Teaching on the South Side: Language

My kids know a million different ways to use the f-word, and they like to make up their own street slang. For example: a "bust-down" (pronounced "busdown", and sometimes abbreviated as "bussy" or "busser") is a woman of loose morals (although my students would define it by using graphic examples of what such a woman does). Such women (and men) are sometimes also said to be "runnin'" or to be "runners."

My students also use "musty" to describe the smell of someone who has poor personal hygiene, usually when "gunnin'" each other (trading insults a la that classic urban game of verbal combat, the Dozens).

They stretch the meaning of the verb "trifle" (which can mean 1a : to talk in a jesting or mocking manner or with intent to delude or mislead b : to treat someone or something as unimportant or 2: to handle something idly) to mean playing around in irresponsible or just plain foolish ways.

They also use the word "drowning" in some sort of derogatory fashion, probably also related to personal hygiene, in a manner I have not yet deciphered.

And, of course, they all use the n-word to refer to each other. Some students have even used it to refer to me (as in, "this n---er is bogus, man, he tryin’ to make us read.")