Query: "da bomb" (was Re: Rap slang shiznet...)

[Gerald Cohen]

In "That's da bomb!" (something great/cool/fantastic) is the
immediate reference to an explosive device or to the long pass in
football?

Gerald Cohen



At 11:16 AM -0500 2/4/04, Laurence Horn wrote:
>>When I was in high school in the late 80's "That's the shit!" was
>>frequently used to mean "It's the greatest thing ever!" The THE is very
>>important in the construction.  Can't forget the THE.
>>
>>Kathleen E. Miller
>>Research Assistant to William Safire
>>The New York Times
>
>cf. also "That's da bomb!", which has also been around awhile.  In
>fact, my undergraduates sometimes include "the shit" in their New
>Words List, and gloss it as "the bomb" or "da bomb", which suggests
>that the former may be regionally restricted.
>
>larry