Meaning
An owl. In Jamaican folklore the patoo is an omen of bad luck or death, and to hear its hoot near a house at night is taken as a grim warning that someone there may soon die. This dread of the owl runs deep in country belief, and children are hushed and the bird driven off when it calls. Beyond the superstition, 'patoo' is simply the ordinary Jamaican name for the owl, a creature of the dark tied to the world of duppies and omens.
Examples
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A patoo hoot pon di roof last night.
An owl hooted on the roof last night.
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Old people fraid when dem hear patoo.
Old folks are afraid when they hear an owl.
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Dem seh patoo a sign a death.
They say the owl is a sign of death.
Origin
From a West African word for the owl, carried to Jamaica along with the folk beliefs attached to the bird.
How it’s used
Wrapped in superstition. To be called 'ugly like patoo' is a common, harsh comparison; the bird's cry is dreaded as an omen.