[Ads-l] shade

[Ben Zimmer]

We've discussed "shade" several times on the list. There's an OED3 draft
addition to the "shade, n." entry from June 2015 covering the sense.

----
U.S. slang (orig. in African-American usage). Contempt, disapproval, or
disrespect, esp. when expressed obliquely. Chiefly in _to throw shade_: to
express contempt or disapproval; often with _at_ or _on_.
Originally associated with the drag culture of Harlem, New York City in the
late 1980s; see quots. 1990, 1997.
1990   Paris is Burning (1991) (transcribed from film)    Shade is I don't
tell you you're ugly, but I don't have to tell you because you know you're
ugly and that's shade.
1993   N.Y. Times 4 July ix. 5/5   The Sunday Stylers are the last people
I'd expect to throw shade on President Bill's hair pursuits.
1997   Village Voice 12 Aug. 26/1   No one who ever saw Willy Ninja dance
in the '80s will forget him feigning to slap on makeup, gaze in a mirror,
and ‘throw shade’ on his rivals.
2005   ‘K'Wan’ Hoodlum xxxi. 302   I ain't trying to throw shade, shit has
just been real hectic.
2012   Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 15 Oct. c5/5   They not talking. Ain't
no shade though.
2015   Burlington (Vermont) Free Press (Electronic ed.) 29 Jan. 2   Jarvis
suggested the actors should be ‘throwing shade’ at each other via eye rolls
and such to set up the increasing animosity.
----


On Wed, Oct 17, 2018 at 10:27 AM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
wrote:

> An article on the Huffington Post today is filled with mentions of “shade”.
>
> ‘The Conners’ Has Officially Killed Off Roseanne, And Fans Can’t Believe
> The Shade
> https://bit.ly/2AeQzWJ <https://bit.ly/2AeQzWJ>
> by David Barden
>
> ——
> … [Roseanne Barr’s] character died of an opioid overdose.
>
> Fans were quick to call out the sitcom for throwing shade at the decision,
> pointing out that Barr had previously blamed insomnia drug Ambien for the
> racist tweets….
> ——
>
> It seems that using opioids as a way to kill off Barr’s character is
> shade, in that it’s a thinly veiled reference to Ambien.
>
> Barden cites seven tweets using the word “shade”, including:
>
> ——
> You all the fact that Roseanne tried to blame Ambien on her racist rant
> and she died from a drug overdose on the show is the ultimate shade
> ——
>
> Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shade <
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/shade>) has: Subtle insults.
>
> I’m not going to look at this deeply, but the first page of Urban
> Dictionary (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shades)
> includes:
>
> ——
> Anonymous 1 April 2003
> acting in a casual or disrespectful manner towards someone/dissing a friend
> throwing shade, acting kinda shady
>
> kigox 18 August 2016
> trying to act in a slick, or casual manner by using something against
> someone, disrespecting, insulting, judging, etc.
>
> Amari Nieh 10 January 2017
> Casual or disrespectful manner towards someone/dissing a friend.
> Becky: Girl yass you look fierce in that wig, but it would look better on
> someone else. All tea all Shade
> ——
>
> The English OLD (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/shade <
> https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/shade>) and Merriam-Webster (
> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shade) have this meaning only
> in the verbal expression “throw shade” and both confine the usage to public
> criticism.
>
> OLD
> informal Publicly criticize or express contempt for someone.
>
> Merriam-Webster
> to express contempt or disrespect for someone publicly especially by
> subtle or indirect insults or criticisms
>
>

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