"Baby daddy, -ies / baby mama(s)"

David Bowie db.list at PMPKN.NET
Thu May 18 12:37:16 UTC 2006


From:    Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>

> These terms appear to have become standard in the speech of those whose
> speech is non-standard, regardless of their race, creed, color, or place of
> national origin...

Maybe even beyond that. There was (part of?) an interview with Willis
McGahee (Buffalo Bills running back) by Jemele Hill (Orlando _Sentinel_
sports reporter and columnist) printed last week with the following
content, Hill as Q and McGahee as A:

    Q: So far, what's the most difficult thing about fatherhood?
    A: Nothing right now. Not for me. Just dealing with the mother.
       That's the difficult part. After that, everything is cool.
    Q: What's more troublesome, an ex-wife or a baby momma?
    A: A baby momma.
    Q: Why?
    A: Because they feel like they should be a part of your life for
       18 years. An ex-wife, you can get away from her. A baby momma,
       you can't get away from her until the child is 18 or older.
       They're going to constantly ask you for money. They just want
       to nag you for no reason, just because they can. [Willis has
       never been married.]

Aside from the fact that McGahee obviously has a lot to learn about
relationships, it's worth pointing out that Hill is the one who (from
the transcript that we have, which may be incomplete) brought the term
"baby momma" into the conversation, and then printed it in the
newspaper. She may well have it as part of her native vernacular (i know
i've acquired it, for one), but seeing it in a newspaper as brought up
by a *reporter* was surprising to me--that context seemed to be
portraying the term as standard.

The interview is currently available at
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/local/orl-ridealong1006may10,0,2976872.story?page=3&coll=orl-sports-headlines
but it's due to expire from free (with registration) viewability
sometime today.

<snip>

--
David Bowie                                         http://pmpkn.net/lx
     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.

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