saditty, hincty + dicty

[Barbara H Hudson]

 From my research on African American female language:

        Closely associated with the "proper" are the set of adjectives
that follow.  The have one thing in common:  they can de defined as a
social commentary (negative)about another person or persons.  The
three words are hincty, dicty, and saditty (spelled different ways).
Roughly translated all of the them mean "snobbish" "stuck up" or
"thinking one is better than someone else"  All of the examples below
come from later works.  The speakers are adult females.

The words in CAPS ARE MY COMMENTS TO THE LIST

        4.  Hincty, that's why.  Comes from handling money all day.
(Morrison, Jazz, 19)  SAID OF A WOMAN

         5.  an eye on these hincty misbehaving brats (Shange, Betsey,
187) SPOKEN BY A WOMAN WHO TOOK CARE OF SPOILED MIDDLE CLASS AFRICAN
AMERICAN CHILDREN

         6.  like dicty whores (Guy, Measure, 109)  A WOMAN'S
DESCRIPTION OF DOLLS THAT WERE DRESSED IN EXPENSIVE BUT GAUDY CLOTHES

         7.  like them sadditty kids at school (Williams, 49)

         8.  Surely you could put that ciddity [saditty]old woman
down. (Shange, Betsey 187)

Barbara Hill Hudson
http://www.africanamericanfemalecommunication.com