Pimp talk

[Jonathan Lighter]

OK, but does "a whole lot of witches jumpin' ship" make any contextual sense?

  In an old Halloween seafarin' song, sure...

  J:

Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
Subject: Re: Pimp talk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 3/6/06, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>
> On 3/6/06, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >
> > Almost forgot: In the most edifying media moment since Janet
> > Jackson's bra malfunction, last night's Oscars featured a big
> > production number with Taraji P. Henson rappin' a nominated
> > song all about how hustlin' really takes a toll on pimps.
> >
> > But the Academy said she can't use the f-word on TV.
> > "We know there will be children watching and we want it to be
> > family-friendly," said songwriter Jordan "Juicy J" Houston :
> > http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=11398244&src=rss/oddlyEnoughNews
> >
> > Awwwwww.
> >
> > "Bitches" was fine, though.
>
> I distinctly remember Henson singing "a whole lot of witches talkin
> sh..." in the chorus instead of "a whole lot of bitches talkin shit."
> So maybe the Oscar folks enforced a last-minute crackdown on the
> b-word.

Just caught it again here (on a very slow video feed):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vkhp8i1adFQ

It actually sounds more like "a whole lot of witches jumpin ship."

Aha, the Village Voice agrees:

http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2006/03/three_6_mafia_o_2.php


--Ben Zimmer

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