Edited by Azizi Powell
[revised March 26, 2014]
This post focuses on various 19th century African American instructional dances – (dances that are performed to directional [instructions or commands, i.e. “calls”) that folk singer/performer Lead Belly made about the "shoo fly" dance or dance movement and other dance movements that he recalls some African Americans performing in the late 19th century or early 20th century.
This post also includes my comments about the continuity of the instructional dance tradition as evidenced by some 20th century, and 21st century African American & Caribbean dance songs.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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GENERAL COMMENTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "SHOO FLY"
"Shoo" = an exclamation that means "Go away"; "Get out of here", usually said while waving hands, motioning the person, animal, or insect (such as a fly) to move away.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoo_Fly,_Don't_Bother_Me
“Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me” was first published in 1869 by White, Smith & Perry. It is not entirely clear who wrote it, but Thomas (T.) Brigham Bishop is often given credit. Bishop was a colorful fellow. He was born in Maine in 1835, and from an early age had success as a musician. He was a performer on the “negro minstrel” *circuit, and wrote, or claimed to have written, co-authored, and composed a handful of very popular Civil War era songs, such as “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” and “John Brown’s Body.” He was undoubtedly involved in producing some popular music, but other composers have also laid claim to some of the same songs, and there is little evidence to provide a definitive answer...
[Bishop] reportedly wrote “Shoo Fly” during his time as a commanding officer of a black regiment, referred to as ‘Company G’ in the song, during the Civil War. There are a couple of versions of the story, but the common thread is that he heard one of the soldiers say, “Shoo, fly, don’t bother me!” and it ignited his imagination. He wrote the tune and lyrics and then taught the song to his men. It quickly caught on. After its military run, the song became a regular part of black and blackface comedy routines, with an accompanying dance. Other people also published versions of the song, but Bishop claimed that it had been pirated from him".
-snip-
*"negro minstrel circuit" - performance circuits for performers of songs that were purported to be or were actually from Southern African American sources or were pertaining to Southern African Americans (These weren't the same performance circuits as the 20th century "Chitlin Circuit" that refers to the usual performance sites throughout the USA for Black non-religious performers; Also to be clear, Brigham Bishop was an Anglo American
Click http://shoo-fly.weebly.com/http://shoo-fly.weebly.com/ “Shoo Fly!” for more information about the history of the song "Shoo Fly". That article and the Wikipedia page whose link is given above also include the original lyrics to that song.
WARNING: The original lyrics for "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" contain offensive language [the n word fully spelled out].
Also, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_to_My_Lou for information about the play party song "Skip To My Lou" which includes the phrase "shoo fly shoo".
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LEAD BELLY EXCERPT #1 - THE SHOO FLY DANCE OR DANCE CALL
From Google Books The Life & Legend Of Huddie Ledbetter by Wolfe/lornell, pps 20-21
"De white folk ‘low dem [allow them] to have de frolic* with de fiddle and or banjo or windjammer. Dey dance out on de grass, forty or fifty n-----rs**, and dem big girls nineteen year old git out dere barefoot as de goose. It jes’ de habit of de times, 'cause dey all have shoes. Sometimes de call*** de jig dance and some of dem sure dance it, too. De prompter*** call “All git ready.” Den de holler . “All balance,” and den he sing out “Swing your partner”, and dey does it. Den he say “All promenade”, and dey goes in de circle****. One thing that dey calls “Bird in de Cage”. Three join hands round de girl in de middle, and dance around her, and then she git out and her partner git in the center ***** and dey dance awhile.”...
These turn-of- the century gatherings featured a number of different styles of dancing. The older people preferred the classic Texas square dance, which had developed from the French cotillion and contra dances decades earlier.
[Huddie Ledbetter's comments]
“They called the sets all the time when they danced”, said Huddie. “They called “Shoo Fly”, uses [sic] “shoo fly” mean square dance. It worked this way: a couple would get on the dance floor, and on cue from the caller, begin to circle to the right. And then, said Huddie, when you get back to your home [starting place], grab your partner, the first man on the head “shoo fly”. When they begin to “shoo fly” then they holler
“Shoo fly, shoo fly
Shoo fly, shoo fly”
Then they commence to hollering
One dollar bill baby, won’t buy you no shoes.
One dollar bill baby, won’t buy you no shoes.
One dollar bill baby, won’t buy you no shoes.
One dollar bill baby, won’t buy you no shoes.
Then the next man would head “shoo fly”: get his partner and circle around. This continued until each couple had circled to home; they would make a ring and circle again, find their partners, and begin to “dance on ahead and dance toward the candy stand”.
Younger partners preferred a faster beat and a faster tune, and did a complex set of dance steps that Huddie later referred to as “breakdowns” or “the old buck and wing”. “You got to do it real fast”. And when you breakdown, you ain’t tapping, you just work your legs. Now a long time ago, my grandfather, my great grandfather say you ain’t dancing till you cross your legs.” The Baptist church tried to discourage African religious practices among slaves. It forbade not only drumming, but any kind of dancing – with dancing defined as movement that involved crossing the legs...
Another account from the twentieth century describes a dance called the Dog Scratch being done by two individuals surrounded by a circle of men who shouted encouragement , and clapped, and eventually joined in. Mance Lipscomb recalled two dancers engaged in “cutting contests...seeing who could outdance the other. You ever seen two roosters flappin’ up alongside the other? It was like that.” Leadbelly also recalled a dance called “Knocking the Pigeon Wing”."
-snip-
* "frolic" = a dance gathering
**"n----rs" - what is now known as the "n word"; That word is fully spelled out in this book.
***"call" here means "dance instructions given by a person serving as a 'caller' while couples danced", "prompter" means "the caller".
****This probably means “move around the circle” similar to or the same as “skip around the circle”, and not “go inside the circle”.
***** I think this means “and then she gets out [of the inner circle made by the three people surrounding her; she remains in the center] and her partner gets in the center” and they dance awhile.
-snip-
The authors also mention “the Short Dog”, “cutting the pigeon wing”, doing the “Eagle Rock”, and "tap dancing", which is described as “the newer dance derived from these old dance steps.“
In the quote given below as Excerpt #1, Lead Belly indicates that "shoo fly" was used by African Americans as a dance call (in the late 19th century or early 20th century). As such that call appears to have been a caller's directional command to move [or perhaps "to move away" fast]. Also, if I understand that same excerpt correctly, Lead Belly indicates that "shoo fly" was a general referent for square dancing, although perhaps that quote means that when the phrase "shoo fly" was used, it meant that a particular type of dancing was occurring or would occur i.e. "shoo fly" signaled or referred to a particular type of couples dance movement or movements that were performed in a ring (circle) when a caller indicated what moves were to be performed). Those usages undoubtedly came from the "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" song as evidenced by the fact that Lead Belly recalls people singing a portion of that song while they did that "shoo fly" movement during that ring (circle) dance.
The Appalachian square dance call "shoo fly swing" probably is a different dance call than that 19th century African American "shoo fly" call. However, watching videos such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KKvElR4ZaA may provide some ideas about how African American ring dances which were "called" were performed.
That said, even though he talked about circle dances and not line dances, Lead Belly's descriptions of the "shoo fly" and other ring dance movements also remind me of the Liberian Grand March. Like the Virginia Reel, the Liberian Grand March was derived from American dances that had their sources in European contra dances. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/grand-march-liberia-west-africa.html for a pancocojams post on the Liberian Grand March.
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LEAD BELLY EXCERPT #2 - THE WORD "SUKEY" AND THE MEANING OF "SUKEY JUMP"
From http://anthrocivitas.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1737&page=3 "American Folk Songs Of Black Origin"
Magneto, 12-15-2010, 03:55 PM Post #28
"According to Eric Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, one meaning of the word "sukey" (circa 1820) was a general servant or "slavey." Hence a "sukey jump" referred to a dance or party in the slave quarters; after slavery, it was simply a term for a house dance.
In the following conversation, recorded by Library of Congress folklorist Alan Lomax in Washington in 1940, Huddie gives us some idea of all the dancing going on at a sukey jump, circa 1900. The conversation is being recorded onto discs which contain perhaps three or four minutes each, and are spinning around at 78 revolutions per minute. There is no time for long pauses or considered answers. While the interview sounds a bit like a word association game, it does gives an impression of what the dances were like.
Lomax: I want Huddie to tell you about the way they put on the square dances down in Louisiana when he was a boy, growing up, in the backwoods. Huddie, what did they call square dances?
Ledbetter: Called them sukey jumps.
Lomax: Why did they call them sukey jumps?
Ledbetter: Well, because they danced so fast, the music was so fast, and the people had to jump, so they always called them sukey jumps.
Lomax: Do you know what "sukey" means?
Ledbetter: Sukey - well, that's a cow sometimes when you tell her, "Sukey, sukey, sukey," you know, keeping the cow away.
Lomax: Did they ever holler that at the dances when they had them?
Ledbetter: They'd just holler "Sukey jump!" and they'd holler, "One dollar bill, baby, won't buy you no shoes," just anything they feel like singing in there.
Lomax: What kind of music did they have?
Ledbetter: Well, they had a fiddler in them times; and accordions.
Lomax: And what were the names of some of the tunes they played?
Ledbetter: The tunes was "Poor Howard," he was a poor boy and he played the fiddle. He was the first fiddler after the negroes got free from slavery time. Poor Howard was a negro used to play for them at the sukey jumps. And the number he played was "Poor Howard, Poor Boy."
Lomax: How does that go?
Ledbetter: [Plays and sings.] "Poor Howard, Poor Boy" goes like this.
Lomax: Huddie, did they call the sets [as in square dance calls] at these dances?
Ledbetter: They called the sets all the time when they danced; they called "Shoo-fly," you could shoo-fly, and the square dance.
Lomax: How did that sound? Give us a sketch of how they called the sets down there.
Ledbetter: When they called the sets, they holler,
"Hey, man, you swing mine and I'll swing yours,"
but when they first get on the floor, they holler,
"Grab your partners, step the right way round,"
they always drive right way,
"Now, man, you know you're going wrong,
now circle left way round,
and when you get back to your home,
grab your partner,
the first man on the head, shoo-fly."
When you get the shoo-fly, then they holler,
"Shoo-fly, Shoofly"
then they come to the holler,
"One dollar bill baby won't buy you no shoes."
[Huddie goes on singing and playing, calling the set "One dollar bill. . ."]
Lomax: Huddie, did they have any real fast numbers at these dances? Do you remember any of those?
Ledbetter: They'd pick 'em up.
Lomax: When they'd do the hoedown and. . .
Ledbetter: They'd pick 'em up, you know, they'd have some fast ones when they'd just go, like, "Green Corn, Come Along Charlie," "Gonna Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In," and, "Tight Like That," sometimes they'd holler, say, "Tight like this!"
[They are both talking at once through here.]
Lomax: What did they mean by that Huddie, really? I mean, tell us confidentially what they mean by "tight like that."
[Lomax may have been fishing for some sexual innuendo, but Huddie wasnt playing along, perhaps realizing there was nothing confidential about this interview.]
Ledbetter: "Tight like that" means when you got your partner, grab and hug her tight, and keep her going, but when it comes time the boy grab his partner, he grab her and giving her a hug, he says, "Tight like this, it was tight like this, but now it's tight like this." And the boys'd be jumping on "Tight like that."
Lomax: What were some of the dance steps, Huddie, when they were playing some of these fast tunes?
Ledbetter: Well, ain't no dance steps you could do but "breakdown," and that's a fast number. You can't dance no tap dance, I don't think, a fast breakdown number, course you might, but that's where all the tap dances [Huddie is talking very fast, as though he's afraid of being interrupted] . . . all the tap dances come from the old "buck and wing" what they used to do. Well, the breakdown dance, nobody do 'em now, but I don't guess nobody know nothing about it very much, but me, and I do the breakdown. When you do it you got to do it real fast, and when you breakdown you ain't tapping, you just working your legs. Now, a long time ago my grandfather, great-grandfather, say, "you ain't dancing til you cross your legs." So I guess now, nobody dancing because they don't cross their legs hardly ever. But when you do that old breakdown, and wing down, and green corn and that old ground shovel and, uh . . .
Lomax: What about "knocking the pigeon wing?"
Ledbetter: . . . pigeon wing and . . .
Lomax: . . . cutting the back step?
Ledbetter: . . . cutting the short dog, well, you got to cross your legs.
Lomax: Huddie, play us one of those tunes, something like "Gonna Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In," and tell us what it means, too, you know.
Ledbetter: "Gonna Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In" - long years ago, that was when they see the boss coming, you know? And the boys would see the boss coming, well, they didn't like him, you know, but they'd be together, nothing but negroes all piled up there together. When they'd see him coming, they'd say, "Well, we're gonna dig a hole to put the devil in," boy they'd start a-jumping. [plays "Gonna dig a hole. . ." with very fast accompaniment on guitar.]
Lomax: Huddie, can you play "Green Corn" on the twelve-string guitar?
Ledbetter: I think I can.
Lomax: Let's hear a little of "Green Corn." [Huddie starts to strum his guitar. Lomax interrupts] Slow and easy and sweet, Huddie! [Huddie slows the tempo] What is green corn, anyhow? Tell us about it when you sing the song.
Ledbetter: [Strumming and explaining] Now, this is a fast sukey jump too, but the boys take it easy sometimes when they want to sukey jump; keep them dancing so hard and take it easy on the ground, shuffle around with your partner, [sings, but doesn't explain "green corn". Lomax tries to interrupt with "What is green corn?" but Huddie either doesn't hear, or ignores him.]
Lomax: [Just as the song ends] What is green corn? What is green corn, Huddie? [Lomax likely wants to hear that green corn is some form of white lightning, but, again, Huddie is not co-operating. He keeps it simple.]
Ledbetter: Green corn is an ear of corn - when it's green. What they mean by green corn, they're just putting that in the words, you know, 'cause the man is green and they didn't know what they was talking about themselves. What they was speaking about is an ear of corn when it's green. Down south when the corn gets dry, why then that's corn - hard corn, then. But when they say "green corn", that means it's green, you can go out in the field and pull it and roast it. . .
Lomax: I thought you meant green corn whiskey.
Ledbetter: No, not no green corn whiskey, they didn't know nothing about no corn liquor at that time. They had old-time liquor, you know, that's real good liquor, wasn't no bootleggers then. Couldn't make no liquor. How are they going to make liquor when they're all slaves? [Huddie sounds condescending] The old boss they wouldn't get no liquor till the boss would give it to them.
Lomax: Huddie, at these old-timey sukey jumps, did people dance in their bare feet, or with shoes on?
Ledbetter: Well, them that could get shoes, they would dance like that and lots of them didn't have 'cause I know plenty boys in my time
Lomax: [interrupting] . . .what about the women? Would they wear shoes or not?
Ledbetter: Well, when they could get them. If they couldn't, they just go barefooted.
Lomax: Would they ever circle left in these dances, or
Ledbetter: They's circle left right, they'd start out right. . .
Lomax: . . .they'd start right first?
Ledbetter: That's right. . .
Lomax: [talking on top of Huddie] How many times would they go around right?
Ledbetter: Well, you see, when they'd first start right, they'd go around right and then the man would holler, "Circle left way round,"
Lomax: And they'd gone one time around?
Ledbetter: That's right and then he'd holler, "Circle right way around again, and when you get back home, grab your partner," so when they first start out circling right way around he'd tell them to skip on up ahead and catch the next partner in front of them, and they'd keep on catching and he'd say, "Now, when you get home, circle left way around" and when they get home, they circle left way around, he says, "Now circle right way around, and when you get back to the spot, settle down. First man on the head, grab his partner and shoo-fly." That's the way they do that down there. (Library of Congress)"
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/lead-belly-dig-hole-put-devil-in-its.html for a recording of portions of this recorded interview of Lead Belly by Alan Lomax. That post also includes my transcription of and comments about Lead Belly's rendition of the song "Dig A Hole Put The Devil In" as he sung it in that interview.
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BRIEF COMMENTS ABOUT 19th CENTURY AND 20th & 21th CENTURY AFRICAN AMERICAM INSTRUCTIONAL DANCES
19th century African American plantation dances such as “Juba” and “Jim Along Josie” are precursors to 20th century & 21st century African American dance instruction songs (records whose lyrics wholey or to a large extent consist of dance instructions). Those 20th century & 21st century dance instruction songs also have their source in the custom of calling square dances.
A significant percentage of 20th century/21st century African American non-religious songs are dance instruction records. Three examples are Wilson Pickett's "Land Of 1000 Dances", 69 Boyz's “Tootsie Roll” and DJ Casper's “Cha Cha Slide”.
Marcia Griffin's “Electric Slide”, and The Soca Boys' “Follow The Leader” are two examples of Caribbean dance instruction records. A 2012 example of a Caribbean dance instruction record is Fowko's "Bouyon Danse" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhubZ-24tdc
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Thanks to Lead Belly for his musical legacy and his information about African American dances. Thanks to all others who I quoted in this post.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label cutting the rug. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cutting the rug. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
"Cut A Step" And Other Black Pentecostal Words, Phrases, & Sayings, Part II
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: September 1, 2018
This is Part II of a two part series about "cut a step" and other words, phrases, and sayings that are used by African American Pentecostal worshippers in the discussion thread of the video "Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!"
As such, this series presents examples of words, phrases, and sayings that are commonly used by African Americans who are members of Apostolic, Church of God In Christ (COGIC), and other Pentecostal Christian churches. These terms may also be used by Baptist and other Christian congregations in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Some of these terms come from non-religious cultural sources and are also used in non-religious contexts.
Part II provides terms which begin with the letter M-Z. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Part I provides terms which begin with the letter A-L. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/cut-step-and-other-black-pentecostal.html for Part I of this post.
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS SERIES
I'm interested in documenting the use of these terms as found in YouTube video viewer comment threads for the folkloric, historical, and cultural record. While many YouTube video viewer comment threads contain profanity, racist, sexually explicit, homophobic, and other problematic content, those same discussion threads and other discussion threads may contain insightful, informative, well worded, and witty comments that I believe should be archived as part of the folkloric record.
I believe that the content of YouTube video viewer comment threads can provide insight about the lifestyles, values, and opinions of persons who posted to this particular YouTube viewer comment thread. I also believe that the way those comments are written (the slang and colloquial expressions that are used, the variant spelling, the inclusion of internet/text writing elements (such as acronyms and the lack of punctuation/capitalization which lead to run-on sentences), and even the commenters' screen names are worthy of documentation and study as part of the folkloric record.
In this pancocojams post, as in other posts such as http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/examples-of-black-slang-in-youtube-juke.html, I include what I believe are the meanings of the vernacular examples that are listed.
Like other YouTube Praise Break videos's viewer comment thread, the comment thread for this featured video contains extensive doctrinal exchanges, including scriptural references pro and con "shouting". This post does not include any of those comments, unless that comment is used as an example of a vernacular word or phrase.
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DISCLAIMER:
I'm not now nor have I ever been a member of a Pentecostal church. I have attended such churches a few times, and I have pbserved people in those churches, and in my childhood Baptist church (in New Jersey) doing shout behaviors such as are described in this post.
I don't consider myself an etymologist. However, I'm interested in the origin, meaning, and uses of certain words & phrases.
Some of these vernacular words and phrases are used with the same meanings outside of religious services or religious events.
Additions & corrections are very welcome.
WARNING: In spite of the fact that it is a religious video, this YouTube video's viewer comment thread includes profanity, the use of the n word, and other content that I consider to be problematic. None of that content is included in the examples that are featured in this post.
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FEATURED VIDEO: Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!
DeMario Jives, Uploaded on May 19, 2008
Give God a sacrifice of praise inspite of, just go for what you know!
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FEATURED PENTECOSTAL WORDS, PHRASES, AND SAYINGS (M-Z)
(With selected comments from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_aZHl3L0mI.
(These words are numbered for references purposes, continuing from the numbers given in Part I.)
31. (CHURCH) MOTHERS
a referent and a title (similar to the title "Mrs.") for older females who are members of the church
“samuel surles, 2013
“yes the mothers went to get her and sir you better get in that conner
-snip-
This is two sentences. The first refers to the actions of women who “based”, put protective arms around the space where the shouter was dancing to protect her from injury or from bumping into others.
The second sentence is a lighthearted, pretend reprimand to the man dancing in the corner. That sentence is based on the practice of a child being punished by having to stand in the corner. Btw, I wonder if that praiser didn’t purposely moved to the corner when he felt his shout coming so that he wouldn’t be in anyone elses' way
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32. [TO] PRAISE
to give spoken compliments to God; to give testimonies about how God has blessed you; to do the Holy dance, to speak in tongues, and/or to do other things (such as play praise music and
also read “Got his (her, my, their) praise on”, “got his shout on”, got his dance on”
The related term and title "sister" is found below.
Justina Schrieber, 2010
“I always find myself cracking up laughing at that kind of praising! LOL!! I try not to laugh, but it cracks me up! :) I wouldn't be surprised if that carpet has holes or tears in it. I wish every church would Praise Him this way!!
-snip-
I added this comment to document that there are a large number of commenters on most Praise Break video comment threads who find watching people doing shouts amusing.* Also many commenters approach videos of holy dancing almost the same as an “American Idol talent competition” where they are critical (judgmental) about a dancer’ performance and where they indicate their favoritism for the best dance. I think that such comments are inappropriate and disrespectful.
*Such comments aren’t done in a church settings as they would be frowned upon public as they would be ingdon rfind that response to be unfodon’t think that tmany of these eat ucmThe reaction of laughing at videos of people oa person theor with
2. the comment about the carpet having holes or tears in it relates back to the “cutting the step”, “cutting the rug” saying
3. The use of the vernacular word “cracking up” for “laughing a lot”
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33. PRAISE BREAK
A “praise break” is an unscripted portion of a Christian worship service or Christian event such as a revival when individuals who feel the [Holy] Spirit spontaneously praise God (Jesus) by doing one or more of the following spontaneous actions: holding up one or both of your arms toward Heaven and give verbal praises to God and/or “testimonies” about how God has touched their lives (while seated or, more commonly standing up from one's seat); moving out of your seat and walking fast, running down the church aisle, or around the church sanctuary (the main room where church service are held); doing dance-like movements in the church aisle/s or in front of the sanctuary’s rostrum, and/or “speaking in tongues” (speak words from a language that is not formally recognized by linguists).
Click
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/black-church-praise-break-videos.html for a rather lengthy comment that I wrote about praise breaks.
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34. PRAISE BREAK MUSIC
songs and/or instrumental music that is sung or played during praise breaks
Coco Faye, 2012
“So I see alot of people are used to traditional praise breakmusic??? There was nothing wrong with the music at all....it's ok to put a new sound and spin on things.....for alot of muscians who cant really shout the way they play the organ or drums is their way of "shouting" YALL BETTA PRAISE HIM
-snip-
Notice that implicit in this comment is the fact that there are older and newer forms of Praise break [shout] music. Newer examples of shout music are faster than older forms. Read this comment that refers to that:
amarvinwinansfan, 2009
“LOLOLOL they are going sooooo fast on the instruments!!!! I cant even beat the tambourine that fast and I.m good!!!!”
-snip-
A number of commenters were critical of the musicians. However, read these comments:
“pytwhoCARES, 2012
“I dont mean any harm, but that IS HOW the music goes. He's just cutting the whole beats into halves and fourths w. a skip technique. Its quite creative if you ask a fellow musician”
**
Jamie Harris, 2012
“This music isn't that bad. It gives all of them experience and the more they do it the better they'll get. I don't know why some of ya'll act like you all were on it when ya'll were coming up. Some of us have been laughed off, I know I have. But you know what, I went and practiced and got better. Cut these young men some slack and remember where you came from. Keep playing for Jesus Young men@!!!!!
-snip-
“were on it”= “had it all together”, hit the mark [hit the bull’s-eye], did everything perfectly]
"Cut them some slack" = give them a break [from a fisherman term]
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35. PRAISER
a person who gives praise to God, in particular a person who is doing the holy dance, and/or a person who is known for "shouting" (getting their shout on, getting their praise on), for instance Gospel vocalists Shirley Caesar and Beverly Crawford
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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36. SAINTS
males and females who are members of Pentecostal churches
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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37. SHOUT
doing the holy dance, speaking in tongues, and/or doing other Praise actions that demonstrate that the person feels the Holy Spirit
Read the definitions and examples for "cut a step", "get your praise on", "get happy", "went in"
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38. SET THE CHURCH ON FIRE
bring down the Holy Spirit (also known as "Holy Ghost fire"] to the church
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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39. SISTERS, SISTAHS
"Sisters (and its variant spelling "sistahs") is a prefacing "title" and referent for adult females in the church, similar to "Mrs" and "Miss", for instance "Sister Jackson", "Sister Jones", "Sister Betty". "Sister" can be used with last names and/or with first names.
Read the related title "brother" in Part II of this post.
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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40. SNATCHED SOME WIGS
[when used in reference to a Gospel singer, choir, preacher, or speaker] The person or group singing, preaching, or speaking was so full of the Holy Ghost that it caused women wearing wigs to jump up and do Holy dances, which resulted in their wigs being "snatched" from their heads; also used as "She's [the singer] getting ready to snatch some wigs" [meaning she's getting ready to sang (and, as a result, bring down the Holy Spirit; set the congregation on fire]
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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41. SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Speaking an unknown language or a language that isn't known to the speaker as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
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42. STOMP , STOMPED
to forcefully hit down hard with the soles of your feet.
"Stomp" is very similar to the word "stamp". However, that word appears to be only rarely used nowadays among African Americans. I think that the sound that "stomp" makes is more forceful (perhaps because it has more bass) than the word "stamp".
Shacara Chrisp, 2012
“he stomped a HOLE in tht floor.! lol amen.!!!!”
****
43. STOMP ON THE DEVIL’S HEAD
a term for the fast paced footwork of shouting (cutting a step, praising, doing that holy dance) which includes the belief that the devil (satan) lives underground and the person doing that holy dance is hitting the devil in the head
asiababiie, 2009
“Whooo!!!! he is tearing that floor up down and all to pieces..Musician...Drummer!! What??!!...well, Bless the Lord!!! But he was Gettin it!!! i con almost hear his stomping.lol..he sure stomped on that devils head! And Boy I noe it is KILLING HIM!! Bet he won't come back up for a LONG while!! Lol”
-snip-
This comment includes multiple examples of African American vernacular English. Read other entries in this post for the meanings of those terms and phrases. Also, read the entry for
"tramped the devil under his feet" for another way of conveying the same idea.
****
44. TEARING IT UP (TORE IT UP)
Doing something really well (did something really well), in the case of dancing, an extension of the phrase “cut the rug”; in
reference to "holy dancing", this is an extension of the phrase "(to) cut a step”, and "to cut a step" is an updated way of saying "to cut a rug"
Renee Turner-Tavares, 2012
“Wasn't he tearing it up?...You betta Praise Him man...Love it...”
****
45. TESTIFY
same as "give a testimony"; to publicly tell about your faith in God and share your story about how God has blessed your life
[given without examples from this viewer comment thread]
****
46. TRAMPLING THE DEVIL UNDER HIS FEET
Read the meaning written for "stomp the devil on his head"
GodsOffspring1, 2010
“He sho nuff was praising God and trampling the devil under his feet.”
-snip-
I think "sho nuff" is an example of purposely using downhome vernacular African American English. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/puttin-on-black-online-black-talk-code.html for a pancocojams post on "Puttin On The Black - Online Black Talk & Code Switching".
****
47. TOOK ME TO CHURCH
[when used in regards to someone singing [sanging] Gospel or certain other genres of music, especially someone singing soulfully very well (or someone speaking very well, particularly about very emotive subjects); this is very high praise for singing or speaking that reminds a person or persons of a church service that is full of the Holy Spirit; The singing [speaking] was so good that [it felt like or almost like] you felt the Holy Spirit [i.e. got happy; went in]
[given without examples from this viewer comment thread]
***
48. WENT IN (Go In)
(as in "He went all in." and She's going all in", in the religious context these phrases mean to do the holy dance (to shout, to cut a step) and/or do other actions that are the result of a person being touched by the Holy Spirit.
"Went in" is a shortened form of "went all in". To "go all in" means to show your total commitment to something. These phrases are used in non-religious contexts.
iluvelmo123, 2009
“Alright Now... He Really Went In At The Second Time... Go 'Head! Go 'Head And Praise Him!”.
****
49. WICKED
very good (an extension of the African American slang meaning of the word “bad”)
Jazen B, 2010
“He faced that wall like Hezekiah and went it. These musicians would be wicked if they slowed down a tad...”
-snip-
The second sentence in this comment refers to the faster tempo
that was used by the young African American musicians in this video. Read the entry for praise break music in Part I for comments about different tempos of that Gospel music.
****
50. YALL
you all [all of you]
Example:
mayroymusik, 2008
“WELL YAW BETTA SKIP!!!!
-snip-
This comment is a complimentary exclamation about someone doing the holy dance. It is similar to "Yall better work it" which is found in non-religious settings (and probably also in religious settings). However, the word "skip" may also refer to the way the holy dance was done.
I don’t think that “yaw” is a common spelling for "yall" (you all).
****
ADDENDUM
Several commenters identified the recorded song that was played in the introduction to and the end of this video as
Karen Clark Sheard's 2005 Album "Its not over" track #8 ["Hallelujah"]
****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
My thanks to all those who were featured in this video, to the publisher of this video, and to all those who I quoted in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest revision: September 1, 2018
This is Part II of a two part series about "cut a step" and other words, phrases, and sayings that are used by African American Pentecostal worshippers in the discussion thread of the video "Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!"
As such, this series presents examples of words, phrases, and sayings that are commonly used by African Americans who are members of Apostolic, Church of God In Christ (COGIC), and other Pentecostal Christian churches. These terms may also be used by Baptist and other Christian congregations in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Some of these terms come from non-religious cultural sources and are also used in non-religious contexts.
Part II provides terms which begin with the letter M-Z. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Part I provides terms which begin with the letter A-L. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/cut-step-and-other-black-pentecostal.html for Part I of this post.
****
THE PURPOSE OF THIS SERIES
I'm interested in documenting the use of these terms as found in YouTube video viewer comment threads for the folkloric, historical, and cultural record. While many YouTube video viewer comment threads contain profanity, racist, sexually explicit, homophobic, and other problematic content, those same discussion threads and other discussion threads may contain insightful, informative, well worded, and witty comments that I believe should be archived as part of the folkloric record.
I believe that the content of YouTube video viewer comment threads can provide insight about the lifestyles, values, and opinions of persons who posted to this particular YouTube viewer comment thread. I also believe that the way those comments are written (the slang and colloquial expressions that are used, the variant spelling, the inclusion of internet/text writing elements (such as acronyms and the lack of punctuation/capitalization which lead to run-on sentences), and even the commenters' screen names are worthy of documentation and study as part of the folkloric record.
In this pancocojams post, as in other posts such as http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/examples-of-black-slang-in-youtube-juke.html, I include what I believe are the meanings of the vernacular examples that are listed.
Like other YouTube Praise Break videos's viewer comment thread, the comment thread for this featured video contains extensive doctrinal exchanges, including scriptural references pro and con "shouting". This post does not include any of those comments, unless that comment is used as an example of a vernacular word or phrase.
****
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not now nor have I ever been a member of a Pentecostal church. I have attended such churches a few times, and I have pbserved people in those churches, and in my childhood Baptist church (in New Jersey) doing shout behaviors such as are described in this post.
I don't consider myself an etymologist. However, I'm interested in the origin, meaning, and uses of certain words & phrases.
Some of these vernacular words and phrases are used with the same meanings outside of religious services or religious events.
Additions & corrections are very welcome.
WARNING: In spite of the fact that it is a religious video, this YouTube video's viewer comment thread includes profanity, the use of the n word, and other content that I consider to be problematic. None of that content is included in the examples that are featured in this post.
****
FEATURED VIDEO: Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!
DeMario Jives, Uploaded on May 19, 2008
Give God a sacrifice of praise inspite of, just go for what you know!
****
FEATURED PENTECOSTAL WORDS, PHRASES, AND SAYINGS (M-Z)
(With selected comments from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_aZHl3L0mI.
(These words are numbered for references purposes, continuing from the numbers given in Part I.)
31. (CHURCH) MOTHERS
a referent and a title (similar to the title "Mrs.") for older females who are members of the church
“samuel surles, 2013
“yes the mothers went to get her and sir you better get in that conner
-snip-
This is two sentences. The first refers to the actions of women who “based”, put protective arms around the space where the shouter was dancing to protect her from injury or from bumping into others.
The second sentence is a lighthearted, pretend reprimand to the man dancing in the corner. That sentence is based on the practice of a child being punished by having to stand in the corner. Btw, I wonder if that praiser didn’t purposely moved to the corner when he felt his shout coming so that he wouldn’t be in anyone elses' way
****
32. [TO] PRAISE
to give spoken compliments to God; to give testimonies about how God has blessed you; to do the Holy dance, to speak in tongues, and/or to do other things (such as play praise music and
also read “Got his (her, my, their) praise on”, “got his shout on”, got his dance on”
The related term and title "sister" is found below.
Justina Schrieber, 2010
“I always find myself cracking up laughing at that kind of praising! LOL!! I try not to laugh, but it cracks me up! :) I wouldn't be surprised if that carpet has holes or tears in it. I wish every church would Praise Him this way!!
-snip-
I added this comment to document that there are a large number of commenters on most Praise Break video comment threads who find watching people doing shouts amusing.* Also many commenters approach videos of holy dancing almost the same as an “American Idol talent competition” where they are critical (judgmental) about a dancer’ performance and where they indicate their favoritism for the best dance. I think that such comments are inappropriate and disrespectful.
*Such comments aren’t done in a church settings as they would be frowned upon public as they would be ingdon rfind that response to be unfodon’t think that tmany of these eat ucmThe reaction of laughing at videos of people oa person theor with
2. the comment about the carpet having holes or tears in it relates back to the “cutting the step”, “cutting the rug” saying
3. The use of the vernacular word “cracking up” for “laughing a lot”
****
33. PRAISE BREAK
A “praise break” is an unscripted portion of a Christian worship service or Christian event such as a revival when individuals who feel the [Holy] Spirit spontaneously praise God (Jesus) by doing one or more of the following spontaneous actions: holding up one or both of your arms toward Heaven and give verbal praises to God and/or “testimonies” about how God has touched their lives (while seated or, more commonly standing up from one's seat); moving out of your seat and walking fast, running down the church aisle, or around the church sanctuary (the main room where church service are held); doing dance-like movements in the church aisle/s or in front of the sanctuary’s rostrum, and/or “speaking in tongues” (speak words from a language that is not formally recognized by linguists).
Click
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/black-church-praise-break-videos.html for a rather lengthy comment that I wrote about praise breaks.
****
34. PRAISE BREAK MUSIC
songs and/or instrumental music that is sung or played during praise breaks
Coco Faye, 2012
“So I see alot of people are used to traditional praise breakmusic??? There was nothing wrong with the music at all....it's ok to put a new sound and spin on things.....for alot of muscians who cant really shout the way they play the organ or drums is their way of "shouting" YALL BETTA PRAISE HIM
-snip-
Notice that implicit in this comment is the fact that there are older and newer forms of Praise break [shout] music. Newer examples of shout music are faster than older forms. Read this comment that refers to that:
amarvinwinansfan, 2009
“LOLOLOL they are going sooooo fast on the instruments!!!! I cant even beat the tambourine that fast and I.m good!!!!”
-snip-
A number of commenters were critical of the musicians. However, read these comments:
“pytwhoCARES, 2012
“I dont mean any harm, but that IS HOW the music goes. He's just cutting the whole beats into halves and fourths w. a skip technique. Its quite creative if you ask a fellow musician”
**
Jamie Harris, 2012
“This music isn't that bad. It gives all of them experience and the more they do it the better they'll get. I don't know why some of ya'll act like you all were on it when ya'll were coming up. Some of us have been laughed off, I know I have. But you know what, I went and practiced and got better. Cut these young men some slack and remember where you came from. Keep playing for Jesus Young men@!!!!!
-snip-
“were on it”= “had it all together”, hit the mark [hit the bull’s-eye], did everything perfectly]
"Cut them some slack" = give them a break [from a fisherman term]
****
35. PRAISER
a person who gives praise to God, in particular a person who is doing the holy dance, and/or a person who is known for "shouting" (getting their shout on, getting their praise on), for instance Gospel vocalists Shirley Caesar and Beverly Crawford
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
36. SAINTS
males and females who are members of Pentecostal churches
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
37. SHOUT
doing the holy dance, speaking in tongues, and/or doing other Praise actions that demonstrate that the person feels the Holy Spirit
Read the definitions and examples for "cut a step", "get your praise on", "get happy", "went in"
****
38. SET THE CHURCH ON FIRE
bring down the Holy Spirit (also known as "Holy Ghost fire"] to the church
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
39. SISTERS, SISTAHS
"Sisters (and its variant spelling "sistahs") is a prefacing "title" and referent for adult females in the church, similar to "Mrs" and "Miss", for instance "Sister Jackson", "Sister Jones", "Sister Betty". "Sister" can be used with last names and/or with first names.
Read the related title "brother" in Part II of this post.
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
40. SNATCHED SOME WIGS
[when used in reference to a Gospel singer, choir, preacher, or speaker] The person or group singing, preaching, or speaking was so full of the Holy Ghost that it caused women wearing wigs to jump up and do Holy dances, which resulted in their wigs being "snatched" from their heads; also used as "She's [the singer] getting ready to snatch some wigs" [meaning she's getting ready to sang (and, as a result, bring down the Holy Spirit; set the congregation on fire]
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
41. SPEAKING IN TONGUES
Speaking an unknown language or a language that isn't known to the speaker as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit
[given without examples from this video's viewer comment thread]
****
42. STOMP , STOMPED
to forcefully hit down hard with the soles of your feet.
"Stomp" is very similar to the word "stamp". However, that word appears to be only rarely used nowadays among African Americans. I think that the sound that "stomp" makes is more forceful (perhaps because it has more bass) than the word "stamp".
Shacara Chrisp, 2012
“he stomped a HOLE in tht floor.! lol amen.!!!!”
****
43. STOMP ON THE DEVIL’S HEAD
a term for the fast paced footwork of shouting (cutting a step, praising, doing that holy dance) which includes the belief that the devil (satan) lives underground and the person doing that holy dance is hitting the devil in the head
asiababiie, 2009
“Whooo!!!! he is tearing that floor up down and all to pieces..Musician...Drummer!! What??!!...well, Bless the Lord!!! But he was Gettin it!!! i con almost hear his stomping.lol..he sure stomped on that devils head! And Boy I noe it is KILLING HIM!! Bet he won't come back up for a LONG while!! Lol”
-snip-
This comment includes multiple examples of African American vernacular English. Read other entries in this post for the meanings of those terms and phrases. Also, read the entry for
"tramped the devil under his feet" for another way of conveying the same idea.
****
44. TEARING IT UP (TORE IT UP)
Doing something really well (did something really well), in the case of dancing, an extension of the phrase “cut the rug”; in
reference to "holy dancing", this is an extension of the phrase "(to) cut a step”, and "to cut a step" is an updated way of saying "to cut a rug"
Renee Turner-Tavares, 2012
“Wasn't he tearing it up?...You betta Praise Him man...Love it...”
****
45. TESTIFY
same as "give a testimony"; to publicly tell about your faith in God and share your story about how God has blessed your life
[given without examples from this viewer comment thread]
****
46. TRAMPLING THE DEVIL UNDER HIS FEET
Read the meaning written for "stomp the devil on his head"
GodsOffspring1, 2010
“He sho nuff was praising God and trampling the devil under his feet.”
-snip-
I think "sho nuff" is an example of purposely using downhome vernacular African American English. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/puttin-on-black-online-black-talk-code.html for a pancocojams post on "Puttin On The Black - Online Black Talk & Code Switching".
****
47. TOOK ME TO CHURCH
[when used in regards to someone singing [sanging] Gospel or certain other genres of music, especially someone singing soulfully very well (or someone speaking very well, particularly about very emotive subjects); this is very high praise for singing or speaking that reminds a person or persons of a church service that is full of the Holy Spirit; The singing [speaking] was so good that [it felt like or almost like] you felt the Holy Spirit [i.e. got happy; went in]
[given without examples from this viewer comment thread]
***
48. WENT IN (Go In)
(as in "He went all in." and She's going all in", in the religious context these phrases mean to do the holy dance (to shout, to cut a step) and/or do other actions that are the result of a person being touched by the Holy Spirit.
"Went in" is a shortened form of "went all in". To "go all in" means to show your total commitment to something. These phrases are used in non-religious contexts.
iluvelmo123, 2009
“Alright Now... He Really Went In At The Second Time... Go 'Head! Go 'Head And Praise Him!”.
****
49. WICKED
very good (an extension of the African American slang meaning of the word “bad”)
Jazen B, 2010
“He faced that wall like Hezekiah and went it. These musicians would be wicked if they slowed down a tad...”
-snip-
The second sentence in this comment refers to the faster tempo
that was used by the young African American musicians in this video. Read the entry for praise break music in Part I for comments about different tempos of that Gospel music.
****
50. YALL
you all [all of you]
Example:
mayroymusik, 2008
“WELL YAW BETTA SKIP!!!!
-snip-
This comment is a complimentary exclamation about someone doing the holy dance. It is similar to "Yall better work it" which is found in non-religious settings (and probably also in religious settings). However, the word "skip" may also refer to the way the holy dance was done.
I don’t think that “yaw” is a common spelling for "yall" (you all).
****
ADDENDUM
Several commenters identified the recorded song that was played in the introduction to and the end of this video as
Karen Clark Sheard's 2005 Album "Its not over" track #8 ["Hallelujah"]
****
This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
My thanks to all those who were featured in this video, to the publisher of this video, and to all those who I quoted in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
"Cut A Step" And Other Black Pentecostal Words, Phrases, & Sayings, Part I
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: September 1, 2018
This is Part I of a two part series about "cut a step" and other words, phrases, and sayings that are used by African American Pentecostal worshippers in the discussion thread of the video "Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!"
As such, this series presents examples of words, phrases, and sayings that are commonly used by African Americans who are members of Apostolic, Church of God In Christ (COGIC), and other Pentecostal Christian churches. These terms may also be used by Baptist and other Christian congregations in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Some of these terms come from non-religious cultural sources and are also used in non-religious contexts.
Part I provides terms which begin with the letter A-L. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/cut-step-and-other-black-pentecostal_6.html for Part II of this post.
Part II provides terms which begin with the letter M-Z. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
****
THE PURPOSE OF THIS SERIES
I'm interested in documenting the use of these terms as found in YouTube video viewer comment threads for the folkloric, historical, and cultural record. While many YouTube video viewer comment threads contain profanity, racist, sexually explicit, homophobic, and other problematic content, those same discussion threads and other discussion threads may contain insightful, informative, well worded, and witty comments that I believe should be archived as part of the folkloric record.
I believe that the content of YouTube video viewer comment threads can provide insight about the lifestyles, values, and opinions of persons who posted to this particular YouTube viewer comment thread. I also believe that the way those comments are written (the slang and colloquial expressions that are used, the variant spelling, the inclusion of internet/text writing elements (such as acronyms and the lack of punctuation/capitalization which lead to run-on sentences), and even the commenters' screen names are worthy of documentation and study as part of the folkloric record.
In this pancocojams post, as in other posts such as http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/examples-of-black-slang-in-youtube-juke.html, I include what I believe are the meanings of the vernacular examples that are listed.
Like other YouTube Praise Break videos's viewer comment thread, the comment thread for this featured video contains extensive doctrinal exchanges, including scriptural references pro and con "shouting". This post does not include any of those comments, unless that comment is used as an example of a vernacular word or phrase.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not now nor have I ever been a member of a Pentecostal church. I have attended such churches a few times, and I have pbserved people in those churches, and in my childhood Baptist church (in New Jersey) doing shout behaviors such as are described in this post.
I don't consider myself an etymologist. However, I'm interested in the origin, meaning, and uses of certain words & phrases.
Some of these vernacular words and phrases are used with the same meanings outside of religious services or religious events.
Additions & corrections are very welcome.
WARNING: In spite of the fact that it is a religious video, this YouTube video's viewer comment thread includes profanity, the use of the n word, and other content that I consider to be problematic. None of that content is included in the examples that are featured in this post.
****
FEATURED VIDEO: Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!
DeMario Jives, Uploaded on May 19, 2008
Give God a sacrifice of praise inspite of, just go for what you know!
****
FEATURED PENTECOSTAL WORDS, PHRASES, AND SAYINGS (A-L)
(These words are numbered for references purposes)
1. ANOINTED
refers to a person who has felt the Holy Spirit and therefore has been saved [has accepted Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior]
From https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/anointing/
"Anointing, ]
in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost
[...]
Spiritual anointing with the Holy Ghost is conferred also upon Christians by God. ( 2 Corinthians 1:21 ) " Anointing "expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God." "
[no examples are cited from this video's discussion thread.]
****
2. BROTHER, BRUTHAS, BRU
“bruthas”, bru” are variant (Hip Hop vernacular) spellings of “brother”.
In the religious context “brothers” mean “males who are part of the family of Christ” (because of their belief in Jesus Christ).
KaraStarrAllen, 2010
“Brother Got His Praise In”
-snip-
In standard American English this means “He is doing the holy dance very well.”
Got his praise “ is usually given as “got his praise on”.
“His” here refers to the man dancing.
-snip-
"Brother" is also used as a prefacing "title" for adult males, similar to "Mr" - for instance, "Brother Davis", "Brother Johnson". I believe that this title can be used with last names and/or with first names.
Read the related title "sister" in Part II of this post.
****
3. BROUGHT THE CHURCH DOWN
used in reference to powerful soulful singing [sanging] and/or preaching, testifying: brought down the Holy Spirit to the church's congregation; as a result people felt the Holy Spirit (went in, did the Holy dance etc)
[no examples cited from this video's discussion thread]
****
4. CHILLIN
sitting back, relaxed, not involved, showing no intensity (with low energy).
“Chillin” is an extension of the word “chill”. “Chill” is the opposite of “hot” (caused by intense energy, being energized, heating up an environment, situation, or a person)
kragen05, 2010
“how are you gunna have the youth just chillin in their seats? youve gotta get in on that holy ghost movement! come on. i wish i had services like this”
****
5. CHUUCH
down home Black [Southern United States] way of pronouncing "church"; when the word "church" is purposely written or pronounced this way as a form of code switching [from standard English to African American Vernacular English], it refers to a old school church which is filled with the Holy Spirit [or singing, preaching, etc. that is like those old down home churches which were filled with Holy Ghost fire]
****
6. (TO) CUT A STEP
Do the holy dance, shout, Praise [God] by doing the holy dance
“Cut a step” comes from the earlier phrase “cut a rug”. Read that entry below.
Also, read the entry below for the indirectly related phrase “tearing it up”
TheMysyfyer, 2010
“watching this makes me wanna CUT A STEP!”
****
7. CUTTING UP (CUT N UP)
in the context of this topic, this means "dancing very well"*
Dynasty Mays, 2009
“Now he cut n up!!!”
-snip-
*cutting up can also mean “acting (behaving) like a fool”, but I don’t think that’s the meaning that was intended by that commenter.
****
8. (TO) CUT A RUG
to dance. I believe that this old, now little used secular term is the source of the contemporary term “cut a step”. I’m not sure if “cut a step” is used outside of its reference to doing the holy dance, but I don’t recall reading it or hearing it said anywhere else.
zareahbrown, 2009
“he cut a rug...... thats cogic footwork right there. i love to see men prasie god
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-cutting-monkey-shines-cut-shine.html for a pancocojams post on the saying “cut a rug” and similar colloquial expressions.
****
9. EATING THAT CORNER UP
in the context of this example, this phrase means "to really dancing well in that corner". This phrase may not be used that often, but I’m including it as an example of how pictorial
some African American vernacular English is.
robblkva, 2009
“he is eating that corner up
-snip-
This comment means “He’s dancing quite intensely in that corner”
****
10. FOOT WORK [FOOTWORK]
fast paced dancing that emphasizes the feet’s movement; the soles of the feet usually remain on the ground with footwork (There are little to no kicks with this type of dancing.)
joshuaofjericho, 2009
“That`s CHICAGO FOOTWORK!”
-snip-
“Chicago footwork” (also known as "juking") is a contemporary Hip Hop dance that is most closely associated with Chicago, Illinois. Read the comment below under “juking”. I wrote this comment in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/black-church-praise-break-videos.html
"There's no way to verify which came first-the religious shout footwork or the secular dances that had the same or similar fast paced foot motions. This dance form almost certainly has its source in Black African traditional dances."
-snip-
Also, read this witty comment that compliments the holy dancers and also includes a reference to the contemporary American movie Happy Feet
Cynthia Webb, 2009
“now this is the best version of "Happy Feet" i've ever seen lol”
****
11. GETTING DOWN
"dancing very well"
The phrase "getting down" may have its source in the custom of dancers who are really ”in to” the dance” moving down to the floor, and then dancing back up. I also think that “getting down” is related to the phrase “I’m getting down to the real nitty gritty” (to the essence of something ). A person who “got down to the real nitty gritty” while dancing didn’t mind how he or she looked (or smelled) as nits are “funky).
Glamazon91, 2010
“dat man was gettin down... but watsz up with the music”
-snip-
In standard English, “That man was dancing really well, but I don’t understand what is going on with the music.”
I believe that the use of the word “dat” is purposeful, not accidental, and not an indication that the commenter doesn’t know or speak Standard English.
****
12. GETTING HAPPY
"feeling the Holy Spirit" and expressing that feeling through testimonies, shouts, speaking in tongues etc.
[No examples of this phrase are found in that viewer comment thread to date.]
-snip-
"Getting happy" is the phrase that I grew up which referred to people "feeling the [Holy] Spirit". I was surprised to find no examples of that usage in this particular Praise Break video's viewer comment thread and only a few examples of that phrase in other Praise Break videos. It appears that the phrases "getting your praise on", "getting your shout on" and other similar phrases have taken the place of "getting happy". Read the definitions for "shout" in Part II of this series.
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13. GIVE A TESTIMONY
Publicly tell (testify to) when and how God saved you or publicly tell what God has done in your life.
[Given without examples from that comment thread]
****
14. GET IT ; GETTING IT
a complimentary exclamation for doing something really well
majenkns1, 2009
“All i wanna know is did the brother in the cormer have to pay the pastor back for tearing up his carpet like that? He was getting it!!!”
**
dowlingus1, 2010
“he is getting it!”
**
BaptistBoi, 2008
“O boy in da corner was mos def gettin it in but I coulda done without them "horns" on the keyboard...the piano setting works just fine for me and the camera was a lil shaky so it was kinda hard to focus in some spots...but it was still an overall good clip!!!”
-snip-
“mos def” = most definitely (meaning “really”). This is the source of the Hip Hop artist’s name.
o boy =old boy. “Old” is commonly spelled “ole”. “Old” here isn’t an age referent.
**
mrfreez05, 2008
“Man bruh was gettin it in that corner! Good God”
**
GODISAWONDER, 2009
“AHHHHHH U BETTAH GET IT!!!!”
****
15. GIVE IT TO HIM
a complimentary exclamation to a holy dancer. In the context of this discussion, “Him” means “God” and I think this phrase is another way of saying “Give God the praise”
JehovahSham, 2013
“GIVE IT TO HIM!!!!!
-snip-
Btw, I don’t think that “sham” in this word means “fake”. It may be a word that may be uttered while speaking in tongues. Alternately, “give it to him” may mean to continue stomping on Satan’s head. Then “him” would mean “the devil”.
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16. GLORY (also spelled “GLORAY” & similar other phonetic spellings)
an exclamation that is short for “Give God the glory”
[Add commenter’s name and year]
“man i sho' like to watch people shout...glory!!!”
****
17. GO HEAD (GO AHEAD)
a complimentary exclamation
Judging from its use in numerous [Black] Praise Break viewer comment threads, “Go head” is the most commonly used exclamation to compliment someone who is doing the holy dance.
Note= Unlike when this phrase is used in “the world”,
meaning at non-religious events such as fraternity/sorority step shows, onlookers in churches or other religious services don’t shout out encouraging or complimentary remarks such as “Go head”
Devin Kelson, 2009
“yall praisin furreal but dat music is way to fast its so fast yall keep messin up lol but its unto the Lord so yall go head”
32pedalnotes, 2010
“WOW! Now dats CRAZY praise! Well... He is WORTHY! If I could dance that fast, I'd set the spirit of obesity on the run! LOL! Go 'head yall. Give it to HIM!”
**
B4RBI3gyrl, 2010
“Yall Betta Go Head And Praise The Lord!”
**
babygirl00432, 2010
“i watched this video like 7 times, loved it, so many comments about the music, the camera, those things arn't even the point. They r there giving God the praise n thas all tht matters...love tht shout on tht brutha GO HEAD!!:)”
-snip-
I think that the words “that shout on tht [that] brutha” means “ the way that brother shouted [danced].” However, the use of “on” here may [also?] refer to the belief that the praiser felt the Spirit on [in] him, and that is what caused him to do the holy dance [shout].
Also, read this related exclamation of support and praise for the shouter (the person doing the holy dance)
joshua whitaker, 2011
“Go boy Go!!!!!!!!”
****
18. GO IN
Read the entry in Part II for "Went in"
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19. GOING FOR IT
doing the holy dance well
I think that this saying comes from sayings such as “Get it!” where (I believe that ) “it” originally meant “winning the game" or "the points scored”.
AnointedGifts, 2012
“He is going for it!!!!Lol, Praise HIm!!!!”
-snip-
“Him” with a capital “h” means God. I think that “God” in most if not all of these comments is also a referent for Jesus.
****
20. GOT HIS (or HER) BLESSING
This means that God has blessed the the praiser for doing a holy dance (cutting a step).
superiorbandgeek, 2009
“that's that footwork right there. You know he got his blessing from that.”
****
21. GOT HIS PRAISE ON
same as "got his shout on", read that entry below, and read the entry for the word "Praise" in Part II of this post.
****
22. GOT HIS SHOUT ON
a phrase that means "doing a shout". Read the entry for "shout" in Part II of this post.
tallapril, 2010
“That was some Memphis COGIC Holy Convacation footwork going on in that corner. Brother really got his shout on.”
-snip-
COGIC=Church Of God In Christ; “convocation” a convention (assembly of members); Brother here means “a male who is a church member)
****
23. GIVING IT UP
"doing something very well"
ernest core, 2009
“Dude was over there in the corner givin it up!!! It looked like he was burning holes in the carpet. LOL He didnt miss a beat. Yall better praise him!!!”
-snip-
Using the informal referent for man “dude” isn’t a put down (insult), but just indicates the informality of the online discussion setting. This referent would not be used in public to refer to that dancer.
“burning holes in the carpet” refers back to “cutting a step”, “cutting a rug”
“Him” in the sentence “Yall better praise him” refers to God.
****
24. HIT THE FLOOR
"beat the floor with the soles of your feet (while doing the holy dance)", also given as “stomp the floor”
Orbot, 2010
“Love to see my brothas hit the floor!!”
-snip-
This comment may have been made because there are more females than men who attend church and it's therefore more common to see women do holy dances than men.
****
25. HOLD MY MULE
This saying is from the Gospel song "Shouting John" which was popularized by Shirley Caesar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHpSM0PXuAE
"Shouting John" is a fictitious character who was a member of a "dead church" (a church that didn't permit people to "shout" (get happy, cut a step, praise God when they felt the Holy Spirit). When church representatives came to John's farm to tell him that he couldn't belong to their church if he shouted, he didn't accept what was said, and instead told one of them to "hold his mule" while he danced for the Lord.
Therefore, telling people to "Hold my mule" means that you are getting ready to "go in" (shout). It's likely that "Hold my mule" is only used in written communication.
One source of this saying is a version of the Old Time African American non-religious song “Jim Along Josie”: “Hold my mule while I dance Josie.”. A version of "Jim Along Josie" is included in Dorothy Scarborough’s 1925 book On The Trail Of Negro Folksongs.
Terry Crews Jr, 2010
“I'll hold your mule!
****
26. [DOING THE] HOLY DANCE
a spontaneous, unrehearsed, dance that is done in praise of God
(shout, cut a step,praise)
[given without examples]
****
27. HOLY GHOST FIRE
the spirit that emanates from the Holy Ghost is equated with fire’s energy
COMPASSION2611, 2010
“You better get it Mastro, love it! Even the coat got a dance!!!! Round two. FIRE, HOLY GHOST FIRE!!!
****
28. JUKIN
a fast footwork dance (Chicago footwork)
Comment example:
evry1slilsista, 2009
“jukin' fah jesus......lolol i love it.....
-snip-
I don’t think this comment was meant to be taken seriously. I think that it was made to point out the close similarities between holy dancing and jukin.
****
29. KILLIN IT
"doing something very well"
pmc53, 2011
“Ole boi KILLED that dance”
-snip-
Notice the variant [Hip Hop vernacular] spelling for “boy”. Calling a man “boy” or “ole [old] boy” online isn’t an insult. This comment is complimentary towards the man who is dancing
**
Myles Sewell, 2012
“lol ayyee pastor was killin it”
****
30. LAWD
a variant spelling for the word “Lord” (meaning God, Jesus); often used as "My Lawd"
I believe that it and other “down home” dialectic terms and grammatical constructs are used on purpose, and not because the commenter doesn't know how to spell that word the Standard English way.
zgirlizfine, 2012
“lawd the devil has to have a concussion from that brother's shoutin
-snip-
Read “hit the floor” for my comments about stomping on the devil’s head”
****
This concludes Part I of this post.
My thanks to all those who were featured in this video, to the publisher of this video, and to all those who I quoted in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest revision: September 1, 2018
This is Part I of a two part series about "cut a step" and other words, phrases, and sayings that are used by African American Pentecostal worshippers in the discussion thread of the video "Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!"
As such, this series presents examples of words, phrases, and sayings that are commonly used by African Americans who are members of Apostolic, Church of God In Christ (COGIC), and other Pentecostal Christian churches. These terms may also be used by Baptist and other Christian congregations in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Some of these terms come from non-religious cultural sources and are also used in non-religious contexts.
Part I provides terms which begin with the letter A-L. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/cut-step-and-other-black-pentecostal_6.html for Part II of this post.
Part II provides terms which begin with the letter M-Z. Selected comments from the showcase video's discussion thread are included for most of these terms.
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS SERIES
I'm interested in documenting the use of these terms as found in YouTube video viewer comment threads for the folkloric, historical, and cultural record. While many YouTube video viewer comment threads contain profanity, racist, sexually explicit, homophobic, and other problematic content, those same discussion threads and other discussion threads may contain insightful, informative, well worded, and witty comments that I believe should be archived as part of the folkloric record.
I believe that the content of YouTube video viewer comment threads can provide insight about the lifestyles, values, and opinions of persons who posted to this particular YouTube viewer comment thread. I also believe that the way those comments are written (the slang and colloquial expressions that are used, the variant spelling, the inclusion of internet/text writing elements (such as acronyms and the lack of punctuation/capitalization which lead to run-on sentences), and even the commenters' screen names are worthy of documentation and study as part of the folkloric record.
In this pancocojams post, as in other posts such as http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/examples-of-black-slang-in-youtube-juke.html, I include what I believe are the meanings of the vernacular examples that are listed.
Like other YouTube Praise Break videos's viewer comment thread, the comment thread for this featured video contains extensive doctrinal exchanges, including scriptural references pro and con "shouting". This post does not include any of those comments, unless that comment is used as an example of a vernacular word or phrase.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not now nor have I ever been a member of a Pentecostal church. I have attended such churches a few times, and I have pbserved people in those churches, and in my childhood Baptist church (in New Jersey) doing shout behaviors such as are described in this post.
I don't consider myself an etymologist. However, I'm interested in the origin, meaning, and uses of certain words & phrases.
Some of these vernacular words and phrases are used with the same meanings outside of religious services or religious events.
Additions & corrections are very welcome.
WARNING: In spite of the fact that it is a religious video, this YouTube video's viewer comment thread includes profanity, the use of the n word, and other content that I consider to be problematic. None of that content is included in the examples that are featured in this post.
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FEATURED VIDEO: Foot Work- Praise break, Watch close!!!!
DeMario Jives, Uploaded on May 19, 2008
Give God a sacrifice of praise inspite of, just go for what you know!
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FEATURED PENTECOSTAL WORDS, PHRASES, AND SAYINGS (A-L)
(These words are numbered for references purposes)
1. ANOINTED
refers to a person who has felt the Holy Spirit and therefore has been saved [has accepted Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior]
From https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/anointing/
"Anointing, ]
in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost
[...]
Spiritual anointing with the Holy Ghost is conferred also upon Christians by God. ( 2 Corinthians 1:21 ) " Anointing "expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God." "
[no examples are cited from this video's discussion thread.]
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2. BROTHER, BRUTHAS, BRU
“bruthas”, bru” are variant (Hip Hop vernacular) spellings of “brother”.
In the religious context “brothers” mean “males who are part of the family of Christ” (because of their belief in Jesus Christ).
KaraStarrAllen, 2010
“Brother Got His Praise In”
-snip-
In standard American English this means “He is doing the holy dance very well.”
Got his praise “ is usually given as “got his praise on”.
“His” here refers to the man dancing.
-snip-
"Brother" is also used as a prefacing "title" for adult males, similar to "Mr" - for instance, "Brother Davis", "Brother Johnson". I believe that this title can be used with last names and/or with first names.
Read the related title "sister" in Part II of this post.
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3. BROUGHT THE CHURCH DOWN
used in reference to powerful soulful singing [sanging] and/or preaching, testifying: brought down the Holy Spirit to the church's congregation; as a result people felt the Holy Spirit (went in, did the Holy dance etc)
[no examples cited from this video's discussion thread]
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4. CHILLIN
sitting back, relaxed, not involved, showing no intensity (with low energy).
“Chillin” is an extension of the word “chill”. “Chill” is the opposite of “hot” (caused by intense energy, being energized, heating up an environment, situation, or a person)
kragen05, 2010
“how are you gunna have the youth just chillin in their seats? youve gotta get in on that holy ghost movement! come on. i wish i had services like this”
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5. CHUUCH
down home Black [Southern United States] way of pronouncing "church"; when the word "church" is purposely written or pronounced this way as a form of code switching [from standard English to African American Vernacular English], it refers to a old school church which is filled with the Holy Spirit [or singing, preaching, etc. that is like those old down home churches which were filled with Holy Ghost fire]
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6. (TO) CUT A STEP
Do the holy dance, shout, Praise [God] by doing the holy dance
“Cut a step” comes from the earlier phrase “cut a rug”. Read that entry below.
Also, read the entry below for the indirectly related phrase “tearing it up”
TheMysyfyer, 2010
“watching this makes me wanna CUT A STEP!”
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7. CUTTING UP (CUT N UP)
in the context of this topic, this means "dancing very well"*
Dynasty Mays, 2009
“Now he cut n up!!!”
-snip-
*cutting up can also mean “acting (behaving) like a fool”, but I don’t think that’s the meaning that was intended by that commenter.
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8. (TO) CUT A RUG
to dance. I believe that this old, now little used secular term is the source of the contemporary term “cut a step”. I’m not sure if “cut a step” is used outside of its reference to doing the holy dance, but I don’t recall reading it or hearing it said anywhere else.
zareahbrown, 2009
“he cut a rug...... thats cogic footwork right there. i love to see men prasie god
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-cutting-monkey-shines-cut-shine.html for a pancocojams post on the saying “cut a rug” and similar colloquial expressions.
****
9. EATING THAT CORNER UP
in the context of this example, this phrase means "to really dancing well in that corner". This phrase may not be used that often, but I’m including it as an example of how pictorial
some African American vernacular English is.
robblkva, 2009
“he is eating that corner up
-snip-
This comment means “He’s dancing quite intensely in that corner”
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10. FOOT WORK [FOOTWORK]
fast paced dancing that emphasizes the feet’s movement; the soles of the feet usually remain on the ground with footwork (There are little to no kicks with this type of dancing.)
joshuaofjericho, 2009
“That`s CHICAGO FOOTWORK!”
-snip-
“Chicago footwork” (also known as "juking") is a contemporary Hip Hop dance that is most closely associated with Chicago, Illinois. Read the comment below under “juking”. I wrote this comment in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/black-church-praise-break-videos.html
"There's no way to verify which came first-the religious shout footwork or the secular dances that had the same or similar fast paced foot motions. This dance form almost certainly has its source in Black African traditional dances."
-snip-
Also, read this witty comment that compliments the holy dancers and also includes a reference to the contemporary American movie Happy Feet
Cynthia Webb, 2009
“now this is the best version of "Happy Feet" i've ever seen lol”
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11. GETTING DOWN
"dancing very well"
The phrase "getting down" may have its source in the custom of dancers who are really ”in to” the dance” moving down to the floor, and then dancing back up. I also think that “getting down” is related to the phrase “I’m getting down to the real nitty gritty” (to the essence of something ). A person who “got down to the real nitty gritty” while dancing didn’t mind how he or she looked (or smelled) as nits are “funky).
Glamazon91, 2010
“dat man was gettin down... but watsz up with the music”
-snip-
In standard English, “That man was dancing really well, but I don’t understand what is going on with the music.”
I believe that the use of the word “dat” is purposeful, not accidental, and not an indication that the commenter doesn’t know or speak Standard English.
****
12. GETTING HAPPY
"feeling the Holy Spirit" and expressing that feeling through testimonies, shouts, speaking in tongues etc.
[No examples of this phrase are found in that viewer comment thread to date.]
-snip-
"Getting happy" is the phrase that I grew up which referred to people "feeling the [Holy] Spirit". I was surprised to find no examples of that usage in this particular Praise Break video's viewer comment thread and only a few examples of that phrase in other Praise Break videos. It appears that the phrases "getting your praise on", "getting your shout on" and other similar phrases have taken the place of "getting happy". Read the definitions for "shout" in Part II of this series.
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13. GIVE A TESTIMONY
Publicly tell (testify to) when and how God saved you or publicly tell what God has done in your life.
[Given without examples from that comment thread]
****
14. GET IT ; GETTING IT
a complimentary exclamation for doing something really well
majenkns1, 2009
“All i wanna know is did the brother in the cormer have to pay the pastor back for tearing up his carpet like that? He was getting it!!!”
**
dowlingus1, 2010
“he is getting it!”
**
BaptistBoi, 2008
“O boy in da corner was mos def gettin it in but I coulda done without them "horns" on the keyboard...the piano setting works just fine for me and the camera was a lil shaky so it was kinda hard to focus in some spots...but it was still an overall good clip!!!”
-snip-
“mos def” = most definitely (meaning “really”). This is the source of the Hip Hop artist’s name.
o boy =old boy. “Old” is commonly spelled “ole”. “Old” here isn’t an age referent.
**
mrfreez05, 2008
“Man bruh was gettin it in that corner! Good God”
**
GODISAWONDER, 2009
“AHHHHHH U BETTAH GET IT!!!!”
****
15. GIVE IT TO HIM
a complimentary exclamation to a holy dancer. In the context of this discussion, “Him” means “God” and I think this phrase is another way of saying “Give God the praise”
JehovahSham, 2013
“GIVE IT TO HIM!!!!!
-snip-
Btw, I don’t think that “sham” in this word means “fake”. It may be a word that may be uttered while speaking in tongues. Alternately, “give it to him” may mean to continue stomping on Satan’s head. Then “him” would mean “the devil”.
****
16. GLORY (also spelled “GLORAY” & similar other phonetic spellings)
an exclamation that is short for “Give God the glory”
[Add commenter’s name and year]
“man i sho' like to watch people shout...glory!!!”
****
17. GO HEAD (GO AHEAD)
a complimentary exclamation
Judging from its use in numerous [Black] Praise Break viewer comment threads, “Go head” is the most commonly used exclamation to compliment someone who is doing the holy dance.
Note= Unlike when this phrase is used in “the world”,
meaning at non-religious events such as fraternity/sorority step shows, onlookers in churches or other religious services don’t shout out encouraging or complimentary remarks such as “Go head”
Devin Kelson, 2009
“yall praisin furreal but dat music is way to fast its so fast yall keep messin up lol but its unto the Lord so yall go head”
32pedalnotes, 2010
“WOW! Now dats CRAZY praise! Well... He is WORTHY! If I could dance that fast, I'd set the spirit of obesity on the run! LOL! Go 'head yall. Give it to HIM!”
**
B4RBI3gyrl, 2010
“Yall Betta Go Head And Praise The Lord!”
**
babygirl00432, 2010
“i watched this video like 7 times, loved it, so many comments about the music, the camera, those things arn't even the point. They r there giving God the praise n thas all tht matters...love tht shout on tht brutha GO HEAD!!:)”
-snip-
I think that the words “that shout on tht [that] brutha” means “ the way that brother shouted [danced].” However, the use of “on” here may [also?] refer to the belief that the praiser felt the Spirit on [in] him, and that is what caused him to do the holy dance [shout].
Also, read this related exclamation of support and praise for the shouter (the person doing the holy dance)
joshua whitaker, 2011
“Go boy Go!!!!!!!!”
****
18. GO IN
Read the entry in Part II for "Went in"
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19. GOING FOR IT
doing the holy dance well
I think that this saying comes from sayings such as “Get it!” where (I believe that ) “it” originally meant “winning the game" or "the points scored”.
AnointedGifts, 2012
“He is going for it!!!!Lol, Praise HIm!!!!”
-snip-
“Him” with a capital “h” means God. I think that “God” in most if not all of these comments is also a referent for Jesus.
****
20. GOT HIS (or HER) BLESSING
This means that God has blessed the the praiser for doing a holy dance (cutting a step).
superiorbandgeek, 2009
“that's that footwork right there. You know he got his blessing from that.”
****
21. GOT HIS PRAISE ON
same as "got his shout on", read that entry below, and read the entry for the word "Praise" in Part II of this post.
****
22. GOT HIS SHOUT ON
a phrase that means "doing a shout". Read the entry for "shout" in Part II of this post.
tallapril, 2010
“That was some Memphis COGIC Holy Convacation footwork going on in that corner. Brother really got his shout on.”
-snip-
COGIC=Church Of God In Christ; “convocation” a convention (assembly of members); Brother here means “a male who is a church member)
****
23. GIVING IT UP
"doing something very well"
ernest core, 2009
“Dude was over there in the corner givin it up!!! It looked like he was burning holes in the carpet. LOL He didnt miss a beat. Yall better praise him!!!”
-snip-
Using the informal referent for man “dude” isn’t a put down (insult), but just indicates the informality of the online discussion setting. This referent would not be used in public to refer to that dancer.
“burning holes in the carpet” refers back to “cutting a step”, “cutting a rug”
“Him” in the sentence “Yall better praise him” refers to God.
****
24. HIT THE FLOOR
"beat the floor with the soles of your feet (while doing the holy dance)", also given as “stomp the floor”
Orbot, 2010
“Love to see my brothas hit the floor!!”
-snip-
This comment may have been made because there are more females than men who attend church and it's therefore more common to see women do holy dances than men.
****
25. HOLD MY MULE
This saying is from the Gospel song "Shouting John" which was popularized by Shirley Caesar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHpSM0PXuAE
"Shouting John" is a fictitious character who was a member of a "dead church" (a church that didn't permit people to "shout" (get happy, cut a step, praise God when they felt the Holy Spirit). When church representatives came to John's farm to tell him that he couldn't belong to their church if he shouted, he didn't accept what was said, and instead told one of them to "hold his mule" while he danced for the Lord.
Therefore, telling people to "Hold my mule" means that you are getting ready to "go in" (shout). It's likely that "Hold my mule" is only used in written communication.
One source of this saying is a version of the Old Time African American non-religious song “Jim Along Josie”: “Hold my mule while I dance Josie.”. A version of "Jim Along Josie" is included in Dorothy Scarborough’s 1925 book On The Trail Of Negro Folksongs.
Terry Crews Jr, 2010
“I'll hold your mule!
****
26. [DOING THE] HOLY DANCE
a spontaneous, unrehearsed, dance that is done in praise of God
(shout, cut a step,praise)
[given without examples]
****
27. HOLY GHOST FIRE
the spirit that emanates from the Holy Ghost is equated with fire’s energy
COMPASSION2611, 2010
“You better get it Mastro, love it! Even the coat got a dance!!!! Round two. FIRE, HOLY GHOST FIRE!!!
****
28. JUKIN
a fast footwork dance (Chicago footwork)
Comment example:
evry1slilsista, 2009
“jukin' fah jesus......lolol i love it.....
-snip-
I don’t think this comment was meant to be taken seriously. I think that it was made to point out the close similarities between holy dancing and jukin.
****
29. KILLIN IT
"doing something very well"
pmc53, 2011
“Ole boi KILLED that dance”
-snip-
Notice the variant [Hip Hop vernacular] spelling for “boy”. Calling a man “boy” or “ole [old] boy” online isn’t an insult. This comment is complimentary towards the man who is dancing
**
Myles Sewell, 2012
“lol ayyee pastor was killin it”
****
30. LAWD
a variant spelling for the word “Lord” (meaning God, Jesus); often used as "My Lawd"
I believe that it and other “down home” dialectic terms and grammatical constructs are used on purpose, and not because the commenter doesn't know how to spell that word the Standard English way.
zgirlizfine, 2012
“lawd the devil has to have a concussion from that brother's shoutin
-snip-
Read “hit the floor” for my comments about stomping on the devil’s head”
****
This concludes Part I of this post.
My thanks to all those who were featured in this video, to the publisher of this video, and to all those who I quoted in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
What "Cutting Monkey Shines" & "Cut A Shine" Mean
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post provides information & speculations about the meanings of "cutting monkey shines" ("making monkey shines"), "cut a shine" ("cut shine), "cuttin up" and "cut a monkey".
This post is part of a continuing series that presents information and speculation about the meanings of certain words & phrases that are found in American Old Time Music and other music genres.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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MONKEY SHINE (MONKEYSHINE)
Definition #1 (verb)
"cutting" monkey shines (later "monkeyshines")
Acting silly (as monkeys are said to do), acting mischievously, making a prank out in public, making a public spectacle of yourself acting like a monkey
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Definition #2: (noun)
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkeyshine
"prank—usually used in plural
Examples of MONKEYSHINE
First Known Use of MONKEYSHINE
circa 1832"
-snip-
This statement probably refers to the Minstrel song "Jump Jim Crow". Information about that song is found below.
-snip-
Definition #3:
Monkeyshines [noun] mischievous or playful tricks, including jokingly making funny faces or gestures
From
http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2007/03/monkeyshine.html "TheGrammarphobia Blog"
"Monkeyshine! March 29th, 2007
Q: I’ve been curious about the word “monkeyshines” since I was a child and visited my grandmother, who was born in the early 20th century in a small town in Kansas. As we drove away, she’d make odd gestures and call out “monkeyshines.” I know that the word means acting up, but I wonder where it comes from. Does it have its origins in vaudeville or minstrel shows?
A: The word “monkeyshine” (often “monkeyshines”), referring to a mischievous or playful trick, has a very interesting and disturbing history.
It first appeared in 1828 (as “munky shines”) in a song by Thomas “Daddy” Rice, a popular white comedian who performed in blackface. In the song, called “Jump Jim Crow,” Rice sings and dances as an old plantation slave: “I cut so many munky shines, I dance de gallopade.” (The gallop, or gallopade, was a 19th-century dance.)
The song also gave us the term “Jim Crow” for segregation and other discrimination against African-Americans. But the use of the word “shine” as an abusive term for a black person may have nothing to do with Rice’s song. The usage didn’t appear in print until the early 20th century, well after the song’s heyday, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Your guess that “monkeyshine” comes from minstrel shows was right on target. In fact, some people consider “Daddy” Rice to be the father of minstrelsy.
-snip-
Italics added to highlight that sentence.
****
Song Example For "Cut Monkey Shines" - "Jump Jim Crow" [1828]
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_Jim_Crow
"Jump Jim Crow" is a song and dance from 1828 that was done in blackface by white comedian Thomas Dartmouth (T.D.) "Daddy" Rice. The first song sheet edition appeared in the early 1830s, published by E. Riley.
...Come, listen, all you girls and boys, I'm just from Tuckahoe;
I'm going to sing a little song, My name's Jim Crow.
Chorus: Wheel about, and turn about, and do just so;
Every time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.
I went down to the river, I didn't mean to stay,
But there I saw so many girls, I couldn't get away.
I'm roaring on the fiddle, and down in old Virginia,
They say I play the scientific, like master Paganini,
I cut so many monkey shines, I dance the galoppade;
And when I'm done, I rest my head, on shovel, hoe or spade.
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
My interpretation of the line which includes a reference to the gallop dance is that that dance was just a part of "cutting monkey shines". I don't believe that line means that "cutting monkey shines" always meant doing any dance.
-snip-
Here's an example of conversational use of the phrase "making monkey shines"
From http://www.folkstreams.net/principal,58http://www.folkstreams.net/principal,58 "Othar Turner, Cane Fife Maker" by William Ferris
[Otha Turner describing how he and other musicians attract a crowd for the community picnic he sponsors]
“Then I start the drums to playing and the cane fifes to blowing. We play "Shimmy She Wobble,"8 "My Baby Don't Stand No Cheating On Her."9 "Granny, Will Your Dog Bite?" "Rolling and Tumbling,"10 "Glory Hallelujah,1111 "When the Saints Go Marching In." We play all stuff like that you know. We got a whole lot of different pieces we play. You know, you can sing to the drums, we've sung to them many times and played. It just depends on what you want to do. But now ordinary playing in a picnic, that's just for drawing a crowd. We go out there and. go to playing the drums, sometimes go to hollering and playing and making monkey shine with the drums, just cutting up, you know. That's what will draw your crowd. That's what that's for."
-snip-
In the context of this conversation, "making monkey shine" means
having fun playing the drums, without any serious intent to perform any particular song, for instance, playing chords before an actual musical performance. The expression "monkeying around with ___" has a similar meaning.
From http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/monkey-around
"Monkeying around:
verb - intransitive
to mess around, waste time."
-snip-
Information about "just cutting up" is found below.
****
Definition #4
(verb)
Black people purposely acting a fool in front of, pandering to White folks
From http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/4/messages/1048.html"I heard an African American comic talk about being criticized by members of his race for "cutting monkey shines" in front of white people. Meaning, as I understood it, acting all jolly in a manner that would please the white folks. Acting a fool. Pandering, I guess you could call it."
-snip-
Read the same definition below for "cutting the monkey".
****
Definition #5:
noun - the name of a particular type of dance
In "Harlem Shuffle" by Bob & Earl [1966]
http://www.shsu.edu/lis_fwh/book/brill_building/Dance%20Crazes2.htm "Dance Crazes" *
"Bill Black's Combo- "Monkey-Shine" (1963)
Also in "Harlem Shuffle" by the Rolling Stones**
Excerpt for the Rolling Stones song:
From http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rollingstones/harlemshuffle.html
Huhuuuhuhuhuhuuuuuuh, hu!
You move it to the left, yeah, and you go for yourself.
You move it to the right, yeah, if it takes all night.
Now take it kinda slow,
with a whole lot of soul.
Don't move it too fast.
Just make it last.
You scratch just like a monkey.
Yeah ya do, real cool...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, do the Harlem Shuffle.
(Do the Monkey Shine)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, shake your tail feather, baby.
(Shake shake, shake shake yeah!)..."
* The R&B dance "The Monkey" probably came from the "Monkey Shine" dance. Visit that page for a list of other Rock & Roll/ R&B records including these songs that promoted the "Monkey" dance "Do The Monkey", "It's Monkey Time" and "Mickey's Monkey".
**Is the Rolling Stones' song a cover of the earlier Bob & Earl record?
****
Editorial Comment:
I believe that the phrases "cutting a shine" ("cutting shine"), "cutting the monkey" ("cutting a monkey"; "cuttin monkey"), and "cutting up" all come from the phrase "cutting monkey shine" ("cutting monkeyshine").
DEFINITION #1: "CUT A SHINE"
Music Genres: American Minstrel, American Old Time Music
http://www.gatlinburgtnweather.com/southern_slang_dictionary.html
"cut a shine" - to dance"
Example:
From https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.music.country.old-time/ATTT1UtigL8
"Little Lula/Lulu/Lulie"
Oldtime1 [Joe Wilson], 5/29/97
Little Lula/Lulu/Lulie
Paul asked if there are two Lulu songs. Yes. The "Bang Away Lulu" lyric he quoted is not at all like "Shout Lulu." When I interviewed G. B. Grayson's oldest daughter, Lilly Grayson Sturdivant, in 1972 near Rising Sun, MD (with Ken Irwin and Marian Leighton), she told about his compositions. She said he did not write "Shout Lulu" and that she thought it was "an old song." If it was old when Grayson recorded it in the late 1920s, it may be
from minstrelsy. It certainly has the feel and rhythm of a minstrel song:
"Takes a nickle, takes a dime, To see Little Luly, cut a shine."...*
-snip-
Italics added to highligh that line.
Click the "Shout Lula" tag found below for several pancocojams post about this Old Time Music song, including a post about the Grayson & Whittier recording of that song.
****
DEFINITION #2: "CUT A SHINE"
Music Genre: American Music Hall song
Definition
From http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=cut+a+shine
"Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English (1905)
Abridged from the Seven-volume Work, Entitled: Slang and Its Analogues by John Stephen Farmer, William Ernest Henley
to cut a shine, to make a show ; every shine, every one ; as verb, (a) to make a stir, or impression"
-snip-
I think that this definition of "cut a shine" - to make a positive impression [to shine like the sun] is a positive spin on the older meaning of "cutting a shine" in which the person showed off, making a public spectacle of himself or herself by acting like a monkey.
****
Song Examples from http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=129161
[hereafter known as "Mudcat: McGuiness"]
posted by Joe Offer, Date: 30 Apr 10 - 02:28 AM
"Here are the lyrics from the 1880 sheet music at the American Memory Collection (Library of Congress):
WHEN MCGUINESS GETS A JOB
(Jim O'Neil & Jack Conroy)
CHORUS:
Then cheer up, Missus Reiley, don't give 'way to the blues,
You and I will cut a shine, new bonnets, and new shoes,
As for me, I'm done a-crying, no more will I sigh or sob,
I'll wait till times get better, when McGuiness gets a job.
Copyright 1880 by Mrs. Pauline Lieder"
-snip-
This song is also known as "Last Winter Was a Hard One"
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
****
"Mudcat: McGuiness" posted by Joe Offer, Date: 30 Apr 10 - 12:28 AM
"...Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:
Last Winter Was a Hard One
DESCRIPTION: Two Irish women lament the hard times. Neither woman's husband could find a job, and both families suffered. They curse the Italians who have arrived to take Irish jobs. They look forward to better times when their husbands find work
AUTHOR: Words: Jim O'Neil / Music: Jack Conroy
EARLIEST DATE: 1880 (sheet music)
****
Music Genre: British Music Hall song
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=126008
Lyr Req: I Do Like A S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie, posted by Jim Dixon, 24 Jan 11 - 03:18 PM
"The British Library [London] has the sheet music, described thus:
I DO LIKE A S'NICE S'MINCE S'PIE.
Written and composed by W. David and B. Lee.
Author: Worton David; Bert Lee
Publisher: London : Star Music Publishing Co, [1914]
Edition/Format: Musical score
My Old Red Vest
Chorus
I never get the knocker when the boys shout cock, cockly, cock, cock robin
With my old red vest I mean to cut shine.
Walking down the street, they call me danger on the line.
And the more they call out robin red breast, I'll wear it longer still.
I will have a red waistcoat, I will,
I will, I will, I will, I will, I will.
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
****
RELATED WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:
CUTTING UP [CUTTIN UP] (Usually given as "just cuttin up")
Definition: verb; acting silly, "actin a fool", (meaning purposely acting like a fool.
Example: Read the excerpt about Othar Turner above.
****
CUTTING [THE] MONKEY
Definition #1
(verb) acting silly, acting [like] a fool
From http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/their-eyes-were-watching-god/study-help/full-glossary-for-their-eyes-were-watching-god
All them dat's goin' tuh cut de monkey in other words, if everyone has finished acting silly.
-snip-
From http://poetry.rapgenius.com/Zora-neale-hurston-their-eyes-were-watching-god-chap-16-lyrics
[WARNING - This book includes the n word fully spelled out and colorist language about dark skinned Black people.]
Italics were added by me to highlight that portion.
****
Definition #2
(verb) showing off in front of White people, pandering to White people*
From http://poetry.rapgenius.com/Zora-neale-hurston-their-eyes-were-watching-god-chap-16-lyrics "Zora Neale Hurston – Their Eyes Were Watching God (Chap. 16)"
"We’se uh mingled people and all of us got black kinfolks as well as yaller kinfolks. How come you so against black?”
“And dey makes me tired. Always laughin’! Dey laughs too much and dey laughs too loud. Always singin’ ol’ n&&&er songs! Always cuttin’ de monkey for white folks."
-snip-
Italics were added by me to highlight that portion.
The second paragraph in this excerpt is spoken by a Black women who is sharing why she doesn't like dark skinned Black people.
-snip-
WARNING: The n word is fully spelled out in this book.
**
This usage is the same as Definition #4 for "cutting monkey shines"
which is found above.
*I believe that the expression about Black people "cutting the monkey" can be connected to, but isn't necessarily integral to the stereotype of Black people as monkeys. Click for information about that old & still current very negative stereotype.
****
ADDENDUM
I'm intrigued by the common usage of the words "cut" and "cuttin" ("cutting") to mean "doing". Examples from Old Time Music are "cuttin monkeyshines" and "cutting a shine" (as well as "cut a shine" from Music Hall songs. "Cut the rug" meaning "to dance" is probably a more familiar, albeit mostly retired example of this use of the word "cut". Here's a comment about that expression:
"The term to "cut a rug" first started to emerge as a slang term for dancing in the 1920s. Use of the phrase persisted well into the 1940s, although the popularity of the term has since faded...
Like most slang, the origins of "cut a rug" as a synonym for dancing are disputed. Several competing theories to explain the idea have been bandied about, but none have been firmly proved. This is often the case with slang, which sometimes seems to catch on overnight..."
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-does-it-mean-to-cut-a-rug.htm
-snip-
It seems likely that this vernacular use of the word "cut" and "cutting" originated with African Americans. And, as the lyrics to "Jump Jim Crow" show, this use of "cut" document, that word was used that way as early as the 1830s. But I don't know why "cuttin" came to be used that way.
****
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post provides information & speculations about the meanings of "cutting monkey shines" ("making monkey shines"), "cut a shine" ("cut shine), "cuttin up" and "cut a monkey".
This post is part of a continuing series that presents information and speculation about the meanings of certain words & phrases that are found in American Old Time Music and other music genres.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
MONKEY SHINE (MONKEYSHINE)
Definition #1 (verb)
"cutting" monkey shines (later "monkeyshines")
Acting silly (as monkeys are said to do), acting mischievously, making a prank out in public, making a public spectacle of yourself acting like a monkey
****
Definition #2: (noun)
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkeyshine
"prank—usually used in plural
Examples of MONKEYSHINE
First Known Use of MONKEYSHINE
circa 1832"
-snip-
This statement probably refers to the Minstrel song "Jump Jim Crow". Information about that song is found below.
-snip-
Definition #3:
Monkeyshines [noun] mischievous or playful tricks, including jokingly making funny faces or gestures
From
http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2007/03/monkeyshine.html "TheGrammarphobia Blog"
"Monkeyshine! March 29th, 2007
Q: I’ve been curious about the word “monkeyshines” since I was a child and visited my grandmother, who was born in the early 20th century in a small town in Kansas. As we drove away, she’d make odd gestures and call out “monkeyshines.” I know that the word means acting up, but I wonder where it comes from. Does it have its origins in vaudeville or minstrel shows?
A: The word “monkeyshine” (often “monkeyshines”), referring to a mischievous or playful trick, has a very interesting and disturbing history.
It first appeared in 1828 (as “munky shines”) in a song by Thomas “Daddy” Rice, a popular white comedian who performed in blackface. In the song, called “Jump Jim Crow,” Rice sings and dances as an old plantation slave: “I cut so many munky shines, I dance de gallopade.” (The gallop, or gallopade, was a 19th-century dance.)
The song also gave us the term “Jim Crow” for segregation and other discrimination against African-Americans. But the use of the word “shine” as an abusive term for a black person may have nothing to do with Rice’s song. The usage didn’t appear in print until the early 20th century, well after the song’s heyday, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Your guess that “monkeyshine” comes from minstrel shows was right on target. In fact, some people consider “Daddy” Rice to be the father of minstrelsy.
-snip-
Italics added to highlight that sentence.
****
Song Example For "Cut Monkey Shines" - "Jump Jim Crow" [1828]
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_Jim_Crow
"Jump Jim Crow" is a song and dance from 1828 that was done in blackface by white comedian Thomas Dartmouth (T.D.) "Daddy" Rice. The first song sheet edition appeared in the early 1830s, published by E. Riley.
...Come, listen, all you girls and boys, I'm just from Tuckahoe;
I'm going to sing a little song, My name's Jim Crow.
Chorus: Wheel about, and turn about, and do just so;
Every time I wheel about, I jump Jim Crow.
I went down to the river, I didn't mean to stay,
But there I saw so many girls, I couldn't get away.
I'm roaring on the fiddle, and down in old Virginia,
They say I play the scientific, like master Paganini,
I cut so many monkey shines, I dance the galoppade;
And when I'm done, I rest my head, on shovel, hoe or spade.
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
My interpretation of the line which includes a reference to the gallop dance is that that dance was just a part of "cutting monkey shines". I don't believe that line means that "cutting monkey shines" always meant doing any dance.
-snip-
Here's an example of conversational use of the phrase "making monkey shines"
From http://www.folkstreams.net/principal,58http://www.folkstreams.net/principal,58 "Othar Turner, Cane Fife Maker" by William Ferris
[Otha Turner describing how he and other musicians attract a crowd for the community picnic he sponsors]
“Then I start the drums to playing and the cane fifes to blowing. We play "Shimmy She Wobble,"8 "My Baby Don't Stand No Cheating On Her."9 "Granny, Will Your Dog Bite?" "Rolling and Tumbling,"10 "Glory Hallelujah,1111 "When the Saints Go Marching In." We play all stuff like that you know. We got a whole lot of different pieces we play. You know, you can sing to the drums, we've sung to them many times and played. It just depends on what you want to do. But now ordinary playing in a picnic, that's just for drawing a crowd. We go out there and. go to playing the drums, sometimes go to hollering and playing and making monkey shine with the drums, just cutting up, you know. That's what will draw your crowd. That's what that's for."
-snip-
In the context of this conversation, "making monkey shine" means
having fun playing the drums, without any serious intent to perform any particular song, for instance, playing chords before an actual musical performance. The expression "monkeying around with ___" has a similar meaning.
From http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/monkey-around
"Monkeying around:
verb - intransitive
to mess around, waste time."
-snip-
Information about "just cutting up" is found below.
****
Definition #4
(verb)
Black people purposely acting a fool in front of, pandering to White folks
From http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/4/messages/1048.html"I heard an African American comic talk about being criticized by members of his race for "cutting monkey shines" in front of white people. Meaning, as I understood it, acting all jolly in a manner that would please the white folks. Acting a fool. Pandering, I guess you could call it."
-snip-
Read the same definition below for "cutting the monkey".
****
Definition #5:
noun - the name of a particular type of dance
In "Harlem Shuffle" by Bob & Earl [1966]
http://www.shsu.edu/lis_fwh/book/brill_building/Dance%20Crazes2.htm "Dance Crazes" *
"Bill Black's Combo- "Monkey-Shine" (1963)
Also in "Harlem Shuffle" by the Rolling Stones**
Excerpt for the Rolling Stones song:
From http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rollingstones/harlemshuffle.html
Huhuuuhuhuhuhuuuuuuh, hu!
You move it to the left, yeah, and you go for yourself.
You move it to the right, yeah, if it takes all night.
Now take it kinda slow,
with a whole lot of soul.
Don't move it too fast.
Just make it last.
You scratch just like a monkey.
Yeah ya do, real cool...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, do the Harlem Shuffle.
(Do the Monkey Shine)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, shake your tail feather, baby.
(Shake shake, shake shake yeah!)..."
* The R&B dance "The Monkey" probably came from the "Monkey Shine" dance. Visit that page for a list of other Rock & Roll/ R&B records including these songs that promoted the "Monkey" dance "Do The Monkey", "It's Monkey Time" and "Mickey's Monkey".
**Is the Rolling Stones' song a cover of the earlier Bob & Earl record?
****
Editorial Comment:
I believe that the phrases "cutting a shine" ("cutting shine"), "cutting the monkey" ("cutting a monkey"; "cuttin monkey"), and "cutting up" all come from the phrase "cutting monkey shine" ("cutting monkeyshine").
DEFINITION #1: "CUT A SHINE"
Music Genres: American Minstrel, American Old Time Music
http://www.gatlinburgtnweather.com/southern_slang_dictionary.html
"cut a shine" - to dance"
Example:
From https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.music.country.old-time/ATTT1UtigL8
"Little Lula/Lulu/Lulie"
Oldtime1 [Joe Wilson], 5/29/97
Little Lula/Lulu/Lulie
Paul asked if there are two Lulu songs. Yes. The "Bang Away Lulu" lyric he quoted is not at all like "Shout Lulu." When I interviewed G. B. Grayson's oldest daughter, Lilly Grayson Sturdivant, in 1972 near Rising Sun, MD (with Ken Irwin and Marian Leighton), she told about his compositions. She said he did not write "Shout Lulu" and that she thought it was "an old song." If it was old when Grayson recorded it in the late 1920s, it may be
from minstrelsy. It certainly has the feel and rhythm of a minstrel song:
"Takes a nickle, takes a dime, To see Little Luly, cut a shine."...*
-snip-
Italics added to highligh that line.
Click the "Shout Lula" tag found below for several pancocojams post about this Old Time Music song, including a post about the Grayson & Whittier recording of that song.
****
DEFINITION #2: "CUT A SHINE"
Music Genre: American Music Hall song
Definition
From http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=cut+a+shine
"Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English (1905)
Abridged from the Seven-volume Work, Entitled: Slang and Its Analogues by John Stephen Farmer, William Ernest Henley
to cut a shine, to make a show ; every shine, every one ; as verb, (a) to make a stir, or impression"
-snip-
I think that this definition of "cut a shine" - to make a positive impression [to shine like the sun] is a positive spin on the older meaning of "cutting a shine" in which the person showed off, making a public spectacle of himself or herself by acting like a monkey.
****
Song Examples from http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=129161
[hereafter known as "Mudcat: McGuiness"]
posted by Joe Offer, Date: 30 Apr 10 - 02:28 AM
"Here are the lyrics from the 1880 sheet music at the American Memory Collection (Library of Congress):
WHEN MCGUINESS GETS A JOB
(Jim O'Neil & Jack Conroy)
CHORUS:
Then cheer up, Missus Reiley, don't give 'way to the blues,
You and I will cut a shine, new bonnets, and new shoes,
As for me, I'm done a-crying, no more will I sigh or sob,
I'll wait till times get better, when McGuiness gets a job.
Copyright 1880 by Mrs. Pauline Lieder"
-snip-
This song is also known as "Last Winter Was a Hard One"
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
****
"Mudcat: McGuiness" posted by Joe Offer, Date: 30 Apr 10 - 12:28 AM
"...Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:
Last Winter Was a Hard One
DESCRIPTION: Two Irish women lament the hard times. Neither woman's husband could find a job, and both families suffered. They curse the Italians who have arrived to take Irish jobs. They look forward to better times when their husbands find work
AUTHOR: Words: Jim O'Neil / Music: Jack Conroy
EARLIEST DATE: 1880 (sheet music)
****
Music Genre: British Music Hall song
From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=126008
Lyr Req: I Do Like A S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie, posted by Jim Dixon, 24 Jan 11 - 03:18 PM
"The British Library [London] has the sheet music, described thus:
I DO LIKE A S'NICE S'MINCE S'PIE.
Written and composed by W. David and B. Lee.
Author: Worton David; Bert Lee
Publisher: London : Star Music Publishing Co, [1914]
Edition/Format: Musical score
My Old Red Vest
Chorus
I never get the knocker when the boys shout cock, cockly, cock, cock robin
With my old red vest I mean to cut shine.
Walking down the street, they call me danger on the line.
And the more they call out robin red breast, I'll wear it longer still.
I will have a red waistcoat, I will,
I will, I will, I will, I will, I will.
-snip-
Italics added by me to highlight that line.
****
RELATED WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:
CUTTING UP [CUTTIN UP] (Usually given as "just cuttin up")
Definition: verb; acting silly, "actin a fool", (meaning purposely acting like a fool.
Example: Read the excerpt about Othar Turner above.
****
CUTTING [THE] MONKEY
Definition #1
(verb) acting silly, acting [like] a fool
From http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/their-eyes-were-watching-god/study-help/full-glossary-for-their-eyes-were-watching-god
All them dat's goin' tuh cut de monkey in other words, if everyone has finished acting silly.
-snip-
From http://poetry.rapgenius.com/Zora-neale-hurston-their-eyes-were-watching-god-chap-16-lyrics
[WARNING - This book includes the n word fully spelled out and colorist language about dark skinned Black people.]
Italics were added by me to highlight that portion.
****
Definition #2
(verb) showing off in front of White people, pandering to White people*
From http://poetry.rapgenius.com/Zora-neale-hurston-their-eyes-were-watching-god-chap-16-lyrics "Zora Neale Hurston – Their Eyes Were Watching God (Chap. 16)"
"We’se uh mingled people and all of us got black kinfolks as well as yaller kinfolks. How come you so against black?”
“And dey makes me tired. Always laughin’! Dey laughs too much and dey laughs too loud. Always singin’ ol’ n&&&er songs! Always cuttin’ de monkey for white folks."
-snip-
Italics were added by me to highlight that portion.
The second paragraph in this excerpt is spoken by a Black women who is sharing why she doesn't like dark skinned Black people.
-snip-
WARNING: The n word is fully spelled out in this book.
**
This usage is the same as Definition #4 for "cutting monkey shines"
which is found above.
*I believe that the expression about Black people "cutting the monkey" can be connected to, but isn't necessarily integral to the stereotype of Black people as monkeys. Click for information about that old & still current very negative stereotype.
****
ADDENDUM
I'm intrigued by the common usage of the words "cut" and "cuttin" ("cutting") to mean "doing". Examples from Old Time Music are "cuttin monkeyshines" and "cutting a shine" (as well as "cut a shine" from Music Hall songs. "Cut the rug" meaning "to dance" is probably a more familiar, albeit mostly retired example of this use of the word "cut". Here's a comment about that expression:
"The term to "cut a rug" first started to emerge as a slang term for dancing in the 1920s. Use of the phrase persisted well into the 1940s, although the popularity of the term has since faded...
Like most slang, the origins of "cut a rug" as a synonym for dancing are disputed. Several competing theories to explain the idea have been bandied about, but none have been firmly proved. This is often the case with slang, which sometimes seems to catch on overnight..."
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-does-it-mean-to-cut-a-rug.htm
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It seems likely that this vernacular use of the word "cut" and "cutting" originated with African Americans. And, as the lyrics to "Jump Jim Crow" show, this use of "cut" document, that word was used that way as early as the 1830s. But I don't know why "cuttin" came to be used that way.
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