"snap"

[Amy West]

Perhaps related, perhaps not: I've seen references to some African
American folklore collections by Smitherman titled _Snaps_ and
_Double Snaps_ related to playing the dozens. Witty
comebacks/put-downs?

I've heard my kids talk about the use of "snap": they don't use it,
but classmates do. It's used it to mark/emphasize/punctuate a
zinger/put-down. Much like below. But not just in gay culture. My
kids associate it with girls in their classes. I don't think I've
heard it around campus in passing.

I've read, but haven't heard, that the one that is used in the Boston
area is "salted!" See recent BG Magazine article.

---Amy West

>Date:    Tue, 7 Apr 2009 11:01:38 -0700
>From:    Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at STANFORD.EDU>
>Subject: Re: "snap"
>
>On Apr 6, 2009, at 7:16 PM, Mark Mandel wrote:
>
>>  ...
>>  This question is addressed especially to Wilson, because it's in his
>>  posts
>>  that I remember seeing it, but of course it's open to anyone. What's
>>  with
>>  the written / (spoken?) interjection "Snap!"?
>
>
>from the Urban Dictionary under "snap" (entry 31):
>
>Pertaining to the Gay snap culture in the 80's. It's used to puncuate
>an insult by snapping the fingers. Today it's used mostly by the young
>black culture
>
>Girl, I saw your weave at Kmart...OH SNAP (*snaps fingers*)
>   .....
>
>check out the "In Living Color" "Men on X" sketches (beginning with
>"Men on Film"), in which Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier play two
>flamboyantly effeminate gay men reviewing films, tv, etc.  almost
>every sketch had finger-snapping accompanying the opinions.
>
>arnold

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