money as AAVE quasi-pronoun?

[Bob Haas]

Jesse,

The Internet Movie Database lists Liman as the director but credits Jon
Favreau with the screenplay, but in addition to this factoid, I remember
seeing Favreau on Letterman following the film's release.  When asked about
his characters' usage of money, Favreau said that he made it up.  He wanted
his group to have their own collection of slang terms, and the adjectival
use of money was one of the results.  He didn't, BTW, use the term
"adjectival."

> From: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 11:52:26 -0500
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: money as AAVE quasi-pronoun?
>
>> I think you should check out the movie "Swingers." It's a Nineties white kid
>> cult
>> classic, and although "money" is used as in "You are so money" in a notable
>> scene, I
>> suspect you'll find your quasi-pronoun usage there as well.
>
> You won't.
>
> Also, re the notable usage in the film, while Doug Liman (author/
> director) has claimed that he did not invent the usage, but heard
> it an incorporated it into the film, I have never seen an
> example of it that did not refer to the film (with the possible
> exception of glossaries that are not explicitely tied to the
> film but clearly derive the usage from it). I'd welcome any
> genuine cites.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED