Literal Translation
To be the black beast
Actual Meaning
To be a bugbear/a hated person or thing
Etymology
In the 17th century, ‘être la beste de quelqu’un’ showed the aversion they felt towards you. It was used to threaten naughty children or talk about killjoys. The term ‘bête noire’ is used in 1752 by Philibert le Roux saying people call the chief of police ‘la bête noire’. The term now also applies to things and concepts.