"Crabs in a barrel" (1923, Jamaica/Black English)

Sun Feb 5 01:19:55 UTC 2006

CRAB IN A BARREL--609 Google hits
CRABS IN A BARREL--9,170 Google hits
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The New York Press recently did a story about David Paterson running for  
Lieutenant Governor of New York State, bumping Leecia Eve (both are black). The  
story's headline was "crabs in a barrel."
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Did "crabs in a barrel" enter Black English from Jamaica?
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It is not in OED.
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(GOOGLE NEWS)
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_PATERSON:RACE TRAITOR_ (http://www.nypress.com/19/5/news&columns/meyers.cfm) 
New York Press, NY -  <NOBR>Feb 1,
... Harlem political establishment’s,  and against Buffalo’s favorite 
African American daughter, brings to mind the  imagery of crabs in a barrel, yet 
another ... 
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_PLP Govt. 'needs to be much more transparent and a lot less  ..._ 
(http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060203/MIDOCEAN/102030135) 
Mid-Ocean  News, Bermuda -  <NOBR>Feb 
... Sure, we carry a lot of baggage. The legacy of racism  has caused a lot 
of black-on-black jealousy,  crab-in-a-barrel behaviour. Many ...  
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_The AFC has been engaged in meaningful dialogue with most of  the ..._ 
(http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_letters?id=42790150) 
Stabroek  News, Guyana -  <NOBR>Jan 2
... The last thing anyone wishes to see at this crucial  time is a 
crab-in-a-barrel mentality. This is  not the vision of the AFC and its Agenda For 
Change. ...  
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(GOOGLE GROUPS)
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_Why Africans fared poorly in Africa and Latin  America_ 
(http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.african.american/browse_thread/thread/c3b5051a879410f3/
22827f6a486a3af0?lnk=st&q="crab+in+a+barrel"&rnum=1&hl=en#22827f6a486a3af0)  
... However, it is a characteristic embedded  and shared throughout Latin 
America and
Africa. In America, it is  called the Crab in a Barrel syndrome.  ...   
_soc.culture.african.american_ 
(http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.african.american?lnk=sg&hl=en)  - Mar 20 2005, 5:08 pm by 
jayhaw... at e-mailanywhere.com  - 1 message - 1 author 

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(GOOGLE)
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_New  Museum: Education Bibliography_ 
(http://www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.php) 
"Like Crab in a  Barrel: Why Interethnic Anti-Racism Matters Now." In American
Studies in  a Moment of Danger, pp.117-138. ...
www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.php - 24k - _Cached_ 
(http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:FSHNte3bAtUJ:www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.php+"crab+in+a+ba
rrel"&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=11&ie=UTF-8)  - _Similar pages_ 
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=related:www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.ph
p)  
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_Black people must stop acting like crabs in a barrel and  wor..._ 
(http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/354792.
html) 
“Black people must stop acting like crabs  in a barrel and work together.” 
LBLacey ·
African-American Proverb  quotes. Add to my book ...
en.thinkexist.com/quotation/  
black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/354792.html - 31k - _Cached_ 
(http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:trWHhK2gX_wJ:en.thinkexist.com/quotation/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/3547
92.html+"crabs+in+a+barrel"&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5&ie=UTF-8)  - _Similar 
pages_ 
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=related:en.thinkexist.com/quotation/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/354792.html)  
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(PROQUEST)
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_Young  Virginian Is 18th Prize Winning Essayist_ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=741904252&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309
&VName=HNP&TS=1139101563&clientId=65882) 
The Chicago  Defender (National edition) (1921-1967). Chicago, Ill.: Mar 8, 
1947. p. 4  (1 page) 
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Nina Redd defines the word unity: "Literally, it means a oneness, a joining  
together; but to us as Negroes it should mean more than just that; it should 
not  just mean joining together, but joining together loyally, willingly, 
securely,  co-operatively and happily. For too often we have been compared to a 
bunch of  crabs in a barrel. When one starts up toward the top, the others will 
become  envious and pull him back instead of helping him. Often, the one at the 
top has  had such a hard struggle getting there, until he is reluctant to 
help the  brother come up where he is."
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_Blacks  and Mass Media_ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=1&did=145732862&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1139101946&
clientId=65882) 
By William. C. Woods. The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). 
Washington,  D.C.: Dec 12, 1970. p. C8 (1 page) 
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"We're like crabs in a barrel. One gets to the top, there's another to pull  
him back down."
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(NEWSPAPERARCHIVE)
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     _The Gleaner_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=KVP2nb8FYnqtKrCT8//m4fCxF2UeV5MlJdAzZ5QFtHJ+C/D8AbE0ug==)  _Tuesday,  November 13, 
1923_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+date:1923-11-13)  _Kingston,_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   
_Kingston_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...thofthc  pepple did not of 
Mllford like CRABS IN A  bArrel A.iV AtAA dh j of the sAt  on the ... ..
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     _The Gleaner_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=KVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2rEC9DhIwlmd2YMghXNgzcHLnesTayQdBg==)  _Monday,  November 18, 1929_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+da
te:1929-11-18)  _Kingston,_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   
_Kingston_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...vey liked to  quote thAt the 
Negroes IN JAmAicA were  like CRABS IN A bArrel. The moment ...  ..
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     _The Gleaner_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=KVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2rYynu+yLaeNfj49PjPxxB1MeCdzzNldC0IF+CsZYmrz)  _Thursday,  January 
25, 1951_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+date:1951-01-25)  _Kingston,_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-
1970)   _Kingston_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...They  Arc like CRABS IN 
A bArrel-  pullINg eAch other thereby neglectINg busINess  of the ... ..
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     _The Gleaner_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=KVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2vtbXbuPr8pbPaZm4AHrQuitHLON2ZlZi0IF+CsZYmrz)  _Monday,  September 
08, 1952_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+date:1952-09-08)  _Kingston,_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-
1970)   _Kingston_ 
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search="crabs+in+a+barrel"+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...BustAmAnte to shout 
thAi ARE JUST  LIKE CRABS IN A BARREL KEPT DOWN BY to  rAy thit it wAs ... ..

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