ghetto pass n. figurative or literal approval from Black Americans or the hip-hop music community (of a non-Black person or a now-successful Black person); the street cred of someone known for keeping it real. Etymological Note: This term was popularized by, if not coined in, the song “True to the Game” from the 1991 album Death Certificate by the hip-hop performer Ice Cube. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
Suzanne in Tucson, Arizona, says her mother used to say the following to her quickly: Will you? Won’t you? Can’t I coax you? Aw, c’mon! You said you would! You think you might? You promised me! Won’t your mama let ya, huh...