Meaning
A folk belief that a rooster crowing at midnight or other odd, unnatural hours (rather than at dawn) is a bad omen, foretelling death or grave news for the household. The out-of-time crowing is taken as a warning from the spirit world. One of a set of Jamaican death-omens (with the owl's hoot and the jumbie bird's call) that unsettle a household when they occur.
Examples
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When cock crow a midnight, di old people get worried.
When a rooster crows at midnight, the old folks get worried.
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Di rooster crow at two o'clock — a bad sign.
The rooster crowed at two o'clock — a bad sign.
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Dem seh midnight crowing bring death.
They say midnight crowing brings death.
Origin
A folk belief; a rooster crowing at odd hours is a death omen. See [[jumbie-bird]], [[owl-hoot]].
How it’s used
Folk omen: a rooster crowing at midnight/odd hours foretells death. See [[jumbie-bird]], [[owl-hoot]].