forty leg

Jamaican Creole
Forty leg

Alternative forms

Etymology

Some centipedes literally appear to have forty legs.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfɑːtɪ ˌlɛɡ/
  • Hyphenation: for‧ty‧leg
  • Audio (JAM)(file)

Noun

forty leg (plural: forty leg dem, quantified: forty leg)

  1. A centipede. A segmented arthropod of class Chilopoda.
    • 2018, Michael Abrahams, “Stop spread propaganda pon di dread”, in The Jamaica Gleaner‎ (in English):
      “Me seh fi stop spread propaganda pon di dread
      Cause di dread nuh have nuh forty-leg inna him head […] ”
      I'm asking you to stop spreading propaganda about the Rastaman
      Because the Rastaman doesn't have centipedes in his hair […]
    If forty leg bite yuh, yuh fenneh.
    If a centipede bites you, you'll be in a lot of pain.
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