Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner [Paperback]

Geneva Smitherman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0395969190 | ISBN-13: 978-0395969199 | Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | Edition: Rev Upd Su

Fully revised and updated -- the ultimate guide to black talk from all segments of the African American community.Do you want to be down with the latest hype terms from the Hip Hop world? Black Talk is the perfect source. "Even if you think you're hip, you'd better look up kitchen, got her nose open, jump salty, and hundreds of other sayings, former or current, that testify to the linguistic originality of Black speakers," said Frederic G. Cassidy, chief editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English. This new edition of Black Talk includes more than 300 new words and phrases and, now more than ever, reflects the ever-changing meanings and uses of this vital and rich part of our language. In a style that is always informative and always entertaining, Geneva Smitherman takes this dictionary far beyond a list of words. Black Talk is a cultural map that charts word meanings along the highways and byways of African American life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The speech of African Americans has been defined by many terms--black English, Ebonics, African American vernacular, and African American language. Smitherman (Talkin' That Talk: Language, Culture, and Education in African America) traces the history of black language, describes its unique features, and demonstrates its impact on "standard English" in her excellent introduction to this volume. She also provides a provocative discussion on the recent Ebonics' debate--whether black youth should be instructed in their "native language" as well as "standard English." The bulk of Black Talk, however, is a dictionary of black language. Unlike most dictionaries, this one "concentrates on the historical and contemporary significance of words and phrases in the context of African American culture and the Black experience" rather than providing the origin or etymological history of a word or phrase. This revised edition (the first was published in 1994) gives hundreds of definitions for words in current usage, including recent additions like "jiggy," "flava," "benjamins," and "D.W.B." (Driving While Black). An essential volume for all libraries; smaller libraries that own the earlier edition need not purchase the update.
-Louis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

We liked the first edition of this book [RBB S 15 94] for its contemporary coverage. This edition has more than 300 new words and phrases and also adds a discussion of Ebonics.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Rev Upd Su edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395969190
• ISBN-13: 978-0395969199
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms
  • #80 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Science

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reference Library Must for Writers, March 18, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner (Paperback)

This is a great reference. As a working screenwriter and published novelist, I find I use this book almost every day. One nit, however: it would be a lot more helpful if the book were cross-referenced so that you could look up a common word and find the Black Talk "translation." Just a thought for those of us who aren't hip. BTW, this author is very good, a fine writer and her work is extremely well researched. Check out her other books.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Talk--A great resource!, February 26, 2003

By 

Mike Ramey (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner (Paperback)

In studying the language of African Americans, there is rich, historical tradition of oral communication that pre-dates our arrival to the shores of America. Each time an author braves the winds and waves of time to re-capture how we say things, and why we say the things that we say is a cause for not only for excitement, but a reason for celebration.

Geneva Smitherman has accurately captured the humor, wit, and wisdom of our language in her revised volume "Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner (2000, Houghton Mifflin Publishers, 305 Pages)." With 300 additional new terms, phrases and definitions included, the book is quickly going to be a writer's companion, a teacher's dictionary and a journalist's friend. It covers a great deal of distance, and provides some explanations as to OUR language, our customs, and our traditions.

Now, the work was originally released in 1994. Smitherman has expanded this volume by including a little history behind our pronunciation patterns, the pros and cons of the great Ebonics debate of the 1990s, and brought forth explanations of terms that have found their way into the American mainstream from our people. One of the true beauties of this work is the inclusion of the Amen Corner--some of those terms and phrases that have emerged from the walls and pulpits of many a Black preacher, and Black church congregation.

This book will have young and old alike anxiously turning the pages to find out the meanings and the history behind such phrases as `Stuck On Stupid' (which is one of my personal favorites), and `Benjamins' (which has several sub-meanings coming from the Hip Hop language of today). No, it won't have the `exact' time and date of such word origins--but it does provide enough uncluttered background confirming whether or not a phrase or word which originated with us has/has not slipped into the American pool of daily conversation.

With all of the `fuss' being made over being bi-lingual because of the infusion of more and more of the Hispanic community into the American mainstream, Smitherman's work clearly shows that our language had long cleared the way for such inclusion. I would encourage any parent interested in teaching/reaching their youth concerning the historical origins of our language to invest in a copy of this book. Who knows? You, like I, may re-discover part of your childhood, as you can reflect on some of the sayings of your parents and grandparents around the dinner table, or on the porch during those summer evenings `Down Home'. I highly recommend it.

Mike Ramey

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Enlightening, July 17, 2000

By 

"2legit" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner (Paperback)

I read a review for this book and thought that I'd check it out. As an African American woman from the Midwest, I have to honestly say that there were a lot of words and phrases that I'd never heard before and some that I'd heard in passing and had no clue what their meanings were. Now you can call me informed. I enjoyed reading this book and actually laughed out loud when I read something that I hadn't heard in ages that brought back lots of memories. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand more about Black talk.