"tar baby" in HDAS

[Tom Zurinskas]

The song "colored spade" from 60's rock musical "Hair" lists a bunch of negative words for blacks.  "Tar baby" wasn't one of them.  The song wasn't meant to be derogatory I'm sure.


Tom Zurinskas, first Ct 20 yrs, then Tn 3, NJ 33, Fl 9.
Learn the alphabet and sounds of US English at justpaste.it/ayk







>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
> Subject: Re: "tar baby" in HDAS
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I went to the library today to find these exx., but volumes I and II didn't
> go up to the "T"s. And if I recall correctly from other discussions here,
> volume III is unpublished. Could you share these unpublished examples?
>
> Also, I wonder how much Toni Morrison's 1981 book by this name has affected
> the perception of "tar baby".
>
> Neal
>
> > On 8/4/2011 9:26 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >>> HDAS has several exx. of "tar baby" in the contemptuous sense, however.
> >>> All
> >>> after "Song
> >>> of the South."
> >>>
> >>> JL
>
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