Really Really Pimpin' in Da South

[Wilson Gray]

On Aug 6, 2004, at 7:50 AM, David Bowie wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       David Bowie <db.list at PMPKN.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Really Really Pimpin' in Da South
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> From:    Wilson Gray <hwgray at EARTHLINK.NET>
> : John Baker wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> ::  Finally, "players"
>
> : "What's happenin, player?": standard greeting from one pimp to
> : another. Also randomly used by any black guy to another.
>
> Not just black guys!

You are correct, sir!. I was talking about the now-distant (though, of
course, it seems like only yesterday, to coin a phrase) past in a
particular place: the early '60's in black L.A. Back in those days,
neither "play(er)" nor "game" had any particular relationship to
pimping. These words still primarily called to mind sports. Anybody who
was good at any sport or game, even chess, would be referred to as a
"player." At that time, it seemed to me that "player" = "pimp" was a
pun based on the fact that the pimping/prostitution scene was still
referred to as "the *sporting* life," perhaps also influenced by
"Playboy," as in the magazine. This was just *my* impression. I have no
idea whether anyone else felt this way.

By coincidence, the 51st Armored Rifle Battalion, stationed in
Heilbronn, Germany, when I was there, had as its motto, "Play The
Game!"

The first serious mating of "player" with "pimp" that I know of is in
the book, "Black Players: the secret world of black pimps," written by
Christina Milner and published in 1973. Again, this is merely to the
best of my knowledge. I'm making no claim.

-Wilson Gray

>
> "Player", often pronounced/written "playa", is used AFAICT by
> individuals of
> all ethnicities in the US. It seems to me that it's moved from meaning
> a guy
> who seduces as many women as possible (with some but not nearly all of
> the
> negative connotation of "slut") to being a positive term used to
> describe
> someone as "smooth" with women (and sometimes used as a greeting
> between
> men). The negative meaning survives, however, but it may be strongest
> among
> women--i haven't observed enough to tell whether i'm even close to
> right on
> that last one.
>
> <snip>
>
> David Bowie                                         http://pmpkn.net/lx
>     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
>     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
>     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.
>