Detroit slang?

**GMF** · October-26-10, 10:46 PM

Hi all! I'm new to forum and registered because I was interested in finding out about slang terms in Detroit. In particular I'm hoping to get some slang words from older members, terms that have been in use since the early '80s.

Thanks!

Ravine · October-26-10, 10:52 PM

Those were the days.

**12468_laing** · October-26-10, 11:03 PM

1. Hit 8 Mile! from Coleman Young
2. Bless You Boys! from the 84 Tigers
3. Stevie who? Yzerman

**56packman** · October-26-10, 11:13 PM

We called the tailights on 56-59 Imperials "sparrow strainers".

**Hamtragedy** · October-26-10, 11:49 PM

Geeked: excited. "She called him back and he was all geeked." Early 80's from the Scene's host Nat Morris, and a song by the group RJ's [[watkins) Latest Arrival "We are here to geek you up!" Still in use.

Sike! The hard "i" sound is drawn out and more or less means "just kidding" after making a misleading statement. The e is not pronounced like it is in "Nike." More literally, to psyche someone out. I remember this as a kid from the 70s. Still used, often nostalgically.

Bite: to take someone else's idea, or joke, and make it their own. From the phrase "bitin' off the buns", [[or ass). The one doing the biting could be called out by the originator on the spot with the phrase "get out my ass." Late 70's. I heard one the 10 yr olds in the locker room use this phrase about three years ago.

The Cheese: yellow school bus.

The Freight: DOT bus.

Smart Bus: SMART bus.

FoxyScholar10 · October-27-10, 12:33 AM

Soda => POP

**detroitbob66** · October-27-10, 01:46 AM

Welcome to the Team! I got some for ya, this is more "urban" slang strickly from the hard-knock streets of Detroit City. It is best said in my little rhyme:

In the "hood" we greet with "What Up Doe?"
We call a drug "fiend" a "custo"
We call a freak girl a "busto"
If we say the "hook", that really means the "po-po"
If we say that's "bogue", that means it's f*cked up bro

Hope you enjoyed some Detroit Hip-Hop while learning some new slang terminology!

Explanations
"What Up Doe? would be equivalent to What's Up?
A drug fiend is an addict, and a custo is short for customer
A freak girl is a hoe/prostitute and busto is short for buster
A po-po is the police, hook is a mystery still
Bogue is equivalent to messed up

**bragaboutme** · October-27-10, 02:38 AM

Going "Ham". Came from "Hog wild". If you're in the store and hear somebody say," I'm bout to go HAM in this B#tch", trust me they're not talking about a sandwich.

**blackmath** · October-27-10, 04:13 AM

An interesting thread was made about this very subject on the old DYes forums. Really a good read for anyone interested in local vernacular/linguistics.

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1238384206

Also a website I found posted on the old forums covers things like the Michigan accent, local speech patterns, sayings, etc.. worth a read

http://www.michigannative.com/ma_home.shtml

Ravine · October-27-10, 04:14 AM

Are we going to see every little term, or expression, that's hot for about twelve minutes? The thread is only a few hours old, and half of the entries are bullshit.

Ravine · October-27-10, 04:17 AM

Blackmath, I think this is one of those threads that I should stay away from, as looking in on it will lead only to my displaying most of the characteristics for which my on-line persona is widely-known & generally reviled.

**kville** · October-27-10, 04:35 AM

A lot of what we call "Detroit" slang is either regional or more widespread than we realize. While "pop" [[for soda) is often considered Detroit or Michigan, it is a common term throughout this part of the Midwest and is often understood nationally. There are a few terms that are not widely used elsewhere, but hard to say if I'd call them slang. The Halloween call of "Help the Poor" instead of "Trick or Treat" was an old expression we used that I never heard elsewhere; a liquor store or party store was always called a "beer store;" the "Big 3" [[local, but not really true anymore).

I find that the Detroit "accent" is more unique than we think. I can usually pick it out as I travel. In fact, when I lived in New York and was working as a cashier for a while, a customer actually asked me once if I was from Michigan based on the few words he heard me say.

**blackmath** · October-27-10, 04:35 AM

lol Ravine... If it goes like it did on the old forum it could be a pretty interesting thread... Let's see how this one pans out.

**gnome** · October-27-10, 05:19 AM

I believe the old forum covered the topic; thank you for that link BMath. Welcome to the forum gmf, looks like Ravine is a little sleep deprived today. Maybe once he gets to work and is able to catch 40 winks he'll be his bright and shinnie self.

**Lowell** · October-27-10, 05:59 AM

One from Gnome's list on that old forum HOF thread that made me smile and is definitely D speak.

MFIC
A Mayor

To you youngin's and outstaters [<--hey there's one] that is "Mother-[youknowwhat] in Charge" and attributed to legendary Detroit Mayor Coleman Young's description of his postition.

And he was the MFIC. No other mayor in our history wielded more power and authority than he did.

Ravine · October-27-10, 06:01 AM

Lowell, you have some paternalistic tendencies as re: this forum, and I do not wish to upset you, so maybe you should turn away, as I am getting ready to go all "ham" on our pal Gnome.

**gnome** · October-27-10, 06:22 AM

It is a little busy right now for a virtual smack down, but if ravine gets off the davenport, we can meet in the vestibule for and little budson and nevers time.

Ravine · October-27-10, 06:41 AM

Naw. You & me, we're bro-hams.

**jcole** · October-27-10, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

I believe the old forum covered the topic; thank you for that link BMath. Welcome to the forum gmf, looks like Ravine is a little sleep deprived today. Maybe once he gets to work and is able to catch 40 winks he'll be his bright and shinnie self.

What's a 'shinnie' self? Am I missing some new Detroit slang here, or did you just mean to say 'shiny'?
I know we shinnie up trees but I didn't know we had to be bright to do it

**Hermod** · October-27-10, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

One from Gnome's list on that old forum HOF thread that made me smile and is definitely D speak.

MFIC
A Mayor

To you youngin's and outstaters [<--hey there's one] that is "Mother-[youknowwhat] in Charge" and attributed to legendary Detroit Mayor Coleman Young's description of his postition.

And he was the MFIC. No other mayor in our history wielded more power and authority than he did.

HMFIC was an old army slang term that originated in the segregated units in WWII.

with "H" standing for "Head"

**Hermod** · October-27-10, 07:21 AM

Back in the early fifties we had a couple of terms that I have not heard since. I do not know if they were Detroit only or wider spread.

Moss: Moss meant something like "cool" or "swell" as in "that jacket is real moss". Also, you would call someone that as in "hey, moss"

Frudge [[pronounced "frooj") as in some kid that was just sort of "lumpen" or not with it. It didn't mean the kid was a sissie. Used in the sense of "he is a real frudge" or "what a frudge kid".

**KOMPOST** · October-27-10, 07:45 AM

We call vacuuming "choking the alligator".

**Pushtina** · October-27-10, 08:07 AM

Is it a Detroit thing to say "You all right?" instead of "How's it going?"

bartock · October-27-10, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Pushtina

Is it a Detroit thing to say "You all right?" instead of "How's it going?"

Take out the "you."

Person A: "All right."

Person B: "All right."

It's like our mahalo.

**ggores** · October-27-10, 08:18 AM

Rarely used, but when used, indicates overflowing joy - "In like Flynn."

This phrase, strictly speaking, may not be absolutely D unique, but I do know for sure that when uttered in that D, there is connection to the old Errol Flynns.

Example:

"So, Gg, did you land that huge sludge removal contract?"

Me - "Hell yeah. Shit, I'm in like Flynn, baby."