Some Online Examples Of The Vernacular Phrase "Clock It" & Similar Words/Phrases Such As "Clocking" And "Clock That Tea"

'Clock It' Trend Explained 🤏 | What the Hand Sign REALLY Means

Spm Buzz, Sep 17, 2025  #ClockIt #TikTokTrend #Explained

TikTok can’t stop debating the “Clock It” hand sign 👆🏽. Is it the index finger and thumb? Or the middle finger and thumb that looks like an 8? And what’s the difference between clock it and ate anyway? 🤔

In this video, we break it all down:

⏰ What Clock It actually means

🍴 Why the middle finger sign is linked to Ate

👆🏽 Examples of how people use both terms on TikTok

🔥 The index vs middle finger debate explained

By the end, you’ll have fully clocked the meaning. 😉

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - May 23, 2026 

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series on the American vernacular (slang) phrase "clock It" and similar phrases.

This post presents some online examples in 2025-2026.of the vernacular (slang) phrase "clock it" and similar "clock" slang words/phrases.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/2025-article-excerpt-clock-it-how.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That pancocojams post presents an excerpt from a 2025 online article written by Quispe López about the history and meanings of the vernacular (slang) phrase "clock it" and related words/phrases such as 'clock that tea" and "clocking".  Please read that entire article.

Click  https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-meanings-of-clock-clock-it-clock.html  for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about the meaning of the slang word "clock" , "clock it" and other "clock" phrases in the context of stomp & shake cheerleading. That post also presents examples of the word "clock" and its current (2026) African American slang synonyms ("ate" and "slay") from the discussion thread of two YouTube videos of stomp and shake cheerleading.

The content of this post is presented for linguistic, historical, and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post and thanks to the publishers of these embedded videos.

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SOME ONLINE SOURCES FOR EXAMPLES OF THE VERNACULAR PHRASE "CLOCK IT" AND SIMILAR WORDS/PHRASES

These online sources examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SOURCE #1
AI Overview [This write-up is the result of my query on May 21, 2026: What is the history of the vernacular phrase "clock it"?]

"The viral "clock it" trend and its accompanying hand gesture (tapping the thumb and middle finger together) originate from Black and Latinx ballroom culture in 1960s and 1970s New York City.

The history of the trend and its evolution:

Original Ballroom Meaning:

In the ballroom scene, "to clock someone" meant to notice or spot something they were trying to hide. It was heavily tied to "reading" and "shading" someone by making a sharp, sometimes playful observation about their look or behavior.

Evolution of the Slang: Over the decades, the term filtered into mainstream pop culture through drag. Today, it has evolved to mean recognizing the truth, agreeing with a sharp observation, or pointing out that someone "nailed" a point.

The Hand Gesture: The accompanying pinched-finger tap functions as a "silent applause" of approval. It was brought to mainstream social platforms (like TikTok and Instagram) by Gen Z and Gen Alpha creators."

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SOURCE #2:
AI Overview [This write-up is the result of my statement/query on May 21, 2026: " "Clock It" origin]
"The slang phrase "clock it" (often paired with a pinched-finger hand gesture) traces its true origins back to the 1960s Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ ballroom scene in New York City.

Here is how the term originated and evolved:
1.The Ballroom & Drag Roots
In ballroom culture, to "clock" someone meant to notice, observe, or aggressively point out something about a person, particularly something they were trying to hide (such as a flaw in their drag, an inconsistent story, or an unconvincing appearance). It was often used in a "read," which is a playful but cutting remark.

2. The Pop Culture Boom
  For decades, this term remained highly localized within the queer community until it was popularized for the mainstream by reality shows like RuPaul's Drag Race. On the show, judges and contestants would use the term to "call out" specific fashion choices, behaviors, or tea (gossip).3. The Internet & Gen Z Era

By 2025, the phrase migrated to TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. It evolved from a slightly shady or confrontational term into something much broader. Today, Gen Z and Gen Alpha use it to mean:Noticing a detail: To recognize, observe, or point out something clever.Validating a statement: Expressing strong agreement, or acknowledging a truth (e.g., "Truth, you nailed it")

While internet writers and content creators sometimes misattribute the term's sudden popularity entirely to modern teens or TikTok memes, its soul and etymology belong to ballroom culture."

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SOURCE #3 
Pancocojams Editor's Note: As ofMay 21, 2026 urbandictionary.com has three pages of viewer submitted definitions for the English language phrase "clock it!".

"Clock it!" has several different slang definitions. Here are three definitions that I believe fit the past or current (2026) African American vernacular use of "clock it":

These comments are presented in this pancocojams post in chronological order and are numbered for referencing purposes only

These numbers don't coincide with the rankings that are given to definitions on urbandictionary.com by its viewers.

1."Clock It

Another way of saying “spill” or otherwise agreeing with someone else’s statement.

Typically used on Stan Twitter.

Person 1: Cardi B is washed and needs to retire!

Person 2: Clock it! I’ve been saying the same thing!

Clock It by GVTT3D January 8, 2024, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Clock+it

**

2. Clock it

Another way of praising someone, similar to 'slay' or 'good job' but cooler.

Kid: "I just won a fight"

Friend: "Clock it!"

OR

Boy: "Ur built like a bus driver"

Girl: "You're built like the bus"

Friend: "Ooh she clocked your tea!!"

-Clock it by darealcece September 13, 2025, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Clock%20it&page=2

**
3.  "Clock it

1. to notice, observe, or call out a hidden truth, motive, or something significant, often playfully

Body tea, body matter.

Clock it🤏

Clock it by PonasJonas October 26, 2025, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Clock%20it&page=2
-snip-
This definition is close to the Gay Ballroom definition, except its use in that culture wasn't playful. 
-snip-
The phrase "clock their tea" originated in the 1960 New York Gay ballroom lingo where it meant something like "being aware of a person's or person's secrets or real agenda. However, I believe that in contemporary stomp and shake cheerleading, "clock their tea" means something like "really excelled over their competitor/s."  

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SOURCE #4- - MS NOW PRESENTS: "Clock It,: "Clock It," a new podcast posted at the intersection of culture and politics from Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels.

@msnow Feb 5, 2026

Their new show is an invitation to their groupchat, the liveliest—and most informative—out there. Whether it’s ICE getting dispatched to the Super Bowl, or Nicolás Maduro’s Nike Tech fit, or Michael B. Jordan’s sole Oscar nomination despite playing three roles in Sinners, there is no collision between culture and politics that this show won’t document and decipher.

Symone and Eugene see exactly what’s going on—and they want you to clock it, too."
-snip-
Here are a few comments from that YouTube video short's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1.@SharenCarter, March 2026
"Keep clocking it real talk❤"

**
2. @chrismurray-ez4bt, March 2026
"Great Team!  Speaking Truth to POWER!  Love it! 🥰"

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3. @TimMcConnell-k3r, April 2026
"Love to see you both clocking it! Hey guys check Maxwell Chickumbutso front africa. His car that uses no fuel or need to plug in. I'll wait to see you talk about it."

**
4. @euclidespardo9987, May 2026
"Y'all be telling it"

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SOURCE #5- AI OVERVIEW WRITE UP
(This write-up is the result of my May 21, 2026 query "Why is MS NOW podcast called "Clock It"? and is that podcast successful?"]

"AI Overview

The podcast by MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) is called "Clock It with Symone & Eugene," which was highly anticipated as an extension of the network's broader rebrand.

Why they chose the name:

The title refers to the slang phrase "clock it," meaning to take notice, observe closely, or call out what is happening. Hosts Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels chose the name because the show focuses on the intersection of politics and pop culture, inviting listeners into an insider group chat to decode how culture shapes political figures and movements.

Its success:

Debuting with strong backing from the newly independent MS NOW, the show has quickly built a dedicated following across platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It is widely viewed as a successful, engaging strategy for decoding the "war of ideas and memes," capturing a younger, culturally tuned-in demographic that follows the hosts' signature off-the-cuff style. You can check out all episodes on the official MS NOW Podcasts page."

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SOURCE #6 - "Clock it" - The New Gen Z Gesture Taking Over! What Does It Really Mean?

@clautienews, Feb 25, 2026

Gen Z is shaking things up with a mysterious new gesture called "clock it" that's meant to show support. But here's the twist - even the people using it can't agree on its exact meaning! Some say it's a vibe you just have to feel. The gesture involves snapping your fingers using either your index + thumb or middle + thumb. No official standard yet! Would you "clock it" to show support? Let us know in the comments! #GenZ #NewTrends #SocialMedia #YouthCulture #Gestures #Support #Vibes #TrendingNow
-snip-
Here are the only two comments from that video's discussion thread as of May 21, 2026 at 9:21 AM EDT (Numbers added for referencing purposes only.)
1. @datguy7360, April 2026
"Clock it comes from Queer ballroom culture, Gen Z didn't invent NOTHING! ...."

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Reply
2. @Pl8kcx, April 2026
"And they copied from black women like usually 🙄"

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SOURCE #7- Redditt.com Discussion Thread
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These selected comments are presented in chronological order with numbers added for referencing purposes only.]

From https://www.reddit.com/r/LostRedditor/comments/1h7oizm/what_does_clock_it_mean_in_slang/ Lost Redditor: "What does clock it mean?"

[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These selected comments are presented in chronological order with numbers added for referencing purposes only. The numbers for these comments don't necessarily correspond to their numbers in that discussion thread.]

1. Vanillabean322, 2025
"what does clock it! mean in slang

i've been seeing it but idk what it means and all the pages i've gone to sound like they were written by gen x."

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Reply
2. Nuclearmullets420, 2025
"It’s a response to someone saying something that is very true. Per google search of gen z slang clock it."

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Reply
3. Enne105_7, 2005
"Its actually AAVE not gen z slang."

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Reply
4. Mindless_Sea_1485, 2025
"It’s not AAVE, it’s ballroom culture"

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Reply
5. EngineeringNo5714, 2025
"It’s black ballroom culture. So still within AAVE."

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Reply
6. Mindless_Sea_1485, 2025
"Ballroom culture wasn’t only black queens tho, other words like slay and period are AAVE but clock it was started in ballroom culture not AAVE"

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Reply
7. ananatawa, 2026
"Stop it. We all know black queens invented this slang. Do not deny them their history"

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8. Mission-Gas9996, 2025
"Crazy to find that it’s actually black gay slang from the 90s,"

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9. Budget_Raspberry_856, 2025
"Most white girl slang comes from black and gay culture"

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

What "Have A Bone To Pick" REALLY Means

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part series on the saying "have a bone to pick [with someone].

This post provides answers to the question "What does have a bone to pick?" really means. A definition for the related saying "picking a bone [with someone] is also included in this post.

This post also includes an example of the saying "have a bone to pick" from recent political news about United States Republican Presidental candidate Donald Trump.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/08/angie-stone-bone-2-pic-video-lyrics.html for Part II of this series.

Part II of this series showcases a video of & lyrics for the Neo-Soul song "Bone 2 Pic" by Angie Stone. Explanations of some of that song's lyrics are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for etymological, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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WHAT THE SAYING "HAVE A BONE TO PICK (WITH SOMEONE) MEANS & WHERE THIS SAYING MAY HAVE COME FROM
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+bone+to+pick+with a bone to pick with somebody
"a small disagreement with someone
Example: My sister and I had a bone to pick with our parents over where we'd go on vacation.

**
From https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080217001803AARJBHu Where Did The Saying "I Have A Bone To Pick With You" Come From?
anonymous: "My mother used to say this when she heard that I did something she didn't approve of and would always say "you know i have a bone to pick with you" before telling me why she was pissed.

How did that saying start? What is it referring to?"

-snip-
"pissed" = angry, annoyed

**
Best Answer: J, 2006
"Apparently, it relates to dogs gnawing on a bone for a long time, until it's "picked" all the meat off. So if you have a bone to pick with someone, then you have a problem that will take some time to work out."

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From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bone+to+pick
"bone to pick

something to argue about, a matter to discuss

Joe sounded angry when he said, "I have a bone to pick with you.""
by VAKI5 May 09, 2005

**
From https://www.englishforums.com/English/HaveABoneToPickWithSb/cnnbz/post.htm
MrPedantic: 10th June 2006
[Regarding "have a bone to pick with you"]
"This means "I have a dispute or unpleasant matter to settle with you".
A similar Irish phrase is "I have a crow to pluck with you".

It seems to be a reference to picking the last bits of meat off a bone. This is a difficult business; the implication is that settling the dispute will mean a lot of difficult and detailed discussion."...

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EDITOR'S COMMENT
When my mother prefaced her reprimand with "I have a bone to pick with you", she was signalling that although she was not happy about my actions or words, she didn't consider it to be something very serious.

The related saying "picking a bone with someone" means to argue with someone or to fight someone over something small and relatively inconsequential.

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EXAMPLE FROM A RECENT POLITICAL ARTICLE
Editor's Note: Reading this first example is what motivated me to write this post.

From http://www.thewrap.com/omarosa-defends-donald-trump-says-megyn-kelly-had-a-bone-to-pick/ Omarosa Defends Donald Trump, Says Megyn Kelly ‘Had a Bone to Pick’
By Daniel Holloway on August 9, 2015
"Donald Trump’s former “Apprentice” candidates have rushed to his defense in the wake of his debate dust-up with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.

Kelly pressed Trump about his past use of derogatory comments to describe women.

Omarosa Manigault, one of the best-known contestants from “The Apprentice” — the reality series Trump used to host for NBC — called out Kelly Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” for her questioning of Trump at Thursday’s Republican presidential debate.

...“Look, it’s so clear to me that Megan Kelly had a bone to pick with Donald Trump,” Manigault told “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter Sunday. “Everyone saw it.”"

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This concludes Part I of this series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

What Old School REALLY Means & How It Got Those Meanings

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is part of a continuing pancocojams series on the term "old school" (also written as "old skool").

This post documents how the meaning of "old school" has changed since at least the 1990s, provides synonyms and antonyms for that term, and presents several examples of the use of the term "old school" in contemporary American culture.

Other posts in this series will showcases songs that predate the contemporary (1990s to date) colloquial meaning of "old school" such as the 19th century religious song "Give Me That Old Time Religion" and the 1960s Rhythm and Blues song "Those Oldies But Goodies". Other posts in this series will showcase the 1994 Hip Hop song "Old School" by Aaliyah, the use of "old school" and comparable terms in African American Gospel music, in R&B music, and the use of "old school" in Caribbean Dancehall music. Those posts will be published ASAP and will be found by clicking the "old school music" tab that is found below.

In addition, a post on the related slang word "throwback" will also be published ASAP. That post will be found by clicking the throwback tab that is found below.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, etymological purposes, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those featured in these sound files and videos and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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OLD DEFINITIONS OF "OLD SCHOOL"
From http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=old-school
"old-school (adj.) ... reference to a group of people noted for conservative views or principles on some professional or political matter, 1749, from old + school (n.)."

**
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/old+school
"Old school"
noun
1.
advocates or supporters of established custom or of conservatism:
"a military man of the old school."

...Examples from the web for old school

His poetry is perhaps too much of the old school, to suit the taste of the day.

There is much of the old school in the matter, but little in the manner.

Get a sailor of the old school to relay the coils before you go into the field so that the rope will be ready for use.

British Dictionary definitions for old school

old school

noun

1.

(mainly Brit) a school formerly attended by a person

2.

a group of people favouring traditional ideas or conservative practices

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From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=old+school
Old school
The term old school is of English origin and dates back to at least the 19th Century and is used to denote something that is considered to be out of date with currents trends/ideas and thinking. An early example of the term can be found in the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House (first published 1852).
Description of Mr. Tulkinghorn from the novel Bleak House. "He is of what is called the old school—a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young".
by Blake311 August 05, 2009

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Editorial Comment:
A significant difference between the standard and slang meanings of "old school" is that the standard term is used as a noun while the slang term is an adjective.

While the slang term "old school" may just be a time marker (i.e. something or someone from the past), that term often had/has complimentary connotations. My sense is that the standard term "old school" is an uncomplimentary description of people or practices. A person who is from the old school, is old-fashioned, set in his or her ways, one who isn't interested in advancing to new ways of doing things or thinking about things.

If you hold the belief that the present is always better than the past, people whose values and actions are stuck in the past are to be scorned. However, if you think that the present is worse than the past, then it's good to be "old school" and value music and other things that are old school.

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SLANG DEFINITIONS FOR "OLD SCHOOL" ("OLD SKOOL")
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/old+school
"Slang definitions & phrases for old school
old school
modifier
From an early time, favoring traditional ways; retro or vintage: old school fraternity hazings/ strictly old school"

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From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=old+school
Note: I'm re-posting three of multiple definitions that were submitted from that site's users,retrieved on Feb. 23, 2015 with the top ranked definitions (by users) as of that date given first.
"old school [top comment]
Anything that is from an earlier era and looked upon with high regard or respect. Can be used to refer to music, clothing, language, or anything really.
Client: We have three PC's running MS-Dos 6.
Consultant: Shi'...that's old school. "
by cazort, March 31, 2004

**
"old school
The way things used to be done.
That (black and white tv, rotary phone, newspaper, top hat, typewriter, VCR, etc.) is old school.
by garbermatt, August 09, 2010

**
"Old school
Anything that refers to a previous generation of a subject/idea/object/etc. Typically, they are highly regarded and sometimes the very thing that started it all."
by Chi Nou June 07, 2005

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HOW DID "OLD SCHOOL" ACQUIRE COMPLIMENTARY CONNOTATIONS
From http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/134034/origin-of-old-school Origin of “old school” Query from Flimzy, Nov 2 '13 at 0:53 "Do we know the etymology of this phrase [old school]?
-snip-
Here's the only response to that query to date:
Bradd Szonye, Nov 2 '13 at 1:11,
"The Online Etymology Dictionary dates old-school to 1749 as an adjective and simply notes that it's a compound of “old + school,” in reference to conservative beliefs or principles. This supports your suspicion that it's related to “old school of thought.”

The modern slang sense of old school is somewhat different, with stronger connotations of respect for the earlier era, but it's still clearly the same basic meaning. I'm not sure when the term acquired the positive connotations; it's similar to the use of OG “original gangster” to indicate respect."
-snip-
Editorial comment:
"O.G." is a (African American) Hip Hop term. I believe that "old school" is also from Hip Hop culture given that most of its early use (in the 1990s) is from that culture. For example, the 1994 song by Hip Hop artist Aaliyah is titled "Old School" and includes these lyrics:
Here's the old school, with the new school
Here's the old school, with the new school
Here's the old school, with the new school

R. Kelly play me something from the old school
R. Kelly play me something from the old school
R. Kelly play me something from the old school
R. Kelly play me something from the old school

Hey boy, won't you play for me
Right now, give me that old school beat...
https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tojqzjp5lfqlo2io7mfd63rhwbe?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics&u=0#

-snip-
This song will be showcased in an upcoming pancocojams post.

Here's a definition for "old school" that refers to Hip Hop, but I believe that it's only partly correct in its interpretation of how that term got the slang meaning it has now:
From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=old+school
1. "Old School (sp. Ol Skool) is a term that originated sometime in the very early 1990's with the introduction of Hip-Hop (which was the dance anyone could do, originaly consisting of foot-work and had its roots in jazz-funk). Old School refers back to 1984 when break-dancing was at its prime,because so many moves had to be studied and practiced just as one would learn in school.

To "take some-one to school", meant to either teach and instruct them or show by greater example how a move should be properly executed.

Given the new popularity of Hip-Hop in the early 1990's, many of the younger generations only learned how to perform the Hip-Hop moves (those who only knew Hip-Hop were refered to as the New-School).

Note: Anything that took place within the 1990's is refered to as, "back in the day".

2. Old School, Originaly the term was first used to differentiate between Break-Dancing and Hip-Hop.

3. An era that is marked by the very first computer generation; those who had the first personal computers (which soley ran off basic language and consisted of no hard drive) like the CoCo, Commodore, Apple, Pong, etc. This era occured after the baby-boomers of 1945-1965.
Why can I not find some Old School B-Boy movies like,"Beat Street" or "Breakin'" ?

If you want to learn about true break-dancing, you should find some-one who dances Old School.
by Darryl Learie aka nine9nine9nine9 September 10, 2006
-snip-
To unpack this, I agree with Darryl Learie that the slang meaning of "old school" dates from the early 1990s, although it could have also been used in the late 1980s. However, I think that he focused too much of his definition of "old school" on Hip Hop dancing. For beginners, his statement that "Hip Hop is a dance" is incorrect as is his note that "Anything that took place within the 1990's is refered to as, "back in the day". "Back in the day" is another way of saying "at some time in the past", although what "the past" ("the olden days") meant or means did and does differs widely from one person to another.

I definitely disagree with Learie's point #2 that "Old School, Originaly the term was first used to differentiate between Break-Dancing and Hip-Hop."
-snip-
Breakdancing (B-boying/b-girling) is one element of Hip Hop culture. Wikipedia's page on Hip Hop mentions 4 elements:
"It [Hip Hop] is characterized by four distinct elements, all of which represent the different manifestations of the culture: rap music (oral), turntablism or "DJing" (aural), b-boying (physical) and graffiti art (visual). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop
Other sites such as http://portlandyouthsummit.org/about-us-2/ add a fifth element "knowledge".
-snip-
UPDATE: February 25, 2015
My daughter pointed out to me that Learie may have meant that breakdancing is an old school form of dancing that is generally categorized as Hip Hop dancing. I concede that point.
-snip-
Darryl Learie's definition of "taking someone to school" also focuses too much on break dancing.
It's my position that the word "school" in the term "old school" refers to life's experiences - the good, the bad, and all else that occurs and is felt.

I grew up hearing the saying "Life is a school". And the saying "take someone to school" which I heard much later on meant and still means to teach that person a lesson that he or she will never forget. "School", after all, is where you are supposed to learn all sorts of things. But people are also supposed to learn by living. And the "school of hard knocks" (i.e. "life") is a difficult and often painful teacher.

I think that the word "school" in "old school" refers back to those sayings and simply means "what was occurring or who was there during that period of time."

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WORDS AND PHRASES THAT MAY MEAN THE SAME OR SIMILAR THINGS AS SOMETHING BEING OLD SCHOOL
In no particular order, here are some synonyms for "old school"

old time
**
old timey
**
old fashioned
**
Oldies but goodies
**
golden oldies
**
classic
**
[a] blast from the past
**
retro
**
vintage
**
throwback

Note: These words may have different connotations that "old school". For example, with the exception of Gospel music, the terms "old fashioned" and "old time" usually have negative connotations.

It should also be noted that particularly with regard to music, people who favor "old school", often believe that what they consider to be the best examples of that old school music are the only "true" or "real" examples of that cultural expression. Modern (contemporary) versions are therefore negatively compared with those examples and criticized for moving away from that style or styles.

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WORDS AND PHRASES THAT ARE OPPOSITE TO SOMETHING BEING OLD SCHOOL
current
**
contemporary
**
modern
**
new school

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A MOVIE NAMED "OLD SCHOOL"
An American comedy movie comedy entitled Old School was released six years after Aaliyah's Hip Hop song with that same title. A synopsis of that 2003 movie, which starred Will Farrell among others, reads "Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302886/.

The fact that "Old School" was used as a title for a Hollywood film suggests that that term had been around long enough that it had been picked up by White Americans from Black Americans, the source of much of this nation's slang.

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WHEN PEOPLE REFER TO SOMETHING AS BEING OLD SCHOOL, WHEN DO THEY USUALLY THINK IT MEANS?
Like beauty, the phrases "the olden days" and "back in the day" are in the eyes of the beholders.
Technically speaking, any time in the past could be considered "the olden days" and any cultural aspects or icons from the past could be considered "old school". However, my sense is that people
who use the term "back in the day" usually don't think beyond the 1980s when refer to music, or fashions or ways of doing things (such as the way people worshipped during Sunday church services). When people take "trips down memory lane", they are usually thinking about their
childhood and teenage memories, and not someone elses.

Given that the slang meaning of "old school" was grafted onto that term in the late 1980s/early 1990s, it stands to reason that, at least for Hip Hop, that appears to be the period of time that
most people believe "old school" refers to. And it seems to me that most people who use "old school" to refer to Dancehall Reggae music consider the 1990s as "old school". And with regard to R&B, it seems to me that for most people, "old school" doesn't go beyond the 1980s, although some people might stretch to the 1970s and the 1960s. After that, anything that occured or any people are real old school, if not old fashioned, which, as I stated earlier doesn't have the same positive vibes as old school.

With regard to African American Gospel, my guess is that "old school" extends to the 1960s and much earlier, since late 19th century and early twentieth century meter hymns (also known as "Dr. Watts hymns") are included among the music styles that some African Americans appear to call "old school" ("classic Gospel"). That said, it seems to me that although they are undoubtedly old, African American Spirituals aren't usually referred to as "old school" in the YouTube online comment threads that I've read.

But I'm wondering, what will music of the 1980s and 1990s be called when today's children grow up?
If "old school" refers to the music of a person's childhood and teen years, then wouldn't the music that those children listened to would be called "old school". If so, would the music of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s be called something like "the original old school" or "the music formerly known as old school"?...

Of course, they might come up with an entirely different term to refer to their music. We did- sort of.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

What "Sugar On The Floor" Means (The American Folk Cultural Meaning & The Kiki Dee composition)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: Feb. 22, 2020

This post provides information about the American folk meaning of the phrase "sugar on the floor" and the meaning of that term in the Kee LKee Dee's song "Sugar On The Floor" that was recorded by Elton John, Etta Cox, and others.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those composers and performers who are noted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of the video and the sound file that are featured in this post.

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AMERICAN FOLK MEANING OF THE PHRASE "SUGAR ON THE FLOOR"
The folk meaning of "sugar on the floor" is "sprinkling sugar on the floor to enhance social dancing".

"At house parties they used to shake sugar on the floor so it would crunch when stepped on, hence “to shake sugaree” meant to have a good time dancing. Even today, there’s a dance step called the “sugar step” which is an action like grinding sugar on the floor." http://rickmckeon.com/guitarlessons/shakel.pdf “Shake Sugaree”
-snip-
One suggested meaning of the Elizabeth Cotton song "Shake Sugaree". is that it refers to sugar being sprinkled on the floor for dancing. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/eiizabeth-cotton-shake-sugaree-sound.html for a pancocojams post on "Shake Sugaree".

Also, click this link for my new playground rhymes blog cocojams2 to read a version of the playground rhyme "Here We Go Round The Mountain" that is prefaced by the saying "Sugar's on the floor!!": http://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/11/african-american-singing-games-movement.html

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THE SONG "SUGAR ON THE FLOOR" BY JEAN RITCHIE
The song "Sugar On The Floor" was recorded by Jean Ritchie in the 1950s region. "Jean Ritchie (born December 8, 1922) is an American folk music singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Ritchie.

If I'm not mistaken, "Sugar On The Floor" is featured in Jean Ritchie's 1956 album Children's Songs & Games from the Southern Mountains (1956). Here's a review of a CD of that album:
http://www.music-tree.com/ritchiedisco.html "Childhood Songs"/Jean Ritchie
"Previously available on cassette only, this collection of songs from Jean’s childhood, and songs she sang to her children is now available on CD. The booklet contains directions for the singing CD".

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LYRICS: SUGAR OF THE FLOOR
(Jean Ritchie)

"(A) Sugar on the floor (D) sugar on the floor
Eat that up and (A) call for more
Dance my shoes right (D)off-a my feet
With (A)you, my little (E7)sugar on the (A)floor (A,D,E7,A)

verse

Now (A)shake that little foot, sweet Sally Ann
With a hey ho, (E7)sugar on the (A)floor
If (F#m)she can't shake it (E)nobody (D)can
O (E7) watch that sugar on the floor

Do si do and shy all around her,
Hey, ho, sugar on the floor.
Eat that sugar-pie til you founder,
Watch that sugar on the floor.
chorus

Faster, girls, you not a-goin'fast enough,
hey, ho, sugar on the floor;
Slow down boys you a-gettin too rough
Now watch that sugar on the floor.
chorus

Jeremiah Johnson, let me have your daughter,
hey, ho, sugar on the floor;
Bake my bread and carry water and
Throw a little sugar on my floor.
chorus

O swing 'er and hug'er and stand'er in the corner,
Hey, ho, sugar on the floor.
Hain't she a purty thing, 'pon my honor!
Sweetest little sugar on the floor.
chorus

Gimme little sugar and gimme little sweetnin',
Hey, ho, sugar on the floor.
Clap your hands and stamp your feet 'n'
Watch that sugar on the floor.

chorus

1964, 1971 Geordie Music Publishing, all rights reserved."
Source: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=33509 "Lyr Add: Sugar On The Floor by Jean Ritchie", posted by harpgirl. 22 Apr 01 - 03:10 PM.

This is the only post on that discussion thread.
-snip-
"Sugar On The Floor" is probably Ritchie's version of a Kentucky Mountain folk song. If so, it's somewhat curious that there doesn't appear to be any other lyric versions of that song online. And unfortunately, I've not been able to find the Jean Ritchie song "Sugar On The Floor" on YouTube.

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In various verses of Jean Ritchie's song, "sugar" can also be interpreted as an affectionate referent for a female.

In American English "sugar" can be a referent for a female or a male. Also, among African Americans, the nickname "Shug" -from the word "sugar"- is a uncommon, but still heard, nickname for a male or a female. [i.e. "Shug Avery", a woman in Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple and "Shug Knight" is an African American male Hip-Hop music entrepreneur.

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In Jean Ritchie's song "sugar" also refers to a pastry: "Eat that sugar-pie til you founder".

The word "sugar" in Jean Ritchie's song is also used to mean "give me a hug and/or a kiss": "Gimme little sugar and gimme little sweetnin'". ("Give me some sugar" is a relatively common American way of saying "Give me a hug and/or a kiss".)

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An American traditional folk music singing group which is named after that Jean Ritchie song gives this meaning of that song title and lyric:
"From http://www.sugaronthefloor.com/ ":
"The name of our group is the title of an rollicking old time song about making rough floors more danceable by throwing sugar on them so folks could slide around easily. The song combines snatches of two old dance tunes "The Eighth of January" and "Pigtown Fling."
-snip-
*The reference to "Sugar On The Floor" being a combination of two old dance tunes refers to the music of those fiddle tunes and not any lyrics those tunes might have. Instrumental videos of "The Eighth of January" (also known as "The Battle Of New Orleans) aand "Pigtown Fling" are available on YouTube.

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"SUGAR ON THE FLOOR" - POP ROCK/BLUES SONG
Judging from the number of Google search hits, the most widely known example and meaning of the phrase "sugar on the floor" is connected to Kee Kee Dee's 1970s composition with that title. "Sugar On The Floor" has been recorded by Pop/Rock star Elton John, Blues star Etta James, and others. In that song "sugar on the floor" means being discarded by the person you love.

UPDATE: 2/22/2020. Hat tip to commenter Charly M who wrote on Feb. 22, 2020 that the Kee Kee Dee song "Sugar On The Floor" is "a confession shes in a relationship, but it's not THE relationship they want...[She's] not the [with] the right person".

Thanks, Charly M. I agree with your interpretation of that song.

Here's the lyrics to the Pop/Blues song "Sugar On The Floor":

SUGAR ON THE FLOOR
(Kee Kee Dee- composer)

You're a stranger to me
Still you give me your life
I toss it to one side
Still you're sweeter to me
When will I be sure

It's warm where you are
But my lips just don't burn
I feel so insecure
When you try to be kind
Could I, could I ask for more?
Feel like sugar on the floor
Sugar on the floor

Sugar on the floor

Looking at you now I know you only want to find me
Still I need a reason to leave the past behind me
There is no easy way
There is no easy way
To learn how to fly
I hope that I could care
When I turn around you're there
Should I, should I ask for more?
I feel like sugar on the floor
I feel like sugar on the floor
Sugar on the floor

Oh, oh, ooh

Ooh, It's warm where you are
But ooh I wish we could be closer
'Cause I'm living in a dream
And I can't show you
Still you're sweeter to me
When would I, when would I be sure?
I feel like I'm sugar on the floor
Feel like sugar on the floor

All I need
All I need is somebody to love
All I need
All I need is somebody to care about me
So I won't be wasted

Oh, wasted on the floor
Oh I, oh I
I feel like I'm sugar on the floor


Source https://genius.com/Etta-james-sugar-on-the-floor-lyrics

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Here's a video of Elton John performing Sugar On The Floor":

Elton John - Sugar on the Floor (1975) With Lyrics!



RonnieFriend, Uploaded on Feb 25, 2009

Released as the B-side to the "Island Girl" single, this song was written by Elton's friend and singing partner Kiki Dee. Elton had produced and played on Kiki's own original version in 1973 on her "Loving & Free" album. On Elton's version he accompanied himself on piano, with just a little bit of guitar added by Davey Johnstone. It's an unusally stark and dramatic performance from the mid-70s Elton John!
Listen to Kiki's version here:
http://youtu.be/BxJKtCUPayg
-snip-
Click http://www.eltonography.com/songs/sugar_on_the_floor.html for the complete lyrics of that song.

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Here's a video of Etta James singing "Sugar On The Floor" [added on 2/22/2020 to replace the sound file that is no longer available:

Etta James - Sugar On The Floor - live



permit2001, Dec 30, 2010

Etta James does her version of Kiki Dee's Sugar On The Floor
-snip-
Etta James adds these lyrics to Kiki Dee's song "Sugar On The Floor":
"All I need,
all I need is somebody to love
All I need,
all I need is somebody to care about me
So I won't be wasted
Oh, wasted on the floor
Oh I, oh I
I feel like I'm sugar on the floor"
-snip-
Click http://www.metrolyrics.com/sugar-on-the-floor-lyrics-etta-james.html for the lyrics that Etta James sings for that song.

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Here are a few selected comments from the discussion thread for the Etta James sound file that was embedded above in the original version of this post.
buren86, Sep 20, 2009
"God Bless Etta James....her voice, her feeling, her expression of this song makes me cry. When we're feeling down, unloved, unwanted...it strikes right at the heart. Yet, there is still some Hope, that things can get better for us. When will I be sure? Feels like, sugar on the floor. All we really need is someone to love us, care about us, so we won't be wasted on the floor. God Bless U Etta.

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zanderphis, Sep 3, 2010 in reply to buren86
"hi buren86 when i was young my parents thru sugar on the floor so their feet would slid easy while they danced. the sugar was used, but not wasted. love is never wasted."

**
buren86 Sep 4, 2010 in reply to zanderphis
@zanderphis I'm not sure that's quite what the song is talking about, but your point about love never wasted is well-taken : )

**
Den Knee Dec 21, 2011 in reply to JloveLamar
@JloveLamar The original studio version was on Etta's 'Deep In The Night' lp on Warner Brothers Records from 1978. Bullseye Blues/Rounder issued it on cd in 1996. Not sure where this live version is from tho.

“All I need is someone to care for me so I won’t be wasted
like sugar on the floor.”

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Bill Durling, 2014
"This a cover of a Kiki Dee song, not an Elton John song. First recorded on Kiki Dee's Album "Loving And Free" (1973)."

**
George Whitney, 2014
"Sometimes I feel like I'm wasted like Sugar on the Floor! ETTA!"

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Visitor comments are welcome.

What "smh" REALLY Means (information & examples) Part I

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part series on the acronym "smh". Part I provides information and comments about a few examples of "smh".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-smh-really-means-information_1.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides a portion of the information in that post as well as additional examples of the use of "smh".

The content of this post is presented for cultural and etymological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Whoissugar, the vlogger who is featured in one video that is showcased below.

UPDATE: October 7, 2014
Here are links to two other pancocojams post that mention "shakin my head" (smh):
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-tv-show-glees-shakin-my-head-song.html

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/hip-hop-doo-wop-and-country-music-songs.html

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PART I
WHAT IS "SMH" AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
"Smh" is an acronym for "shaking my head". At least to date, "smh" appears to be limited to written communication on the internet (such as blogging, posting on social media sites, and tweeting) and telephone text messaging.

People usually write about something and then add the acronym "smh" at the end of that sentence. For instance, a person might write "Did you see that movie? The reviews said it told the true story about relationships between men and women. smh. Or, less often, "smh" is found at the beginning of a sentence or at the beginning of a short-hand internet/text message statement. For instance, "smh @"XYZ" movie.

Most of the time when people write "smh", they're communicating that they are figuratively shaking their head in reaction to the words and/or actions of another person. When "smh" is written, it expresses that the person feels or felt one or more of the following: disbelief about or negative judgment of what a person has said or done, for example the belief that the person is ignorant, or foolish, or a liar, or racist. "Smh" is also used to express exasperation, disdain, disgust, and/or anger because of those previously listed reasons or for other reasons.

In that regard, it appears to me that "smh" has the same or similar meanings as "kiss teeth" ("suck teeth") does among Black people in the Caribbean and in Africa. I think that "kiss teeth", "suck teeth" have and "smh" (usually) has an element of heightened impatience with the person whose comments or actions caused that person to make that gesture or caused the writer to add "smh" at the end of her or his comments (or at the beginning of those comments). But I think that there may also be an element of impudence in "kiss teeth"/"suck teeth" that I don't think is present in "smh".

I also believe that the reasons for writing "smh" are quite similar to the reasons someone would do a "side eye" or "eye roll". In addition, writing "smh" might also sometimes be motivated by the same reasons that people lightly smack their forehead with their hand (do a "face palm"), although it seems to me that a face palm is usually done because the person is exasperated with his or her foolish, stupid non-serious and non-offensive actions or those types of actions or words that someone else has done or said. Furthermore, I think that the face palm gesture is one that is most often done by non-Black Americans, and I think mostly Black females- write "eyeroll" or write "side eye" at the end of a sentence the same way and for the same reasons that people- I think at least early on, mostly African American people- wrote "smh". [I'll write more shortly about the racial aspects of "smh" and to a lesser degree about the racial aspect of "face palm"].

But in contrast to those other gestures, I think that probably few people who write "smh" take the time and use their energy to actually shake their head. Instead, it's my sense that writing "smh" is a way of conveying the action of shaking one's head (and saying "un un un" along with that gesture).

I listed above what I believe are main reasons why people write "smh" online or in text messages. [I confess I've not used that acronym myself.] However, a person might also write "smh" as a form of wry, self-deprecating sense of humor to note something that she or he realizes about herself or himself or about people (and animals or things) who or that they associate with. Most of the examples from whoissugar's two featured videos in this pancocojams series demonstrate that type of usage of "smh".

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THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ROOTS OF "SMH" & ESTABLISHING A MARKER FOR THE EARLY USE OF "SMH"
I believe that "smh" is used (or at least "early on" was used) more often by African Americans than by non-African Americans, including other Black people. Unlike "side eye", "eye roll", "kiss teeth", and "suck teeth", "smh" isn't an old-school (traditional) African Diaspora or African cultural term. Nor does it appear to be an old school, traditional non-Black term.

I don't know when or where "smh" was first used. However, 2009 is the earliest online mention of this acronym that I've found: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090503231937AA75mhg [hereafter given as Yahoo answers:smh]

That Yahoo query was posted anonymously. Here's that question

"is smh a black internet slang?

i have no idea what it means, but i often see it in message boards and comment areas. the posters are always black people. can someone clue me in?”
-snip-
Notice the use of the term "message boards". The use of the term "message boards" instead of "blogs" provides some clue about when this "asker" saw "smh" used. Other blog posts that i've read in which commenters associated the acronym "smh" with Black people*, such as the 2010 blog thread on http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=128512063 . Here's the initial post on that bodybuilding thread:
"10-22-2010, 12:22 PM#1
mikeyBarracuda
Location: Boca Raton, Florida, United States…
Why do lots of black people say "SMH"?
Yes I know what it means - "shake my head"
But it seems as if a large majority of black people say "SMH" on facebook, through text, etc.
(no racist)"
-snip-
I interprete "no racist" to mean that the blogger wants to assure people that he didn't intend his question or comments to be racist.)

Although Facebook began in 2004, I wonder what the research indicates about when a significant number of Facebook users -whatever that percentage would be- were African American. Beecause of the "digital divide", I wouldn't be surprised if that didn't happen until 2009.

Returning to that Yahoo answers:smh query page, there are six responses to that question "Is smh a Black internet acronym?" Each of those answers was published in 2009. Three of the commenters either self-idenfied as Black or their accompanying photograph was of a person who people would usually identify as Black. One of those three commenters indicated that she or he knew about the acronym "smh", but denied that it was or should be associated with Black people.* Here's that comment:
"msknowitall answered 5 years ago [2009]
"I'm black.. and I have no idea what it means..
Get over it..
Its just an internet slang..
That hasn't caught on yet.."
-snip-
Notice that this commenter writes in 2009 that this internet slang "hadn't caught on yet".

The comment that the person who posted the query ranked as the "Best Answer" was from Christy:
"It means
"shakin my head"
there you're clued in
Example:
Girl: What are you doin?
Boy: Smokin Crack..
Girl: Smh you're a loser
-snip-
Other blog threads also associate the acronym "smh" with Black people and it by the number of racist comments on most of those blogs that many if not all of their commenters are non-Black. Most of those blogs [including the bodybuilding:smh but not the Yahoo answers:smh blog also include profanity and sexually explicit responses.

Speaking of that 2010 bodybuilder:smh thread, one commenter on that thread Bannister11
…Location: New Jersey, United States wrote that
"I thought it was a message board thing but I noticed my black friends who don't frequent forums use it too."
-snip-
I wonder if that blogger meant telephone texting when he said that his black friends who don't blog use the acronym "smh". Perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe Black people (and other peeople?) use "smh" elsewhere besides the internet and telephone texting. I'd love to know more about this.
-snip-
*Note: The referent "Black" wasn't defined in that website or in other blog threads in which commenteers noted that "smh" was associated with Black people or commenters asked whether "smh" was mostly or entirely associated with Black people. In spite of the fact that a lot of Black people aren't African Americans, given the prepondance of Americans on the English speaking internet, and the fact that at least on some website (but not the Yahoo:smh site) a number of commenters indicated that they were from the USA, it's reasonable to assume that people meant "African American" when they wrote "Black".)

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THIS USE OF "SMH" AS DEFINED ON INTERNET ACRONYMS WEBSITES
"smh" may mean other things that aren't related to a person's comments about or reaction to something that was said or done, such as the "Sydney Morning Herald" (newspaper). Here are two entries from the internet acronym website: http://pc.net/slang/meaning/smh

"SMH
Meaning: shaking my head

Type: Acronym

Rank: ★ ★ ★ Common

Usage: Online Only (chat, messaging, e-mail)

Comments
Expresses disapproval, disagreement, or speechlessness; used when something is so bad that you just shake your head; can also mean, "I disagree," "I can't believe it," or "Not again..."

Updated: December 19, 2012
-snip-
"SMH
Meaning: Smash my head

Type: Acronym

Rank: ★ ★ ☆ Average

Usage: Online Only (chat, messaging, e-mail)

Comments:
SMH can also be used to say you are smashing your forehead on your hand. It is similar to saying, "D'oh!" after doing something dumb.*
-snip-
I think that "smashing your forehead" is the same thing as "face palm", but I'm not sure about that. (One commenter on the bodybuilding:smh website wrote that "smh" is black people's way of saying "face palm").

Neeither that Internet acronym website nor any other such website that I visited on September 30, 2014] made any mention about "smh" being mostly or entirely associated early on or presently with any specific racial population.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO AND SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THAT VIDEO

56-whoissugar's side-eye Saturday Volume 2...3 days early



Uploaded by whoissugar on Mar 8, 2011
-snip-
Her's a comment that includes "smh" from the video itself:
"SIDE EYE EVENTS...
A male co worker called me "afrocentric," "neo soul," and "black panther" all BECAUSE I AM NATURAL!! SMH He gets the side eye every time I see him..
-snip-
Here are two comments from that video along with whoissugar's responses to those comments:

Tissa Chelle, march 8, 2011
"you crack me up...I can 't stand it when I dont have a video to watch from you...but twitter helps...lol

**
whoissugar, Mar 8, 2011 in reply to Tissa Chelle
"@PureRHOty AWE! Honey, I'm still trying to get the hang of twitter. Apart of me still doesn't get it. smh.
-snip-
“Apart” = a part
Note that whoissugar used smh in her self –deprecating remark about not "getting" (knowing how to use) twitter.
This comment written in 2011 lends further credence to the view that ‘‘smh” is a relatively newly coined acronym.

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Myeka324Mar 8, 2011•LINKED COMMENT
"You are so funny Sug! That's funny what your cat did with the rumba....lawd have mercy! And the iron on the "hell" setting? Lol to that as well...appreciate you too girl and hugs right back at ya! :o) this vid is too much"

**
whoissugar, Mar 8, 2011 in reply to Myeka324
"@Myeka324 Chile, I'm mad how he didn't smell my shirt burning. SMH!"
-snip-
Notice how this example of "smh" is also written in good humor, and not in anger, disbelief, disdain, or disgust, as a number of other examples of smh are written.

Many of the comments that will be featured in Part II of this series demonstrate those types of emotions. That post will be published ASAP.

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/puttin-on-black-side-eye-videos.html "Putting On The Black: Side Eye"

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http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-kiss-teeth-suck-teeth-means.html "What Kiss Teeth (Suck Teeth) Mean"

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

The Origins & Meanings Of The Word "Sambo"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part series on the word "sambo".

This pancocojams post focuses on the etymology (the origin and meaning) of the name "Sambo".

I've included a comment from a folk discussion forum about the Caribbean meaning of the word "sambo" and I've also included an excerpt of a critique of Helen Bannerman's 1899 book Little Black Sambo.  I've included that last excerpt because of the undeniable influence that book has had on cultural connotations about the name "Sambo".

Click http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Sambo.aspx for information about the history of the "Sambo" stereotype.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/09/sambo-in-examples-of-songs-from-thomas.html for Part II of this series. Part II of this series presents examples of the name "Sambo" in songs/rhymes that are featured in Thomas W. Talley's 1922 book Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/09/caribbean-folk-songs-include-word-sambo.html for Part III of this series. Part III showcases Caribbean folk songs that include the word "sambo".

These posts are presented for cultural and informational purposes.

All copyrights remain wth their owners.

Thanks to those who are quoted in this post.

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DISCLAIMER: These posts aren't meant to imply that these are the only songs that include the word "sambo".

Also, I'm aware that the word "sambo" may be from more than one traditional African language. I'm also aware that the word "sambo" and the name "Sambo" may have different meanings in traditional African languages, aside from the meanings that were given that word outside of African cultures. Furthermore, I believe that it's also likely that the word "sambo" meaning "mixed racial" came from a different source than the personal name "Sambo".

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MY COMMENTS ABOUT THESE SELECTED QUOTES
I've assigned numbers to these excerpts for referencing purposes, but must confess that I prefer the etymologies for the word "sambo" that are given in the first three excerpts than the etymology that is given in for that word in the Wikipedia excerpt which I assigned #4.

Excerpt #5 refers to the meaning of the word "sambo" in the Caribbean [as does a portion of Excerpt #1]

Excerpt #6 is from an critique of the 1899 book "Little Black Sambo".

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VARIOUS QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE WORD "SAMBO"
Excerpt #1: From http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sambo
"sambo (n.2) stereotypical name for male black person (now only derogatory), 1818, American English, probably a different word from sambo (n.1); like many such words (Cuffy, Rastus, etc.) a common personal name among U.S. blacks in the slavery days (first attested 1704 in Boston), probably from an African source, such as Foulah sambo "uncle," or a similar Hausa word meaning "second son."

It could be used without conscious racism or contempt until circa World War II. When the word fell from polite usage, collateral casualties included the enormously popular children's book "The Story of Little Black Sambo" (by Helen Bannerman), which is about an East Indian child, and the Sambo's Restaurant chain, a U.S. pancake-specialty joint originally opened in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1957 (the name supposedly from a merging of the names of the founders, Sam Battistone and Newell "Bo" Bohnett, but the chain's decor and advertising leaned heavily on the book), which once counted 1,200 units coast-to-coast. Civil rights agitation against it began in 1970s and the chain collapsed, though the original restaurant still is open. Many of the defunct restaurants were taken over by rival Denny's.

sambo (n.1) "person of mixed blood in America and Asia," 1748, perhaps from Spanish zambo "bandy-legged," probably from Latin scambus "bow-legged," from Greek skambos. Used variously in different regions to indicate some mixture of African, European, and Indian blood; common senses were "child of black and Indian parentage" and "offspring of a black and a mulatto."

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Excerpt #2: From https://web.ccsu.edu/afstudy/upd4-3.html
Vol. IV, no. 3 (Summer 1997) Africa Update Archives
“African Languages and Ebonics" by Dr. Katherine Harris, Central Connecticut State University
..."It is nevertheless too simplistic to conclude that African Americans retained nothing of their multilingual heritage. One can look briefly at naming practices to find evidence of linguistic ties. For example, Juba, one of the day names given to a male child along the Guinea coast, was also a nickname given to a girl born on Monday in slave communities to describe "tomboy" (1620s-1800). The name Juba, which was fairly common among African men in the l7th and l8th centuries, was also the name of a region in modern Kenya/Somalia and Sudan.

The erosion of African names also occurred. Samba, meaning comfort in Wolof, is still recalled in musical form in Brazil, where there remains a strong African presence. A possible derivation of Samba is Zambo (Southern/Central Africa), which also means to give comfort. Other derivatives are Sambu in Mandinka and Sambo in Hausa. The fact that the name was at one time fairly common and no longer used may have relationship to a song popularized by white Americans during the war from 1861-1865, "Sambo's Right To Be Kilt," and especially the derogatory usage of the name enshrined in the book Little Black Sambo."

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Excerpt #3
http://www.answers.com/topic/sambo-3 "Oxford Companion to African American Literature:
"Variants of the name Sambo can be found in several African cultures, including Samba in Bantu; Samb and Samba in Wolof; Sambu in Mandingo; and Sambo in Hausa, Mende, and Vai. Throughout census materials and assorted other eighteenth-century documents, these names emerge as those of new world slaves. The name also has possible Hispanic antecedents: the sixteenth-century word “zambo” refers to a bowlegged or knock-kneed individual.

By the late eighteenth century, whites had begun to use the name in a generic fashion to refer to male slaves. Before long, comic associations were commonplace; childishness, sloppiness, and a propensity to mispronounce multisyllabic words were the key traits of a Sambo figure. Such characters emerged in late eighteenth-century plays and sheet music, and became mainstays of nineteenth-century minstrelsy. By the time Helen Bannerman's The Story of Little Black Sambo was published in 1898, the name was thoroughly linked with the image of an immature, fun-loving, inept, black male."...

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Excerpt #4: From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo_(racial_term)
"The word "sambo" came into the English language from the Latin American Spanish word zambo, the Spanish word in Latin America for a person of mixed African and Native American descent.[2] This in turn may have come from one of three African language sources. Webster's Third International Dictionary holds that it may have come from the Kongo word nzambu (monkey). Note that the z of (Latin American) Spanish is pronounced like the English s rather than as the z in the word nzambu. The Royal Spanish Academy gives the origin from a Latin word, possibly the adjective valgus[3] or another modern Spanish term (patizambo,) both of which translate to "bow-legged".

The equivalent term in Portuguese-speaking areas, such as Brazil, is cafuzo.

Examples of "Sambo" as a common name can be found as far back as the 18th century. In Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair (serialised from 1847), the black skinned Indian servant of the Sedley family from Chapter One, is called Sambo. Similarly, in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), one of Simon Legree's overseers is named Sambo. Instances of it being used as a stereotypical name for African Americans can be found as early as the Civil War. The name does not seem to have acquired the intentional, open derogatory connotation until the first half of the 20th century”...

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Excerpt #5: From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=138244
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Big Big Sambo Gyal (jamaica)
From:Q; Date: 11 Jun 11 - 10:37 PM
..."In notes with another "Sambo" song*, Walter Jekyll, 1904, remarks: "A Sambo is the child of a brown mother and a black father, being a cross between black and white. The Sambo lady, very proud of the strain of white in her blood, turns up her nose at the black man. She wants a white man for a husband. Failing to find one, she will not marry at all."
-snip-
* "Another "Sambo" song = another song that includes the word "sambo" other than the song "Big Big Sambo Gyal" which is the focus of that folk music forum's discussion thread. I'm not sure about the name of that other song. However, the lyrics for and comments about "Big Big Sambo Gyal" are included in Part III of this pancocojam series.

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Excerpt #6: http://people.lis.illinois.edu/~heinric3/514LBS/LittleBlackSambo5.html "Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo:
Critical Evaluation
"Sambo’s name also worked against him in the United States. Bannerman’s choice of the name Sambo was understandable in her setting. Although the content and context of the tale are decidedly Indian (tigers, ghi, the bazaar, curly but not kinky hair, and the Indian place of authorship), Bannerman biographer Elizabeth Hay believes the author consciously chose a name she knew was associated with Africans (161). But the name Sambo could easily have been a variant of Sambasivan, a common boys’ name for the Tamil ethnic group among whom the Bannermans lived in Madras (“Tamil Names”)....

In any case, uprooted from India and transplanted in American soil, the name turned out to be most inopportune. Sambo had become the generic name for a stereotyped, subservient, dim-witted African American male. As early as 1843, “Sambo” was the title character in the song “The Fine Old Color’d Gentleman” by Dan Emmett, founder of the first blackface minstrel troupe".
-snip-
I've also read the theory that the name "Sambo" in Helen Bannerman's book could have come from the name for the Indian god "Shiva"*. However, I agree with "Bannerman biographer Elizabeth Hay [that] the author consciously chose a name she knew was associated with Africans" in large part because Bannerman also used other African words as names in that book [i.e. Black Mumbo for Sambo's mother and Black Jumbo for Sambo's father]. She also wrote and had published other books that used names which "were associated with Africans". Read my comment below for more about this.
-snip-
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva "The name Śambhu (Sanskrit: शम्भु), "causing happiness", also reflects this benign aspect [of Shiva].

Also, http://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/%C5%9Bambhu/index.html
"Śambhu, another common name or epithet of Śiva, has been compared with the Tamil chempu or Śembu meaning "copper," i.e. "the red metal."
-snip-
While the name "Sambo" and the name "Sambu" are spelled simiarly, they have different etymologies and meanings. I doubt that Helen Bannerman, the author of "Little Black Sambo" was alluding to Sambhu when she named that character "Sambo"..

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The Changing Meanings Of Being Sassy, part 2

Written by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a post on the word "sassy". Part II continues an exploration of this word particularly as it has been used in reference to Black females.

Part I provides a general overview of meanings that have been given to the word "sassy". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/09/changing-meanings-of-being-sassy.html.

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Part II

The image of sassy Black girls that is usually portrayed on a number of American television talks shows is of females who are confrontational, loud & rowdy, and unwilling to back down from anyone. These sassy Black girls would stand up in their mama’s face and sass her if they felt like it. I consider this image to be quite negative. Yet, two books that I've found online address the pyscho-social benefits for these females of this form of attitude and behaviors.

From a review of Smart & Sassy-The Strength of Inner City Black Girls by Joyce West Stevens (New York, Oxford University Press, 2002) in Book Review in Child & Youth Care Forum, 32 (5), October 2003, 2003 Human Science Press, Inc, p. 305
"Willful forthrightness in demeanor that expresses a spirited behavioral expressive style of boldness, independence, and courage, which black adolescent girls learn early to deal with everyday hassles. Sassiness can become a form of healthy social resistance that embodies the moral integrity needed to deal with everyday confrontations of social and racial inequities and indignities. During adolescence sassy behavior often emerges as an expressive function of identity exploration." (p. 189)
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From Stephanie Y. Mitchem, Emilie Maureen Townes's 2008 book Faith, Health, And Healing In African American Life p. 188 [Google Books]
"Sassiness is as protective of black girls' vulnerabilities as the development of young black women's attitude. Attitude is sassiness grown up and is characterized by quick comebacks, argumentativeness, or biting humor. Attitude is also learned and helps young woman establish personal style ,negotiate new areas of school or work and is again protective. A White male colleague defined his experiences of encountering attitude when he stated “If a black woman is mad at you, you might as well be dead”. Such attitude is a protective stance, a kind of preventative medicine against the world’s cruelty. Both sassiness and attitude are modes of women’s operations in the world as independent agents. Such self-protection may seem a flimsy barrier with which to negotiate the world, but it can serve to maintain mental health, resiliency, and identity.

These ways of self-protection also become important as black women move into the working world."
-snip-
In spite these psycho-social assessments of sassiness, it appears to me that being sassy is still largely viewed negatively among African Americans. So how did that definition of "sassy" change to one that emphasizes the positive characteristics of "cool", "lively", "spirited", and "spunky"?

I think that much of the "credit" for this change in definitions belongs to the considerable influence on certain populations of the now defunct Sassy Magazine (1988-1994 or 1996 depending on different online sources).
From How Sassy Changed By Life
"For a generation of teenage girls,Sassy magazine was nothing short of revolutionary—so much so that its audience, which stretched from tweens to twentysomething women, remains obsessed with it to this day and back issues are sold for hefty sums on the Internet. For its brief but brilliant run from 1988 to 1994, Sassy was the arbiter of all that was hip and cool, inspiring a dogged devotion from its readers while almost single-handedly bringing the idea of girl culture to the mainstream. In the process, Sassy changed the face of teen magazines in the United States, paved the way for the unedited voice of blogs, and influenced the current crop of smart women’s zines”."
-snip-
While I don’t have any demographical information to prove it, my hunch is that far fewer Black females than White females read Sassy magazine or were even familiar that there was such a magazine. I believe that this explains why many White commenters and many Black commenters in that Huffington Post article that was featured in the first part of Pancocojams' post on Being Sassy The Changing Meanings Of Being Sassy disagreed on what sassy means. Just because you live in the same nation at the same time and both speak English, doesn't mean that you have the exact same cultural influences, or that you will interpret those influences the same way.

I'm ending this post with the words to Maya Angelou poems and videos of those poems because they speak to the self-confident meanings of being sassy and/or the positive meaning of being a female.

STILL I RISE
(Maya Angelou)

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame - I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain - I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear - I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear - I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

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Maya Angelou- Still I Rise



Uploaded by mkimimi on Mar 17, 2007

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PHENOMENAL WOMAN
(Maya Angelou)

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

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Phenomenal Woman - Ruthie Foster Live at Antone's



Uploaded by BlueCornMusic on Jun 15, 2011

Performance from Ruthie Foster's new live DVD/CD Ruthie Foster Live at Antone's available 6/21/11.

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