Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner – An Entertaining Dictionary of African American Linguistic Culture

by Geneva Smitherman

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

Genres: Sociology, African American, Language

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 1994

Reviews

[Kyrstin Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dictionary of words that originated in Black communities. It’s crazy to see how many white people have stolen and how many recycle back into popular vernacular over time.

[Brad McKenna]

It wasn't that I don't like books on words, I do! And it's not that I don't like dictionaries, I do! But this book was published 20 years ago and the I feared a lot of the the words weren't in use any more and that it was missing 20 years of developments. So I put it down.