Extra Credit:
1st one to post what the dozens is gets extra credit (a check mark in the grade book to bump you toward a higher grade if you are on a cusp). Each subsequent post that adds new information will also receive extra credit. So... What is this game I speak of: The Dozens
The dozens is a competition between two people to try and outwit each other by insulting their opponent. It is popular in urban areas and played a role in the birth of hip-hop. It is kind of like the rap battles in 8-Mile, but in the Dozens, the competitors don't normally use music as a backdrop.
ReplyDeleteThe game is also referred to as "capping, cracking, bagging, dissing, hiking, joning, ranking, ribbing, serving, signifying, slipping, sounding, and snapping" throughout the country. Often snaps include witty comments about the opponent's mother, like "you're mother is so fat, she...".
ReplyDeleteA theory in which the name of the game came from does not refer to the number twelve. It is believed to have come from the verb "to dozen," meaning to daze, to awe, to disable or to astonish. It's a game that uses linguistics "to dozen" the opponent.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in 2006 MTV had a show called "Yo Momma." The players played the dozens and were judged by the jury panel.
Playing the dozens refers to a competition where usually two males exchange verbal insults until one of them has no comeback. This game is an oral tradition rooted in West African cultures. It is a measure of one's verbal ability, wit, and mental strength. In the U.S. especially, "Yo' momma" jokes are commonly used to reference this game. The dozens is known by many to be harmless fun, but it can provoke real tension and lead to physical violence.
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