Meaning
The octopus. Jamaican fishermen call the octopus the 'sea cat', caught among the rocks and reef and eaten curried or stewed, its firm flesh prized by those who know it. Beyond the animal, 'sea cat' turns up in colourful expressions and picture-language, but at heart it is the reef octopus that a diver pulls from its hole with a hook or spear.
Examples
-
Di diver ketch a sea cat off di reef.
The diver caught an octopus off the reef.
-
Curry sea cat taste good.
Curried octopus tastes good.
-
Sea cat hide inna di rock hole.
The octopus hides in the rock hole.
Origin
From 'sea' + 'cat'; the Jamaican name for the octopus. See [[sea-egg]], [[goggle]].
How it’s used
The octopus, caught on the reef and eaten. See [[sea-egg]], [[goggle]].