[Ads-l] Antedating of "Booty Call"

[Ben Zimmer]

The YouTube clip Garson found is from Season 2, Episode 6 of "Def Comedy
Jam," which first aired on Sept. 4, 1992 according to TV listings.
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/508176/s02-e06-episode-6

Bellamy was on an earlier episode (S1E4, aired 2/2/92), but he didn't use
"booty call" in that set.
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/432252/s01-e04-episode-4

On Mon, Jun 29, 2026 at 2:02 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> Interesting topic, Fred. YouTube has a clip from Def Comedy Jam hosted
> by Martin Lawrence. No date is specified. Lawrence introduced Bill
> Bellamy, stating that Bellamy was returning after an earlier
> performance. This clip included the line mentioned by Ralph Keyes and
> Fred. However, Bellamy also mentioned "booty call" earlier in his
> routine. When Bellamy initially used the phrase it sounded like he
> expected the audience to recognize it. Yet, Bellamy might have
> expected the audience to simply infer its meaning.
>
> Bellamy referred to the Mike Tyson court case which took place in 1992.
>
> Website: YouTube
> Title: Bill Belamy on Def Jam
> Poster: redx2403
> Date: Jul 27, 2009
> Timestamp 1:15 of 6:25
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAKXF7lX138
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Right, let's analyze the case. Mike Tyson calls the honey from the
> hotel room - 2 o'clock in the morning. Is that or is that not a booty
> call? Can you help me?
> [End excerpt]
>
> This YouTube video also has the line "Every brother in here done made
> a booty call" at 2:14 of 6:25.
>
> On Sun, Jun 28, 2026 at 12:49 PM Shapiro, Fred
> <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > booty call (OED 1993)
> >
> > According to Ralph Keyes's excellent book The Hidden History of Coined
> Words, "This harks back to a routine [comedian Bill] Bellany first
> performed a quarter century ago in which he riffed at length about the
> late-night telephone calls black men commonly make to women whom they
> expect to be available for sex on short notice.  'Every brother in here
> done made a booty call,' said Bellamy in this 1992 sketch, one that
> subsequently became part of an HBO special."
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
>

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