Reply #54: I tell you in all hinesty that both of us have used it and as a derogatory term against... [View All]

[Didereaux]

slimeball druggie types, and punks of all colors who come up all smiles and buddy, buddy wantin this or that. Jim uses a word I forbid in my own house and have for over 40 years(he does not do so when visiting) when he uses the S&J. A long time ago it became sort of accepted that Jim would give a look if something didn't fit right that I said innocently, and I with him, yes all you litlle pastyfaced self appointed guardians of the helpless blacks, they do use derogatory terms about you just as often.

But my point is this, its context, its locale, and its the people involved that set the meanings of what is being said.

Once again, The shuckin and jinin provenance is fairly simple. As I said earlier. Shucking is the word fro removing the husks from ears of corn. 2-300 years ago and up until machines that shelled the corn as it was havested were invented(around the 1930's) the ears of corn were havested with the husks on, and then stored in the barns or cribs. LAter in the winter months the farmers sat around in the warm barns and shucked the corn and talked. Somewhere along the line it was common when asked what you were upto or some such "Oh jes sittin round shuckin' n jawbonin, or gossipin, or chinnin(there are more colloquilisms). It is a lead pipe certainty that the slaves used the phrase as well, ffor where else would they learn the language but on the plantations and the farms where such shuckin and chinnin took place? Now the jivin had to come MUCH later as its almost synonomous with teh early jazz era music scene. Sorta of a natural progression it seems to me to take a phrase that was common that meant sitting around doing something and gabbing, then move it over to cover sitting around and playing music and maybe dancing as well. At least that makes sense to me. Its adoption to street slang I'll leave to someone else to try and work out the lineage.