a word from "Huck Finn"

[Wilson Gray]

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 5:13 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ian Frazier in the March 5 _New Yorker_ (p. 26) has a brief article on a
> "Community Dialogue" on Staten Island about a certain word that appears in
> _Huckleberry Finn_.
>
> What could the word be? Frazier doesn't say.
>
> Anyway, "During the entire two-hour conversation, amost nothing from either
> 'Tom Sawyer' or 'Huckleberry Finn' was discussed, except the word."

I suggest that anyone really giving a shit (Has anybody else notice
the number of TV channels that no longer bother to bleep out _shit_?
This is especially arresting WRT to re-runs of certain programs during
the after-school hour.) about it go to YouTube and and pick out any
random clip from The Boondocks, wherein one particular word can easily
be heard in (an animated, but totally true-to-life - even for those
not fortunate have grown up down those mean streets of Saint Louis -
version of) its natural, non-great literature,
fuck-it-if-white-folk-hear-and
think-that-it-has-some-relevance-to-*their*-lives environment.

Then, decide for yourself whether the Long Island asininity - or
should that be, "assholery"? - et sim. be worthy of any kind of note.

Those not ready for this or otherwise unready to deal with it may wish
to cut their teeth on clips from Chappelle's Show.

--
-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.
-Mark Twain

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