Meaning
The small, quick, weasel-like animal introduced to Jamaica in the 1800s to control rats and snakes in the cane fields. It became widespread — and a nuisance, raiding chicken coops — and features in folk song ('Mongoose gone in a Missa Brown kitchen') and sayings about a sly, thieving creature.
Examples
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Di mongoose tief di egg dem from di fowl coop.
The mongoose stole the eggs from the chicken coop.
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A mongoose dart cross di road.
A mongoose darted across the road.
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Quick like mongoose.
Quick as a mongoose.
Origin
The Indian mongoose was brought to Jamaica in 1872 to fight rats and snakes in the sugar estates; the name comes via English from Marathi.
How it’s used
A familiar Jamaican animal, proverbial for slyness and stealing; celebrated in the folk song 'Mongoose'.