Jerome's Jive

[lewsk]

Dear Massa Hodges,I has mowed yo grass and put de mower back in yo cah-pote.I hopes you didn’t run over it, suh!If you has any mo chos for dis heah black boy, hit me on mah honker.I be happy to talk to you if I is not on de job wit one of my hos.As you know dey needs a lot of work and sometimes some tunin up on em, as dey can be uppity, especially dem high yallers!I is always heah fo you, suh!
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Jerome's jive is difficult to read. I'd appreciate it if any explanation.
1. What is cah-pote in which mower is put?
2. chos =chores?
3. heah=healthy?
4. mah honker=my phone?
5. dey=they?
6 who are dem high yallers
7. heah fo you = health for you? fo=for?

 

[mjs9153]

Dear Massa Hodges,I has mowed yo grass and put de mower back in yo cah-pote.I hopes you didn’t run over it, suh!If you has any mo chos for dis heah black boy, hit me on mah honker.I be happy to talk to you if I is not on de job wit one of my hos.As you know dey needs a lot of work and sometimes some tunin up on em, as dey can be uppity, especially dem high yallers!I is always heah fo you, suh!
---------------
Jerome's jive is difficult to read. I'd appreciate it if any explanation.
1. What is cah-pote in which mower is put?
2. chos =chores?
3. heah=healthy?
4. mah honker=my phone?
5. dey=they?
6 who are dem high yallers
7. heah fo you = health for you? fo=for?

Number 1 is carport, like a garage.. Heah means here,and chos is chores. Four and five you are correct, I believe six means black people who are not dark in color, like a black person who is light complected.. the last one means I will be here for you.

 

[AchtungBaby]

I can't stand Jerome's jive talk. It was funny when Detta Walker did it, but King should not have repeated it.

 

[paper_is_sweet]

Number 1 is carport, like a garage.. Heah means here,and chos is chores. Four and five you are correct, I believe six means black people who are not dark in color, like a black person who is light complected.. the last one means I will be here for you.

"High Yellow" or just "Yellow" was used (back in the day) to describe mixed-race individuals with a lot of Caucasian ancestry. I don't think it's a terribly common term anymore, though. Not at all polite, regardless.

 

[mjs9153]

I don't like it much either,Achtung..but,it is part of a young man's personality,growing up,and I think as he is doing so he is realizing it isn't too cool either..it does ring true in that even the smartest of us do things that are silly or stupid,without any good reason.Hopefully just an annoying tic that he gets over completely in the last book of the series.

 

[bobledrew]

I think the most charitable interpretation of it is that it's sort of like Richie's Voices in IT. I know that sometimes, I will get a little over-the-top about something when I'm trying to be funny and just pound it into the ground.

Jerome (like Richie) is a really smart and sharp-witted young man, and I think this is one of the ways that he sheds excess energy. And as a young black man in an upscale city neighbourhood, it's not surprising that he both satirizes and embraces a persona that is problematic for him.

That make sense?

 

[Out of Order]

6. High Rollers?

 

[mjs9153]

I think the most charitable interpretation of it is that it's sort of like Richie's Voices in IT. I know that sometimes, I will get a little over-the-top about something when I'm trying to be funny and just pound it into the ground.

Jerome (like Richie) is a really smart and sharp-witted young man, and I think this is one of the ways that he sheds excess energy. And as a young black man in an upscale city neighbourhood, it's not surprising that he both satirizes and embraces a persona that is problematic for him.

That make sense?

That is funny,I was thinking the exact same thing about it being parallel to Richie and his voices..

 

[bobledrew]

Well, mjs9153 , you are obviously full of intelligence and taste.

 

[mjs9153]

Well, mjs9153 , you are obviously full of intelligence and taste.

Right back atcha!

 

[mjs9153]

"High Yellow" or just "Yellow" was used (back in the day) to describe mixed-race individuals with a lot of Caucasian ancestry. I don't think it's a terribly common term anymore, though. Not at all polite, regardless.

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrBT7aRQKVVSOYA5kRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEycWw3ODVtBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDQjAzOTZfMQRzZWMDc3I-/RV=2/RE=1436922130/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fdictionary.reference.com%2fbrowse%2fhigh%2520yellow/RK=0/RS=6c6NERkPnasB4qSKxF8_VKEl.o0-

 

[paper_is_sweet]

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrBT7aRQKVVSOYA5kRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEycWw3ODVtBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDQjAzOTZfMQRzZWMDc3I-/RV=2/RE=1436922130/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fdictionary.reference.com%2fbrowse%2fhigh%2520yellow/RK=0/RS=6c6NERkPnasB4qSKxF8_VKEl.o0-

I may be mistaken, then. Perhaps I'm confusing the implication/accusation of mixed-race ancestry with requirement of mixed-race ancestry for the term to be applicable?

 

[doowopgirl]

I can't stand Jerome's jive talk. It was funny when Detta Walker did it, but King should not have repeated it.

IMO, Jerome was funny, Detta was scary.

 

[bobledrew]

I believe that terms like those were not so much based on verified mixed-race ancestors but on the assumption or belief that a person could "pass" or come close to "passing." There's an old Big Bill Broonzy song called "Brown, Black and White" that talks about the different treatment given to different skin tones. It's my understanding (and quite possibly one that should be corrected) that the social class distinctions between light-skinned and dark-skinned black people existed not only in white society, but within black society as well -- that people with light skin would be considered of better standing than a darker-skinned person. Here's the tune:

 

[GNTLGNT]

...Jerome is just jivin'...offensive to some?.....most certainly, but I found it funny....

 

[skimom2]

I think the most charitable interpretation of it is that it's sort of like Richie's Voices in IT. I know that sometimes, I will get a little over-the-top about something when I'm trying to be funny and just pound it into the ground.

Jerome (like Richie) is a really smart and sharp-witted young man, and I think this is one of the ways that he sheds excess energy. And as a young black man in an upscale city neighbourhood, it's not surprising that he both satirizes and embraces a persona that is problematic for him.

That make sense?

My problem with it is that it's anachronistic. I have a son the same age as Jerome and he has a mixed bag of friends (pretty much every race is represented); we all all lower middle income. I read one Jerome section from Mr. Mercedes to them and asked them what they thought. To a man, they looked at me like I was crazy. No one had heard anything like that in real life. It's a throwback to the 70s, which itself was harkening back to the vaudevillian blackface stereotype. Kids now have little frame of reference for the type of slang Jerome uses. And Jerome is very definitely upper middle to upper class, meaning he'd likely have even less frame of reference than the boys I asked (they, at least, have a strong understanding of 90s to modern hip-hop slang--lol). KWIM? If Jerome was using the aforementioned hip-hop slang, that would make sense--it's in his age-appropriate grasp.

 

[Dana Jean]

My problem with it is that it's anachronistic. I have a son the same age as Jerome and he has a mixed bag of friends (pretty much every race is represented); we all all lower middle income. I read one Jerome section from Mr. Mercedes to them and asked them what they thought. To a man, they looked at me like I was crazy. No one had heard anything like that in real life. It's a throwback to the 70s, which itself was harkening back to the vaudevillian blackface stereotype. Kids now have little frame of reference for the type of slang Jerome uses. And Jerome is very definitely upper middle to upper class, meaning he'd likely have even less frame of reference than the boys I asked (they, at least, have a strong understanding of 90s to modern hip-hop slang--lol). KWIM? If Jerome was using the aforementioned hip-hop slang, that would make sense--it's in his age-appropriate grasp.

But, being raised in a black household, I'm sure he has been taught and told black history. WHich would have included black face and that dialect. Also, probably growing up, he watched the blaxploitation films, because those were the only significant black actors for a time.

And, I think it is more about the age of Jerome's audience. Older people who WOULD get that slang without hesitation.

 

[mjs9153]

I may be mistaken, then. Perhaps I'm confusing the implication/accusation of mixed-race ancestry with requirement of mixed-race ancestry for the term to be applicable?

Oh no,I was just adding to the definition,I think both are quite right..no worries!

 

[bobledrew]

Not that I know anything about your son's friends, skimom2 , but Jerome is characterized as a super-smart young man. His scope of cultural references is probably a bit exceptional .

 

[paper_is_sweet]

Oh no,I was just adding to the definition,I think both are quite right..no worries!

Right on.

I get a little confused when I take my medicine.