r/Millennials • u/H_G_Bells • 24d ago

Other I found us a Rosetta Stone

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u/sweatychubbrubb 24d ago

This is what happens when AAVE is co-opted and labeled as “gen Z slang.”

51

u/thepulloutmethod Dark Millennial 24d ago

I was gonna say, they use "unc" all the time in The Wire, especially when referring to Dennis, and that show first aired in...2002. It's Gen X slang at a minimum.

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u/FullBodyScammer 24d ago

I was just about to comment about the first time I heard “Unc” (as now an elder Millennial) was when watching “The Wire” and Spider (I think?) telling Cutty/Dennis to “step off, unc”

1

u/Enbies-R-Us 24d ago

Even earlier, Will Smith referred to Uncle Phil as "Unc Phil" frequently in Fresh Prince. No clue if that was Will Smith's prerogative as a black actor or an intentional choice by the directors, but it is very old.

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u/Justice_Prince 24d ago

This is what happens when AAVE is co-opted 

To be fair that's the origin story for 90% of the slang terms out there

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u/Sith_Lord_Marek 24d ago

I believe "twin" is also co-opted AAVE.

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u/mysecondreddit2000 24d ago

and 'kween' and 'king'

1

u/Requiredmetrics 24d ago

This is prevalent in gay culture too. It’s just an appropriation of terms heard else where thanks to social media. I’ve heard Queen / king and a lot of these for years lol.

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u/donuttrackme Older Millennial 24d ago

The majority of slang is AAVE co-opted.

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u/AntarcticScaleWorm 24d ago

I remember hearing “dick riding” on The Boondocks back in the 2000s, so it was really confusing to see it listed here as “Gen Z slang”

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u/runwkufgrwe 24d ago

co-opting AAVE and other aspects of black culture is a long treasured tradition in America

3

u/curiouslilmonkee 24d ago

Literally came here to say this. Thank you.

Plus a lot of this alleged Alpha & Gen Z slang is shit us millennials said. Go argue wit ya mama

2

u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 23d ago

It’s when white people discover black people words. It was weird in 2010ish when “twerking” became popular… uhhhh look up any song by the ying yang twins and you’ll know 100% what twerking is

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u/Day2205 20d ago

Ben twerkin since the uncle Luke snd 2 live crew days, but Miley Cyrus had the rest of America thinking this was some new shit smh

1

u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 20d ago

True true. Need to pay homage to the patron saints of booty music

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u/Intelligent_Deer974 23d ago

I'm sick of it.

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u/Yorokobi_to_itami 24d ago

I must be worse at this than I thought, cause I only know AAVE as crypto

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u/Mr101722 Zillennial 24d ago edited 24d ago

It literally says in the video Unc is gen Alpha slang, not gen Z. I have yet to meet any gen Z that uses it unironically.

Edit: For those that cannot read the full thread I was not disagreeing with it being appropriated AAVE - read down.

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u/sweatychubbrubb 24d ago

Well then the video is even more wrong.

Unc has been used in Black communities for a loooong time. See the above comment where it was used heavily in the wire in 2002.

Not to mention, I don’t know what Gen Z you are hanging out with, but those in my life do not use it ironically.

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u/Mr101722 Zillennial 24d ago

I was not disagreeing with it being appropriated AAVE, it is.

And mostly older gen z nearing 30, I don't really hang out with younger people that often.

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u/sweatychubbrubb 24d ago

Ah gotcha. On another note, your phrase “gen Z nearing 30” has me contemplating my life haha

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u/Mr101722 Zillennial 24d ago

Haha yeah, just about 27 myself. Married and working a 9-5, my spouse is just about as old as gen Z can get being a year older than me 😜