mean gossip too?
The reduplicated phrase came to signal noisy commotion and people's business being aired publicly, hence 'mixed up in passa passa'.
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