The biggest slang term the culture has ever produced ?

[Billy Ocean]

Word

 

[IllmaticDelta]

the term "props" (to give credit/respect)

More than 50 years ago, “proper” took an interesting turn. In African-American usage, it morphed into the plural noun “propers,” a slang term defined in the OED as “due respect, acknowledgement, or esteem.” And Aretha made the term famous.

in her 1967 hit recording of the song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” Aretha immortalized the word when she sang, “All I’m askin’ in return, honey, is to give me my propers when you get home.”

As William Safire wrote in The New York Times on July 28, 2002: “Her use of propers (which many heard as profits) in the lyric was her own, not in the words originally written and performed by Otis Redding in 1965.”

In Safire’s On Language column, Aretha confirmed her use of the word, as well as its meaning: “I do say propers. … I got it from the Detroit street. It was common street slang in the 1960s. The persons saying it has a sexual connotation couldn’t be further from the truth. ‘My propers’ means ‘mutual respect.’ ”

As of this writing, the OED hasn’t yet cited Aretha’s use of the term. The dictionary’s earliest citation for “propers” is from the Chicago Daily Defender (Jan. 7, 1971): “A level of existence which affords each black man his propers—dignity, pride … and the ability to govern his destiny.”

The dictionary’s next example appeared in the Dec. 4, 1981, New York Times: “The least they could have done was give me my propers.” The speaker quoted was Floyd (Jumbo) Cummings, who said he was “robbed” when his heavyweight boxing match with Joe Frazier was called a draw after 10 rounds.

This use of “propers” was later shortened to “props,” defined in the OED as “due respect; approval, compliments, esteem.” (We briefly mentioned “props” in a 2010 post we wrote about popular terms originating in Black English.)

The dictionary’s earliest example is from a profile of the rap singer Roxanne Shante: “I was one of the first female rappers, but I’ve always gotten my props” (Chicago Tribune, July 29, 1990).

In fact, some commentators have speculated that rap and hip-hop performers first shortened “propers” to “props” in street slang. That seems likely, though 30 years later, “props” has gone mainstream.

The Grammarphobia Blog: Let’s give ‘proper’ its props

 

[K.O.N.Y]

The slang "man". I never thought of it as slang until i read Miles autobiography years ago and he said something to the effect of, white folks used to call the jazz musicians "boy" so much that they started calling each other man to make up for it like "whats up man'?

wassup is another one

 

[Fillerguy]

The most widespread
Global
And cross-cultural

Slang term to come out of black culture?

My take is "Cool" The concept of something being cool, something straight out of the jazz age

The answer is "cool". We literally gave meaning to this phenomenon or at least the American version of it. All slang derives from the concept of being "cool" because using slang is a trait of the "cool". Ebonics or AAV is brand of English almost entirely comprised of slang. Its mostly why American Pop culture is what Blacks ppl were doing 5 years ago.

It been this way since the 20s when we created jazz. I'd argue before that because cacs started putting on blackface, to perform, in the late 1800s.

 

[UncleTomFord15]

Is it true the term "24/7" was originally a rap/hip hop term?

 

[IllmaticDelta]

The slang "man". I never thought of it as slang until i read Miles autobiography years ago and he said something to the effect of, white folks used to call the jazz musicians "boy" so much that they started calling each other man to make up for it like "whats up man'?

"the man" is jazz slang

 

[K.O.N.Y]

"the man" is jazz slang

damn killing, bread and vibe came from jazz too

 

[Asicz]

"peace" probably in the top 10.

it comes from the 5 percent Nation of God's and Earths

 

[Asicz]

underacknowledged sources of slang is from incarceration, 5 percent Nation, Blacks in military back in the day imo

 

[IllmaticDelta]

The answer is "cool". We literally gave meaning to this phenomenon or at least the American version of it. All slang derives from the concept of being "cool" because using slang is a trait of the "cool". Ebonics or AAV is brand of English almost entirely comprised of slang. Its mostly why American Pop culture is what Blacks ppl were doing 5 years ago.

It been this way since the 20s when we created jazz. I'd argue before that because cacs started putting on blackface, to perform, in the late 1800s.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

damn killing, bread and vibe came from jazz too

Most american slang (pre-hiphop) came from from the Jazz era through Jive-talk

 

[Asicz]

Is it true the term "24/7" was originally a rap/hip hop term?

I think if it did, it came from 5 percent Nation of God's and Earths in New York due to heavy emphasis on numerology/ numerolgy system in their literature and speech. then influenced the Hip Hop culture through proximity and overlap in NYC

not for certain tho.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

Yo'
What's Up (also see "sup", "wut up doe", and all its variations)
Cool
Chill/Chillin'

What's Up, Chill and Cool are damn near just english chat terms in general. Some of the first things you learn when learning english...that's how big they are.

 

[Kingshango]

Top 3 are:

1. Yo
2. Chill
3. Bling

Runner up: Any variation of “Izzle”

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Is it true the term "24/7" was originally a rap/hip hop term?

I think iif it did it came from 5 percent Nation of God's and Earths in New York due to heavy emphasis on numerology/ numerolgy system in lmtheir literature and speech. then influenced the Hip Hop culture through proximity and overlap in NYC

not for certain tho.

I do think it came from 5% influences but it definitely was known amongst street slang. the first mainstream documented use was from a black brooklynite (basketball player)

Jerry Reynolds (basketball, born 1962) - Wikipedia

It seems that 1983 is the right year because that’s when Sports Illustrated quoted Jerry “Ice” Reynolds, a basketball player for the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers, who use the term 24/7/365 to describe his jump shot. Some sources quoted parts of the article, found in the November 28, 1983 issue of SI. Luckily, I was able to find the article because SI made it available online:

A fast funky front line will score most of LSU’s points. Jerry (Ice) Reynolds, one of the SEC’s two best freshmen by the end of last season, calls his jump shot “24-7-365,” because, “It’s good 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.” Even so, he seems to prefer dazzling drives.

Famous Sayings #121 — ‘Twenty-Four Seven (24/7)’