Splib

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>>>I hope Jonathon Green can say something about it. His (Cassell's) slang
>>>dictionary shows an etymology which I don't understand.
>Is it _that_ incomprehensible?  I suggested a possible link to the phr.
>slip-de-wib, and the jazz use splibby, which I defined, doubtless from a
>more authoritative source, which evades me now, possessing 'soul'. Ah, I
>have the source: Clarence Major's Juba to Jive which is not, and i'd be
>intersted to know if Wilson Gray has seen it, the ideal authority. He in
>turn cites Wentworth & Flexner.

I can't understand what "slip-de-wib" is; in fact, I can't even interpret
the parts (is "de" = "the"? what is "wib"? is it like "flibbertigibbet"?).
I can't find this expression anywhere. I can't find "splibby" either,
except in "Juba to Jive" (and the Cassell's dictionary!).

I can't find "splib" in any of the older books, not in the Wentworth and
Flexner editions which I've checked, not even in Major's 1970 dictionary.

The books which do show "splib" define it as (1) any black person (e.g.,
"Juba", Smitherman's "Black Talk"), OR (2) a black child (Claerbaut's
"Black Jargon in White America"), OR (3) a black soldier/marine/sailor.

I can recall the word from the late 1960's in both derogatory and
non-derogatory uses (it was never very common in my civilian experience,
though). I don't think I've heard it once in the last 15 years, but then
maybe I don't get out enough. Usenet search (Google Groups) shows mostly
derogatory uses recently. Do any of the savants have earlier or more
precise information?

>I can return to this on Saturday; in the interim I'm off to Paris. I trust
>at least some will be jealous.

I am, but we US-ans, if we're good, get to go there after we die, I'm told.

>PS. What on earth is wrong with 'Would that it were'?

Nothing, IMHO. Sounds a little old-fashioned maybe, kind of subjunctive or
something. Some otherwise reasonable persons object to old-fashioned
expressions; I don't know why. E.g., Larry Trask was strongly averse to
"albeit".

-- Doug Wilson