Ill-literacy
A dialect of English commonly used by African-American speakers.
What is AAE/AAVE?
Y'all, Howdy, Fixin' To
What is the South
This common farm animal serves as an acronym the "Greatest of All Time."
What is G.O.A.T.?
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none"
What is poetry? (All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare)
"Real G's move in silence like lasagna." 6 Foot 7 Foot - Lil Wayne. This lyric is a ______, a common type of figurative language used to compare two things.
What is a simile?
The practice of shifting between two or more languages, dialects, accents, or speech styles depending on the social context, audience, or purpose.
What is codeswitching?
Hella, Stoked, Whip
What is California/Bay Area?
This term for "awesome" or "excellent" is considered one of the most important discoveries in human history.
What is fire?
"Are you really in it for the arts or the image/do you really live it in your heart and spirit?"
What is rap? (Stars - JID)
"Like the way I emcee (MC), man, they just be lovin' it" Lupe Fiasco - Joaquin Phoenix. This clever lyric is a ________, a phrase that has two meanings.
A system of speech or symbols used in opposition to dominant language.
Deadass, Bodega, Bev
What is NYC?
If you're getting chased by the Big Bad Wolf, build a house out of this slang term for a pound of cocaine and you should be alright.
What is brick?
"Preoccupied with skin then you're vacant in soul"
What is rap? (Fate - Hermit and the Recluse)
In this example of semantic inversion, this three-letter word meaning "unwell" gains a new meaning as "impressive" or "cool."
What is ill?
The practice of inverting standard negative meanings to produce positive meanings.
What is semantic inversion?
Yinz, Jagoff, Dahntahn
What is Pittsburgh?
This slang term for jewelry might help cool down a drink. But careful! Leave it out too long and it might do this other slang term for clothing.
What is ice and drip?
“my life was lived through falling rain/so call on me if there be pain”
What is poetry? (The Rose That Grew From Concrete - Tupac Shakur)
These two antonyms, used to describe varying temperatures in standard English, act as synonyms to describe something great or cool in AAE.
What are hot/fire and cold?
ILL, while being a common slang term in AAE, is also an acronym for these three aspects necessary to understanding ill-literacy.
What are intimate, lived, and liberatory.
Whatup doe, boss up, 313
What is Detroit?
These four slang terms for being under the influence of drugs are all common ways of preparing food.
What are cooked, fried, baked, and toasted?
"What's the difference when your heart is made of stone/and your mind is made of gold/and your tongue is made of sword, but it may weaken your soul?"
What is rap? (Father Time - Kendrick Lamar)
"Me and two things like a double entendre." J. Cole - Adonis Interlude. This clever lyric is both a double entendre and _______, a linguistics term for the language used to refer to language.
What is metalanguage?