Meaning
A donkey — and, as an insult, a fool or a stubborn, stupid person. Beyond the plain animal, the word anchors the famous proverb 'jackass seh di worl' nuh level' — the donkey says the world isn't level, or fair — a wry, rueful comment that life is unequal and full of ups and downs, hills and hollows. So 'jackass' runs from the humble, hard-working beast of burden to the mocking name for a fool, and on to that beloved saying in which the toiling donkey becomes the voice of hard-won wisdom about an unfair world.
Examples
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Di jackass carry di load up di hill.
The donkey carried the load up the hill.
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Nuh act like a jackass, use yuh sense.
Don't act like a fool, use your sense.
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Jackass seh di worl' nuh level.
The donkey says the world isn't fair (life is unequal).
Origin
From 'jackass' (a male donkey); the 'fool' sense and the proverb about the uneven world are long-established in Jamaica.
How it’s used
Both the donkey and an insult for a fool; famous in the proverb 'jackass seh di worl' nuh level'. See [[donkey]].