david lincoln brooks's definitions
Starting around 1990, roughly concurrent with the release of Spike Lee's seminal motion picture "MALCOLM X" and the dizzying successes of rap music stars, a t-shirt slogan started to appear which said; IT'S A BLACK THANG, Y'ALL, YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.
The word "thang", used in this context, was an Ebonicism used to refer specifically to a cultural meme or norm, which those who belonged to the special group-- in this case, African-Americans, would immediately recognize and understand... whilst those not belonging to this group (whites or non-blacks) would fail to understand, appreciate, or even recognize.
Thus, by extension, a "thang" is a folkway, meme, norm, predilection, code, shibboleth, artifact or behaviour exclusive to, or closely allied with, a particular sub-group of the larger populace.
The word "thang", used in this context, was an Ebonicism used to refer specifically to a cultural meme or norm, which those who belonged to the special group-- in this case, African-Americans, would immediately recognize and understand... whilst those not belonging to this group (whites or non-blacks) would fail to understand, appreciate, or even recognize.
Thus, by extension, a "thang" is a folkway, meme, norm, predilection, code, shibboleth, artifact or behaviour exclusive to, or closely allied with, a particular sub-group of the larger populace.
Upon entering a neighborhood bar traditionally frequented by the African-American community:
White wannabe-rapper: "Yo, what is up widdis? One jar at the end of the bar filled with pickled eggs and another one filled with pickled pig's feet? Yo, dass nasty!""
His Black buddy: "Man, it's a Black thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, during a moment of treasured understanding:
Straight guy: "Would you mind please telling me what IS it with you gays and Barbra Streisand?
Gay guy: "Oh, I guess it's a Queer thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, at a typical American High school:
High School Teacher A: "One of my students actually has a tattoo of a tiny black teardrop under his left eye! It's kinda creepy... What is THAT all about??"
High School Teacher B: "Yeah, well that's a Latino gang-banger thang. Supposedly it means they've offed someone."
White wannabe-rapper: "Yo, what is up widdis? One jar at the end of the bar filled with pickled eggs and another one filled with pickled pig's feet? Yo, dass nasty!""
His Black buddy: "Man, it's a Black thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, during a moment of treasured understanding:
Straight guy: "Would you mind please telling me what IS it with you gays and Barbra Streisand?
Gay guy: "Oh, I guess it's a Queer thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, at a typical American High school:
High School Teacher A: "One of my students actually has a tattoo of a tiny black teardrop under his left eye! It's kinda creepy... What is THAT all about??"
High School Teacher B: "Yeah, well that's a Latino gang-banger thang. Supposedly it means they've offed someone."
by david lincoln brooks August 13, 2007
Get the thangmug. (South African surfer's English. Derived from Afrikaans.)
To like or prefer someone or something. Rhymes with "smock". Literally means "to taste".
To like or prefer someone or something. Rhymes with "smock". Literally means "to taste".
Ag, nought, man, I don't smaak that ouk, ek se.
"Oh, no, man, I don't like that dude, I have to say."
"Oh, no, man, I don't like that dude, I have to say."
by david lincoln brooks November 15, 2010
Get the smaakmug. (Chiefly British) Perhaps alluding to soccer/football, this is the ribald motto, usually, of men who have been much drinking alcohol together... The resultant inebriation makes them extremely indiscriminate of the target for their ever-increasing horniness.
Rugby player #1: "Nigel, with one more Guinness down your neck, you're liable to go home with a tranvestite!"
Rugby Player #2: "Ay, mate, every hole's a goal, as they say. Cheers!"
Rugby Player #2: "Ay, mate, every hole's a goal, as they say. Cheers!"
by david lincoln brooks July 6, 2008
Get the Every hole's a goalmug. An example of the rhetorical trope of LITOTES (understatement), This is the delicate response one gives to someone who, in a group setting, suddenly blurts out information which is extremely personal, unusually revealing, and possibly unique to that individual. It comes from settings like group psychological counseling or 12-step groups, in which such highly personal testimonies are followed by the Moderator's cool "thanks for sharing." said smoothly-- no matter how disturbing or shocking or incredible was the confession that preceded it. This catchphrase may well have originated from the 1980's TV sitcom, BOB, which starred comedian Bon Newhart as a psychiatrist.
12-step member: "Hi, My name is Marcia."
Group: "Hi, Marcia."
Marcia: I just want to say I'm glad I'm here tonight, I'm a child of incest, I'm a heroin addict and I just murdered my husband"
Moderator: (Smiling benignly, completely calmly) Thanks for sharing, Marcia.
Group: "Hi, Marcia."
Marcia: I just want to say I'm glad I'm here tonight, I'm a child of incest, I'm a heroin addict and I just murdered my husband"
Moderator: (Smiling benignly, completely calmly) Thanks for sharing, Marcia.
by david lincoln brooks November 3, 2008
Get the Thanks for sharingmug. Breasts and female buttocks. This expression comes from the entertainment industry, and may well date to the vaudeville era. It means using feminine beauty, in various states of undress, to spice up or ornament a dramatic or musical show. Often used cynically to imply that the tastes of audiences are of the lowest common denominator: shallow and sexually-obsessed, failing to appreciate other aspects of a show thought "finer", such as drama, action, talent or music.
Example 1: When we staged this show, we included a number of scantily-clad female dancers, because all audiences really want nowadays is tits 'n' ass.
Example 2: You're spending HOW much on your musicians for this show? Don't you know that all people really want is tits 'n' ass?
Example 3: In the 1960's, pop music was really about talent and musical ability. Now it's all about tits 'n' ass.
Example 2: You're spending HOW much on your musicians for this show? Don't you know that all people really want is tits 'n' ass?
Example 3: In the 1960's, pop music was really about talent and musical ability. Now it's all about tits 'n' ass.
by david lincoln brooks November 10, 2013
Get the tits 'n' assmug. A direct allusion to the 1950's American sitcom, I LOVE LUCY. In the show, the American protagonist (Lucille Ball) has a husband (Desi Arnaz) who is Cuban-born, and who occasionally makes some unintentionally humorous gaffes with English. One of these is his curious pronunciation of the word "explaining", which he always pronounces "'splainin'".
A frequent theme on the show was his discovering an entangled deception of his wife's, whereupon he'd intone sternly to her: "Lucy, I think you've got some 'splainin' to do."
Today people use the phrase both as a fond allusion to a cherished TV show, but as a way to imply that another person is at fault with something and needs to come clean.
A frequent theme on the show was his discovering an entangled deception of his wife's, whereupon he'd intone sternly to her: "Lucy, I think you've got some 'splainin' to do."
Today people use the phrase both as a fond allusion to a cherished TV show, but as a way to imply that another person is at fault with something and needs to come clean.
Example 1. When the rock group successfully showed that their record company had not promoted their poorly-selling album sufficiently, the suits at the company had some serious 'spainin' to do.
Example 2. My Rolex, my computer and my car are all gone... and you've got a bad heroin problem? I'd say you have some 'splainin' to do!
Example 2. My Rolex, my computer and my car are all gone... and you've got a bad heroin problem? I'd say you have some 'splainin' to do!
by david lincoln brooks August 5, 2008
Get the 'splainin' to domug. This phrase is not new; the full phrase is "to take the Mickey (out of someone)"
Britons have been using this figure of speech for decades, if not centuries. A "Mickey" of course, is a "Mick": a pejorative, racist term for an Irishman (so nicknamed because so many Irish surnames begin with Mc- or Mac-) It is a common stereotype, in both the UK and USA, that Irish men have volatile tempers, like to brawl, and make good boxers. So, To "take the Mickey (out of someone)" means to take the fight, the vigor, the gravity, the self-importance out of them, by mocking them, usually in a very subtle way.
Britons have been using this figure of speech for decades, if not centuries. A "Mickey" of course, is a "Mick": a pejorative, racist term for an Irishman (so nicknamed because so many Irish surnames begin with Mc- or Mac-) It is a common stereotype, in both the UK and USA, that Irish men have volatile tempers, like to brawl, and make good boxers. So, To "take the Mickey (out of someone)" means to take the fight, the vigor, the gravity, the self-importance out of them, by mocking them, usually in a very subtle way.
Headmaster: "...so I expect you boys to comport yourself with the full dignity befitting students of this establishment of secondary learning."
Student: "Oh yes, we will sir. We'll even wear our school blazers to bed."
Headmaster: "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to take the Mickey out of me!"
Student: "Oh yes, we will sir. We'll even wear our school blazers to bed."
Headmaster: "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to take the Mickey out of me!"
by david lincoln brooks September 28, 2006
Get the Take the Mickey out ofmug.