Community Magazine October 2003

use. Frankly, without them I don’t know how any of us would get a point across! S IGNED : G AZZED U P ! Dear Gazzed, I agree that we’ve come to rely on these terms to really get the message across when speaking among one anoth- er, but I must admit, although I have a theory about the origins of these terms, I can’t say I know for certain how they came about. Sketch – According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of this word is: a slight theatrical piece having a single scene; especially a comic act. This definition is not all that far from our usage of the noun version of the word as in “We really had him fooled, it was a good sketch.” As use of the word expand- ed, it could easily have taken on the new related meanings that are prevalent today like “I got sketched - this product is defec- tive.” Skootch – This word does not have a dictionary definition, but it does appear to be an American slang term meaning: move , as in “Skootch over so I can sit on the bench also.” In S.Y. language, skootch is also sometimes used in place of the words “cut in” as in “We have to skootch to get to the front of the line?” While a sketch is a “fake out”, a skootch is a “shortcut”. In another meaning, to get skootched, is to be taken advantage of and lose out, which may relate back to the slang definition as in “I got skootched out of my spot on the bench”. Kamop – This word has neither a dic- tionary definition nor a common slang meaning. It may however, be a unique conjugation of a real word. Comeuppance, which according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means a deserved rebuke or penalty has both a close definition and sound to our word kamop. Perhaps the first S.Y. to use the term lost a case in traffic court and was told by the angry judge “Now you’ll get your comeuppance.” When he got home he told the story over, “My lawyer skootched out on me, so I tried to sketch my way through the case alone, but it didn’t work, because in the end, the judge kamopped me.” So, I guess in get- ting his comeuppance he came up with kamop! Once again, this is all just my guess. So if you think that my theories here are just a big sketch, I invite you to kamop them and skootch in your version of the source for these, or any other S.Y. expressions. A LL THE BEST J IDOH 56 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Send your queries, questions and requests for the wisdom of Jidoh to: Mail: Community Magazine, 1616 Ocean Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11223 Fax: 718-504-4246 email: jidoh@communitym.com S ERVING THE C OMMUNITY FOR O VER 14 YEARS IN A SAFE & FAMILIAR SETTING S TATE OF T HE A RT F ACIALS A NTI A GING T REATMENTS A CID P EELS V ITAMIN C T HERAPY M ASSAGE Swedish•Hot Stone Aromatherapy•Deep Tissue B ODY T REATMENTS S ELF -T ANNING A PPLICATIONS L ASER H AIR R EMOVAL Free Consultations M ANICURE P EDICURE H AIR S TYLING H AIR C OLOR Highlighting•Lowlighting H AIR RELAXING & I RONING W AXING B RAZILIAN W AXING W IG S ALES & S TYLING The Salon The Spa Gift Certificates Available B ROOKLYN : 504 A VENUE U B ROOKLYN , NY 11223 T HE S ALON 718-998-8900 T HE S PA 718-998-2313 D EAL : 290 N ORWOOD A VENUE D EAL , NJ 07723 • 732-531-0600