hou jou bek!, excl. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hou jou bek! excl.

[Afk. bek, an animal’s mouth, when used of a human it is sl.; note Fr. ferme ta gueule, shut your gob, in which gueule, usu. of an animal is sl. when used of a human]

(S.Afr.) shut your trap!

1913		C. Pettman Africanderisms.
c.1929		S. Black in Gray Three Bays (1984 ) 108: camelia: Shuee! Here comes two ladies. frikkie (to Sophie): Hou jou bek!... sophie: Shut up yourself [DSAE].
1959		J. Packer High Roof 175 : ‘Hou jou beck!’ he stormed suddenly. ‘I don’t believe anything of this!’ [DSAE].
1971		Personality 5 Mar. 78 : ‘Hou jou bek!’ ‘Kafir-boetie!’ ‘Liberalist!’ [...] Our boys would have to drag up some better guns than that [DSAE].
1984		W. Steenkamp in Cape Times 3 Mar. n.p.: Hate mail continues to land on my desk. The latest... Hes Coming To Get You. Hou Jou Bek [DSAE].