london.localmean.com/ting
ting
TING · /tɪŋ/
Local meaning
A thing or person; in some contexts, a romantic interest, attractive woman, partner, or casual connection.
“Ting” comes through Caribbean English and Creole forms of “thing” and is used in MLE for objects, situations, and people. Expressions such as “my ting” or “peng ting” may refer to a romantic or sexual connection, often a woman, but the exact relationship is deliberately vague and depends on context.
Examples in context
- Pass me that little ting by the charger.
- That food stall is a proper ting in summer.
- He kept calling her his ting even though she had not agreed with that label.
How it is used
The word does not always refer to a woman or dating. The surrounding possessive, adjective, and topic reveal whether it means an object, activity, situation, or person.
Casual, vague, approving, flirtatious, or objectifying depending on context.
Everyday objects, relationships, music, fashion, and social media.
Informal groups where the intended referent is clear.
Calling a woman or partner a “ting” can reduce them to an object or imply a relationship they do not recognise.
Spelling and scope
Caribbean- and Jamaican-influenced vocabulary used in MLE, Multicultural Toronto English, music, and wider youth speech.
- Search forms
tings
Common search forms stay discoverable without claiming that every London community uses one spelling.
Common patterns
- my ting
- peng ting
- a little ting
- do your ting
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
Sources support the definition, history, or usage layer. Local review remains welcome.
- ting — Caribbean and MLE nounWiktionary contributors
Community lexicographic record of thing- and person-related uses in Caribbean English, MLE, and related urban varieties.
- Using social media to infer the diffusion of an urban contact dialect: A case study of Multicultural London EnglishJournal of Sociolinguistics
Peer-reviewed study of the wider diffusion of MLE-associated vocabulary, with a documented list of 75 lexical items.
- Recent changes in London English: an overview of Multicultural London EnglishComplutense Journal of English Studies
Peer-reviewed overview of MLE vocabulary, grammar, discourse features, and Caribbean and Jamaican English influence.