CP Time

[Wilson Gray]

On Nov 5, 2004, at 8:20 AM, James A. Landau wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "James A. Landau" <JJJRLandau at AOL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: CP Time
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> In a message dated  Thu, 4 Nov 2004 16:05:49 -0500,  Wilson Gray
> <wilson.gray at RCN.COM> writes:
>
>>> Boojies?  (Sorry, Wilson!)
>>
>>  A nickname/slang term for "members of the black bourgeoisie," <snip>
>
> I don't recall having heard "boojies" (or if I did, I probably
> misheard it as
> "boogie").  I do have a vague recollection of having run across "MCN"
> ("Middle Class Negro"---this was a print reference and the word
> "Negro" was used, it
> is possible that a different term was bowdlerized) as a pejorative,
> meaning
> something like "Oreo cookie".

MCN's, in turn, use the term "typical Negro" - wherein bowdlerization
is also possible - against the lower orders. BTW, do you recall the
song, "Junk-Food Junkie," which had a line something like, "Twice as
good as an Oreo cookie, almost as good as nookie"? I was shocked,
shocked to hear "nookie" on ordinary FM radio, with no bleeping, since
I've always felt that this word is obscene. I'm just old-school, I
guess.

-Wilson

>
> Nor do I recall ever having heard "CP time".  I do know "Jewish
> Standard
> Time".
>
> The idea of an in-group categorizing itself as perpetually late goes
> way
> back, to at least Aristophanes.  In _Lysistrata_, if memory serves,
> there is a
> place where Lysistrata says something to the effect of "You are proper
> Athenians.
>  Always late."
>
>           - James A. Landau
>
> PS to Dennis Preston, about guarding the Big O:  Back when Kareem
> Abdul-Jabbar
> was in high school (and known as "Lew Alcindor"), an opposing coach
> said
> "there's no such thing as a one-man basketball team" and ordered his
> team to let
> Alcindor do whatever he pleased, just guard the other four players.
> Alcindor's
> team lost 63-60, with Alcindor scoring 57 of the 60.
>