"Stallion": minor correction of Spears

[Wilson Gray]

Well, WRT this particular use of "stallion," I come from the streets.
Rest assured that a woman's not "fine and healthy" = plus-sized, she
ain't no stallion. You mmight want to check out the words to "Baby Got
Back" or those to "Back that Azz Up." These songs don't mention
"stallion," but they certainly describe the phenotype.

-Wilson

On 2/18/07, Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at hotmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I don't have the definition here, but from what I remember from looking at
> it about a month or two ago there was only mention of it referring to an
> attractive female (not necessarily plus sized) and it is mainly within Black
> English. When antedating it, I did find the cite below.
>
> 12/11/2006
> "Also Serena know she is a stallion!! Lookin damn good in that tight dress.
> Get em!!"
> (http://concreteloop.com/?p=8741&cp=all)
>
>
> >From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >Subject: Re: "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> >Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:47:32 -0500
> >
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Can you supply a cite, Scott? My copy of DARE ends at Sk-.
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >On 2/18/07, Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> > >
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I know that DARE also has "stallion" in this sense, though I'm pretty
> >sure
> > > it also doesn't denote a female of "plus size."
> > >
> > > Scot
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> > > >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > >Subject: "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> > > >Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 16:02:22 -0500
> > > >
> > > >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > >-----------------------
> > > >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> > > >Subject:      "Stallion": minor correction of Spears
> > >
> > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > >Spears, in _Slang and Euphemism_, defines "stallion" as used in BE
> > > >slang as "a beautiful and sexually attractive black woman." This is
> > > >correct, as far as it goes, but a stallion has to be *plus-sized.*
> > > >Think Chaka Khan or Queen Latifah. E.g., Halle Berry is a fox, but she
> > > >ain't no stallion. It's not necessary that the woman be black. Any
> > > >"fine" or "fine and healthy" (both of these  terms are missing from
> > > >S&E) B[ig]B[eautiful]W[oman] is a stallion. Cf. the late, great Anna
> > > >Nicole Smith. (MTV Cribs is on in the background and Ice-T, by the
> > > >sheerest coincidence, has just revealed that a headshot of Britney
> > > >Spears hangs over his bed.)
> > > >
> > > >I have no idea why "stallion" is used in this meaning instead of
> > > >"mare," as would be expected. I've pondered this question for dekkids.
> > > >Iss jess one uh them black thangs that even black folk don't
> > > >understand, I reckon.
> > > >
> > > >FWIW, Russian slang uses _kobyla_ "mare" in a similar sense.
> > > >
> > > >-Wilson
> > > >-
> > > >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> > > >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> > > >-----
> > > >-Sam'l Clemens
> > > >
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> >--
> >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >-----
> >-Sam'l Clemens
> >
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Sam'l Clemens

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org