Query: Why "Cripples" (> "Crips") as gang-name?

James Landau jjjrlandau at EARTHLINK.NET
Sun Jan 22 20:06:33 UTC 2006


Wilson Gray is alleged to have written:

>    Back inthe '50's, around the time of "The Blackboard Jungle," I read a
short story about a gang whose battle cry was, "Wa-wa-wabbit twacks!" The
concept of being threatening by being ostensibly unthreatening is
> > not a new one.

That battle cry is from Fred Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth's novel
_Gladiator-at-law".  I was not aware that it was ever a short story.  Also
ISTR that "Wa-wa-wabbit twacks!" was not a battle cry but rather an
assembly call, used by one member to summon other members when needed.

         - Jim Landau

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