“Hornerman” has entered the Oxford English Dictionary as part of its September 2026 update, bringing a familiar Caribbean expression into the historical record of English.
According to an Associated Press report published September 23, the term describes a man who is unfaithful or involved with somebody else’s partner. The report traces its use in Trinidad and Tobago to 1975.
Other additions range from “vex money,” emergency funds kept by a woman, to “peanut punch” and “sugar cake.” Folklore terms “douen” and “jablesse” also feature, alongside “Trinbagonian” and the Carnival-related “canboulay.” Bermuda’s contributions include “bimpert,” meaning a foolish person, and “hamma,” a friend.
For Caribbean Flava, the story is about the language we carry in conversation, humour and storytelling. These expressions already belong to the communities that use them; their inclusion gives a wider audience another way into that culture.
Which Caribbean word should get its dictionary moment next? Share this story and start the conversation.