Historically Black Phrases

July 31, 2023
FANTI podcasters Anderson (We See Each Other) and hill offer a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to the beauty and complexity of “Black language.” This A-to-Z dictionary includes some expressions and phrases that have gone mainstream—such as “ride or die,” “game recognizes game,” “my bad,” “lowkey,” and “shook”—and others that haven’t, including “too much like right” (meaning: “obvious”) or “get this work” (meaning: “to handle things”). Entries include notes on usage and pronunciation, as well as references to notable pop culture moments, such as Whitney Houston’s 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer that led to the popularization of the phrase “show me the receipts.” There are also short essays that draw on interviews with linguists, writers, and actors, and touch on topics like Black styles of affirmation and compliments, the influence of church and spirituality on Black expressions, and Black ASL, a dialect of sign language that originated in African American Deaf communities. By turns informative and nostalgic, this compendium demonstrates the seismic influence of Black culture and speech.