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

Sun Feb 5 02:30:10 UTC 2006

Among Barry's cites is the only example that I've ever seen in print in the
wild of a particular syntactic feature of BE:

"... [T]he 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."

-Wilson

On 2/4/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      "Crabs in a barrel" (1923, Jamaica/Black English)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> CRAB IN A BARREL--609 Google hits
> CRABS IN A BARREL--9,170 Google hits
> ...
> ...
> The New York Press recently did a story about David Paterson running for
> =20
> Lieutenant Governor of New York State, bumping Leecia Eve (both are
> black).=20=
> The =20
> story's headline was "crabs in a barrel."
> ...
> Did "crabs in a barrel" enter Black English from Jamaica?
> ...
> It is not in OED.
> ...
> ..,.
> ...
> (GOOGLE NEWS)
> ...
> _PATERSON:RACE TRAITOR_ (
> http://www.nypress.com/19/5/news&columns/meyers.cfm=
> )=20
> New York Press, NY -  <NOBR>Feb 1,
> ... Harlem political establishment=E2=80=99s,  and against
> Buffalo=E2=80=99s=
> favorite=20
> African American daughter, brings to mind the  imagery of crabs in a
> barrel,=
> yet=20
> another ...=20
> ...
> ...
>     =20
> _PLP Govt. 'needs to be much more transparent and a lot less  ..._=20
> (
> http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20060203/MIDOCE=
> AN/102030135)=20
> Mid-Ocean  News, Bermuda -  <NOBR>Feb=20
> ... Sure, we carry a lot of baggage. The legacy of racism  has caused a
> lot=20
> of black-on-black jealousy,  crab-in-a-barrel behaviour. Many ... =20
> ...
> ...
> _The AFC has been engaged in meaningful dialogue with most of  the ..._=20
> (http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_letters?id=3D42790150)=20
> Stabroek  News, Guyana -  <NOBR>Jan 2
> ... The last thing anyone wishes to see at this crucial  time is a=20
> crab-in-a-barrel mentality. This is  not the vision of the AFC and its
> Agend=
> a For=20
> Change. ... =20
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (GOOGLE GROUPS)
> ...
> _Why Africans fared poorly in Africa and Latin  America_=20
> (
> http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.african.american/browse_thread/t=
> hread/c3b5051a879410f3/
>
> 22827f6a486a3af0?lnk=3Dst&q=3D"crab+in+a+barrel"&rnum=3D1&hl=3Den#22827f6a48=
> 6a3af0) =20
> ... However, it is a characteristic embedded  and shared throughout
> Latin=20
> America and
> Africa. In America, it is  called the Crab in a Barrel syndrome.  ...  =20
> _soc.culture.african.american_=20
> (
> http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.african.american?lnk=3Dsg&hl=3De=
> n)  - Mar 20 2005, 5:08 pm by=20
> jayhaw... at e-mailanywhere.com  - 1 message - 1 author=20
>
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (GOOGLE)
> ...
> _New  Museum: Education Bibliography_=20
> (http://www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.php)=20
> "Like Crab in a  Barrel: Why Interethnic Anti-Racism Matters Now." In
> Americ=
> an
> Studies in  a Moment of Danger, pp.117-138. ...
> www.newmuseum.org/more_edu_biblio.php - 24k - _Cached_=20
> (
> http://72.14.207.104/search?q=3Dcache:FSHNte3bAtUJ:www.newmuseum.org/more_e=
> du_biblio.php+"crab+in+a+ba
> rrel"&hl=3Den&gl=3Dus&ct=3Dclnk&cd=3D11&ie=3DUTF-8)  - _Similar pages_=20
> (
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&lr=3D&ie=3DUTF-8&q=3Drelated:www.newmu=
> seum.org/more_edu_biblio.ph
> p) =20
> ...
> ...
> _Black people must stop acting like crabs in a barrel and  wor..._=20
> (
> http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs=
> -in-a/354792.
> html)=20
> =E2=80=9CBlack people must stop acting like crabs  in a barrel and work
> toge=
> ther.=E2=80=9D=20
> LBLacey =C2=B7
> African-American Proverb  quotes. Add to my book ...
> en.thinkexist.com/quotation/ =20
> black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/354792.html - 31k -
> _Cached_=20
> (
> http://64.233.179.104/search?q=3Dcache:trWHhK2gX_wJ:en.thinkexist.com/quota=
> tion/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/3547
> 92.html+
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"&hl=3Den&gl=3Dus&ct=3Dclnk&cd=3D5&ie=3DUTF-8)  -=20=
> _Similar=20
> pages_=20
> (
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&lr=3D&ie=3DUTF-8&q=3Drelated:en.thinke=
>
> xist.com/quotation/black-people-must-stop-acting-like-crabs-in-a/354792.html=
> ) =20
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (PROQUEST)
> ...
> _Young  Virginian Is 18th Prize Winning Essayist_=20
> (
> http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3D0&did=3D741904252&SrchMode=3D1&sid=
> =3D1&Fmt=3D10&VInst=3DPROD&VType=3DPQD&RQT=3D309
> &VName=3DHNP&TS=3D1139101563&clientId=3D65882)=20
> The Chicago  Defender (National edition) (1921-1967). Chicago, Ill.: Mar
> 8,=20
> 1947. p. 4  (1 page)=20
> ...
> Nina Redd defines the word unity: "Literally, it means a oneness, a
> joining=20=
> =20
> together; but to us as Negroes it should mean more than just that; it
> should=
> =20
> not  just mean joining together, but joining together loyally,
> willingly,=20
> securely,  co-operatively and happily. For too often we have been compared
> t=
> o a=20
> bunch of  crabs in a barrel. When one starts up toward the top, the others
> w=
> ill=20
> become  envious and pull him back instead of helping him. Often, the one
> at=20=
> the=20
> top has  had such a hard struggle getting there, until he is reluctant
> to=20
> help the  brother come up where he is."
> ...
> ...
> _Blacks  and Mass Media_=20
> (
> http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3D1&did=3D145732862&SrchMode=3D1&sid=
>
> =3D1&Fmt=3D10&VInst=3DPROD&VType=3DPQD&RQT=3D309&VName=3DHNP&TS=3D1139101946=
> &
> clientId=3D65882)=20
> By William. C. Woods. The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973).=20
> Washington,  D.C.: Dec 12, 1970. p. C8 (1 page)=20
> ...
> "We're like crabs in a barrel. One gets to the top, there's another to
> pull=20=
> =20
> him back down."
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (NEWSPAPERARCHIVE)
> ...
>      _The Gleaner_=20
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=3DKVP2nb8FYnqtKrCT8//m4fCxF=
> 2UeV5MlJdAzZ5QFtHJ+C/D8AbE0ug=3D=3D)  _Tuesday,  November 13,=20
> 1923_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+date:1923-11-13)  _Kingston,_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)  =20
> _Kingston_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...thofthc  pepple did not of=20
> Mllford like CRABS IN A  bArrel A.iV AtAA dh j of the sAt  on the ... ..
> ...
> ...
>      _The Gleaner_=20
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=3DKVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2rEC9=
> DhIwlmd2YMghXNgzcHLnesTayQdBg=3D=3D)  _Monday,  November 18, 1929_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+da
> te:1929-11-18)  _Kingston,_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)  =20
> _Kingston_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...vey liked to  quote thAt the=20
> Negroes IN JAmAicA were  like CRABS IN A bArrel. The moment ...  ..
> ...
> ...
>      _The Gleaner_=20
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=3DKVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2rYyn=
> u+yLaeNfj49PjPxxB1MeCdzzNldC0IF+CsZYmrz)  _Thursday,  January=20
> 25, 1951_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+date:1951-01-25)  _Kingston,_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-
> 1970)   _Kingston_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...They  Arc like CRABS IN=20
> A bArrel-  pullINg eAch other thereby neglectINg busINess  of the ... ..
> ...
> ...
>      _The Gleaner_=20
> (
> http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=3DKVP2nb8FYnqKID/6NLMW2vtbX=
> buPr8pbPaZm4AHrQuitHLON2ZlZi0IF+CsZYmrz)  _Monday,  September=20
> 08, 1952_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+date:1952-09-08)  _Kingston,_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+cityid:14954+AND+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-
> 1970)   _Kingston_=20
> (http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=3D
> "crabs+in+a+barrel"+AN=
> D+stateid:43+AND+range:1759-1970)   ...BustAmAnte to shout=20
> thAi ARE JUST  LIKE CRABS IN A BARREL KEPT DOWN BY to  rAy thit it wAs ...
> .=
> .
> =20
> =20
> =20
>
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