If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut
Also spelled: if yuh cyaa ketch quaco yuh ketch him shirt, if you cyaan catch quaco you catch him shut
Meaning
If you can't get at the person themselves, you take satisfaction on something connected to them — 'if you can't catch Quaco, catch his shirt'. It describes settling a score indirectly, or getting recompense one way if not another.
Examples
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“Him run gone, so dem tek weh him bike. If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut.”
He ran off, so they took his bike. If you can't catch the man, take what's his.
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“Mi couldn't reach di boss, so mi report di company. If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut.”
I couldn't reach the boss, so I reported the company. If you can't get the person, get what's connected to them.
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“Dem tek it out pon him family. If yuh cyaan ketch Quaco, yuh ketch him shut.”
They took it out on his family. When you can't reach the person, you reach what's near them.
Origin
'Quaco' is a traditional Akan day-name (for a boy born on Wednesday) common among enslaved Jamaicans, here standing for any elusive person; 'shut' is the Patois pronunciation of 'shirt'.
How it's used
Describes indirect retaliation or getting satisfaction by proxy. Can be neutral or disapproving depending on tone.