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Comment by jfaucett | Hacker News Reader

Language is fascinating. I grew up in the deep south with both southern redneck slang and hardcore ebonics which makes for some interesting slang. I haven't lived in the US for a long time now though so I barely knew any of the slang words in the article.

Anyways, some of the best redneck/ebonics stuff I remember were:

1. I'm fixin' to take a shower. == I'm going to take a shower.

2. She's a yappin == She's talking all the time.

3. I got a hankerin' for some ice cream == I'm craving some ice cream.

4. I didn't get a lick of that inheritance money == I didn't get any inheritance money

5. I done talked to hime == I talked to him (done can be placed before just about any past tense verbe)

6. What it is? == whats up

7. I axed him == I asked him.

Anyone else got some great slang?

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The use of "be" to indicate action instead of state. (Often followed with the word "like" which is another case study in meaning. Maybe "like" indicates the speaker is aware the portrayal isn't exactly as represented but close enough for the conversation?)

"I be like, you crazy".

"Bitch be all up in his face".

"He be walking home from school".

I don't think it's an error, but rather possibly a subtle meaning with this use of the word "be". Something like at that time, the subject "is" their action. And tense doesn't matter so much.

This is an "aspect marker" that is distinctive of Ebonics/AAVE, and is grammatically distinct from other dialects of English. IIRC it either doesn't occur, or is rare, in Indo-European languages

I remember reading an article about this. I think the "be" form distinguishes between current and habitual/regular action.

He working. ==> He is working right now.

He be working. ==> He works regularly./He has a steady job.

Or maybe it's the other way around; I read the article a long time ago.

Yes you are right on with your examples. That is the way be is used.

Not sure if it qualifies as slang, but when listening to some ppl from the UK I keep noticing that they replace the 'th' sound with the 'f' sound. I'm tellin' ya it's the truf!

Just to narrow that down a little more, I associate that with more of a London accent/locale. You don't hear it much here in Scotland.

My favorite regional slang term is "jawn" (Philly region). It's a general-purpose noun (more general-purpose than "thing" because you can use it for any entity at all, even a person).

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