Listeners recently told me about an important "dozens" phrase: "the dozens," an African American game where two people trade increasingly inventive insults, usually in front of an audience.
The origin of "the dozens" is surprisingly hard to find. There's the slave auction theory, the twelve insults theory, and more. Check out the podcast!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/c2ObOfBGMkU
READ: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/1156/transcript
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
@grammargirl George Carlin talked about it briefly on a track on "Class Clown" back around 1972. Not much about the history, but it was firmly in New York City by the mid-1950s in "White Harlem" (Morningside Heights, upper Manhattan).
Streetcorner stuff.
@the_turtle @grammargirl
Elijah Wald’s book on the dozens is great (as can be expected from him📚)
Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap
(First edition was called:
The Dozens: A History of Rap's Mama)
https://elijahwald.com/dozens.html
Mignon Fogarty
The Turtle
AccordionBruce
Colorblind Cowboy