Justice Department Seeks Ebonics Experts

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I wonder who they're going to contract for this since there are no "experts."

There are. I took a Linguistics class in college as an elective and we spent a few weeks of that course studying the grammatical rules of "BE" (Black English). The rules, as we were taught, were derived from observation. This means there are linguists out there who do this stuff for a living.

How is this even controversial?

It's yet another reminder to some of a fact they'd like to ignore. Black people exist.

Edited August 24, 2010 by Legacy member

[Amby 490]

I googled just to see if there were books in ebonics. I remember awhile ago there was a problem with it in Oakland CA (I think?). I was a lot younger then, but I just remember it being a big deal. Umm...anyways...the google search came up with the ebonics bible for me

[^_^ 5,021]

I googled just to see if there were books in ebonics. I remember awhile ago there was a problem with it in Oakland CA (I think?). I was a lot younger then, but I just remember it being a big deal. Umm...anyways...the google search came up with the ebonics bible for me

Here's another one -

http://www.amazon.com/African-American-English-Linguistic-Introduction/dp/0521891388/

[Peikko 1,575]

There are. I took a Linguistics class in college as an elective and we spent a few weeks of that course studying the grammatical rules of "BE" (Black English). The rules, as we were taught, were derived from observation. This means there are linguists out there who do this stuff for a living.

It's yet another reminder to some of a fact they'd like to ignore. Black people exist.

Maybe, I don't know really - just seems really odd to make a fuss about it when the point is that without the information the criminals go free.

[Amby 490]

Here's another one -

http://www.amazon.co.../dp/0521891388/

That's what it was...the ebonics textbooks! Thanks for reminding me

[^_^ 5,021]

... seems really odd to make a fuss about it ...

Then you don't really understand the emotional drivers of the right wing.

[Peikko 1,575]

Obviouslyit's time to mandate citizens only speak English on US soil before America goes down the tubes

In fact, heck why limit it to citizens, anyone stepping on US soil must speak English and only English at all times - Big Brother will be watching you!

[^_^ 5,021]

Obviously it's time to mandate citizens only speak English on US soil before America goes down the tubes

African American English is a vernacular dialect of English.

[Peikko 1,575]

African American English is a vernacular dialect of English.

I'm talking about Standard American English, not any of that foreign English #######.

Fines should be imposed for person's spelling color colour too!

Edited August 24, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[^_^ 5,021]

I'm talking about Standard American English, not any of the foreign English #######.

African American English is a vernacular dialect of English native to this continent.

[Peikko 1,575]

African American English is a vernacular dialect of English native to this continent.

Native, you see, foreign!

[^_^ 5,021]

Native, you see, foreign!

??

[Peikko 1,575]

No self respecting full blooded American got where he is today by being a native.

Natives are savages, that's what they are, savages!

[^_^ 5,021]

The dialect is native to this continent as in it originated here. It's as American as jazz music.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Cockney Phrases

Cockney (Born within the sound of Bow Bells.)

Normally only the first word is spoken as in 'whistle' or 'barnet'. There are exceptions.

Bold is what is normally spoken

Adam and Eve

- believe (as in "Would you Adam and Eve it")

almond rocks

- socks

apples and pears

- stairs

ariss

- ####### (aristotle = bottle = bottle and glass)

barnet fair

- hair

Berk

- c**t (Berkshire Hunt reduced to berk and used as an insult)

Butchers Hook

- Look (Lets have a butchers at the paper)

bird lime

- time = prison ("Jack is doing bird for theft")

borasic lint

- skint = no money

Brahms and Liszt

- pissed = drunk

brass tacks

- facts ("Lets get down to brass tacks")

brown bread

- dead ("he is brown bread")

china plate

- mate (can be said to a complete stranger)

cream(ed) crackered

- knackered = tired out

dickie dirt

- shirt

dog and bone

- phone (dog 'n' bone)

duck and dive

- skive, avoid work

Dutch (Street)

- to share (Going Dutch means everyone pays their bill)

fiddle

- diddle = swindle

Flowery dell

- cell = prison or small room

frog and toad

- road

Ginger beer

- ####### = homosexual

half - inch

- pinch ("He's half-inched me motah") (He has stolen my car)

Hampstead Heath

- teeth

Hampton wick

- ####### = #######

J Arthur Rank

- ####### = masturbate (also merchant banker)

jam jar

- motor car

jimmy riddle / jimmy riddle

- piddle = urinate

joanna

- piano

kermit the frog

- bog = lavatory

marbles and conkers

- bonkers = mad ("He's lost his marbles")

Mickey Bliss

- piss, deriding or making fun of as in 'Taking the Mickey'

mince pies

- eyes

mothers ruin

- gin

Mutt and Jeff

- deaf ("She's a bit mutt and jeff")

Nellie Duff

- puff = life ("Not on your Nellie")

north and south

- mouth (norf 'n souf)

peckham rye

- tie

plates of meat

- feet

plink and plonk

- vin blanc = wine (all wine is plonk, from bad french vin blanc)

pony

- £25 ("That'll cost you a pony")

pony and trap

- ####### = rubbish ("That's a load of old pony")

pork pies / porkies

- lies

rabbit and pork

- talk ("Can that woman rabbit!)

Radio Rental

- mental = A few sandwiches short of a picnic ("He is a bit Radio rental")

raspberry tart

- fart (blowing a raspberry = a rude and derogatory noise)

Richard the Third

- #######, ######

rip and tear

- swear ("He really let rip")

rock and roll

- dole now called social security (in USA a fight, as in "Lets rock")

Rosey Lee

- tea

Rub a dub dub

- pub

Ruby Murray

- curry

Scarpa Flow

- go ("Got to scarper")

sixes and sevens

- fix = difficulties ("We are all at sixes with this work")

strides

- trousers (from striding along - walking)

Sweeny Todd

- (Metropolitan Police) Flying Squad normally called "The Sweeny"

syrup of fig

- wig ("That bloke is wearing a syrup!")

taters in mould

- cold (It's a bit taters today)

thr'penny bit

- #######

####### for tat

- hat

Tod Sloan

- alone ("I'm on me tod"). Tod Sloan was a jockey who was always out in front, in his own.

Tom and #######

- sick

Trouble and strife

- wife

two and eight

- state = problems ("You are in a right old two and eight")

Whistle and flute

- suit

http://www.angelfire.com/ar/popims/page4.html