Hood Rats and slang

[Darla Wells]

I always heard it in connection with both genders, but just a touch more with
females. I used to hear it a lot in connection with the saying "You can take
the girl out of the hood, but you can't always take the hood out of the girl"
in Wichita Falls, Texas, in the Lincoln Street projects around 1994-1997.
Darla

With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a
frog into a Ph.D and you still have the frog you started with. (Terry Pratchett)

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Sent: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 14:40:40 -0500
Subject: Re: Hood Rats and slang

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Hood Rats and slang
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> That's what was kind of curious to me because all the other times
> I've heard someone called a "hood rat" it was a female, usually of
> loose morals.
>
> 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: Re: Hood Rats and slang
> >Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 15:29:47 -0400
> >
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: Hood Rats and slang
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >From the site cited:
> >
> >"Hood Rat[:]
> >
> >"An[sic] street character. Someone who hangs around the 'hood.'"
> >
> >That seems gender-neutral to me.
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >
> >
> >On 9/4/07, 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:      Hood Rats and slang
> > >
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I got curious about the term "hood rat" today and gave it a quick
> >internet
> > > search. I can find citations from the mid-1990's, but I assume it is
> >older
> > > than that. Also, does anyone know if the term is exclusive to females?
> > >
> > > BTW, I happened across this slang site. It's interesting.
> > > http://www.voxcommunications.com/slang15.htm
> > >
> > > Scot
> > >
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------- End of Original Message -------

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