"Back in the Day"

[Margaret Lee]

"Back in the day" originated in the African-American community
probably in the mid-80's.

--- "Boatti, Stephen" <SBoatti at TVRATINGS.COM> wrote:
>         I'm new to the list, so I don't know if this has been
> discussed.
>
>         I hear and read "back in the day" more and more often,
> meaning "back
> when" or "back in the old days." I first noticed it in speech  2 or
> 3 years
> ago among my son's college-age friends. One if his friends is
> African-American and I thought it might have originated with that
> group.
> Recently I've seen it in the NY Times and elsewhere. Just the other
> day it
> was used in the Times's article about the residents of a block in
> Harlem,
> first in quoting a resident, then used by the reporter himself in
> the story.
> Any ideas as to its origin?
>
>
>                                 Steve


=====
Margaret G. Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor - English and Linguistics
 & University Editor
Department of English
Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668
(757)727-5769(voice);(757)727-5421(fax);(757)851-5773(home)
e-mail:  mlee303 at yahoo.com  or  margaret.lee at hamptonu.edu

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