Ubonics
n.— «During slavery, oration was used as coded speech to “hide collective action from slave owners.” Today this principle is exemplified in speech such as Ubonics—a “slang” version Ebony-phonics, also knows as Ebonics—and rap.…Even if one is not a fan of rap or a supporter of Ubonics—the expression of commonness through words, and in our private space—informal speech is the manifestation of this principle.» —“In search of a unified Black culture” by Tricia Hylton Rabble.ca (Canada) Feb. 23, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...