leggo beast
Jamaican Creole
Alternative forms
- leggo beas', leggo-beas', leggo-beast
Etymology
let + go + beast[1]. Literally, "an animal which has been let loose."
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɛɡʌ‿biːs/
- Hyphenation: le‧ggo‧beast
Noun
leggo beast (plural: leggo beast dem or leggo beasts dem, quantified: leggo beast)
- (vulgar) slut, whore (promiscuous woman)
- 2014, Steinberg Henry, Calypso Drift (in English), →ISBN, page 50:
- “In 1982, Steel Pulse, the reggae masters would launch their True Democracy album, featuring the track "Leggo Beast," which one site commentator described as an indictment of a blast at prostitution. "Leggo beast, lips of flattery / eyes of lust / leggo beast, she says carnal lust is a must." […] ”
- A dutty gyal dat, shi come een like leggo beast.
- That's a nasty girl. She acts like a slut.
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- (vulgar) hothead; tearaway; a wild animal (wild, unruly person)
- 1981, Neville Farki, Countryman Karl Black (in English), →ISBN, page 60:
- “'Government hang the man and leave the youths with neither mother or father and nobody to take care of them. Now them beat from one relative to the other. I hear that one of the biggest boy get mad. Him is like leggo beast in the district.' […] ”
- Di man call di people dem pickney leggo beast true dem carry on bad an' run weh di teacha.
- He called their kids wild animals because they'd behaved badly and chased away their teacher.
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See also
- mantel
- sketel
- tegareg
- virago
References
- Richard Allsopp, editor, Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 1996 (2003 printing), →ISBN, page 343