Below are some more terms commonly used by my students that I have learned. I have noticed in the past two months that: A) I am now regularly using some of these terms in my own speech; and B) I know I am missing probably 20 terms, but it is harder for me to recognize new terms. I guess working here for 7 months means I am more used to the language, and it's not as noticeable to me anymore...
- Do it for the vine: Do something crazy. This came from a Vine video that students sing/chant/quote. The idea is that when someone tells you to “do it for the vine”, you do something ridiculous and crazy in response, as if you were filming a Vine video. When given this challenge, I respond in one of three ways: 1. Dance or jump or flail around; 2. Make a ridiculous face; 3. Ignore my students and insist they get back to work. My response generally depends on my mood. Below is the original Vine video that students are referencing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltrcNAcxuRc
- Merch: To provide proof or evidence of something. It can either stand alone to be used as a response to someone's claim (to basically imply you don't believe it and want proof).
- O.G.: Original Gangster. This means different things in different places, but for me and my students, it means mom. Example: “Hold on, my OG be calling me” or “Why you call my OG last night?”
- “On…”: Examples: on my momma, on my granny, on my dead homie, on BD (Black Disciples- a gang). This is used to imply total honesty in a statement made, as if you are swearing that you are telling the truth. The equivalent when I was in high school was “I swear”, but my students swear “on” someone or something.
- Petty: This word is used ALL THE TIME. Examples: “You petty”, “That’s petty”, “____’s petty as hell”. Any of these are used to imply that the subject or situation is petty and focused on non-important things. My students use this when I require them to write the date in Spanish (which we have done EVERY day since the beginning of school, by the way), or when I check homework the day it’s due. What a crazy concept that I would actually CHECK the homework that I assigned!
- Stain: steal. One day walking up the stairs at school, my phone was starting to slip out of my pocket. The Dean was walking with me and told me to "watch out, these kids finna stain you!"
- Trappin’: hustling, drug dealing. A tell-tale sign that someone is trappin’ is that they have numerous cell phones, used to make a variety of arrangements or deals.
- Treat: similar to “flame”, often used in the context “he/she just treated your ass”. I hear this in my classroom after I sarcastically respond to foolish questions or inappropriate comments.
