Meaning
A type of wasp with a slim, pinched waist and a sharp, painful sting, common across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Like the marabunta, the jack-spaniard nests around buildings, under eaves, and in the bush, and it is best left well undisturbed. The old name dates from the era of colonial rivalry with the Spanish, fixing the enemy's name on a stinging pest, and it is the everyday word for the wasp whose paper nest and quick sting every country child learns to watch for and avoid.
Examples
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A jack spaniard build a nest unda di eave.
A jack spaniard wasp built a nest under the eave.
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Di jack spaniard sting bun bad.
The jack spaniard's sting burns badly.
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Knock dung di jack spaniard nest careful.
Knock down the wasp nest carefully.
Origin
An old Caribbean English name for the wasp, from the colonial-era association of things fierce or unwelcome with the Spanish.
How it’s used
A slim-waisted stinging wasp, alongside the marabunta. See [[marabunta]].