Re: [Harp-L] signifyin'

[Bradford Trainham <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In the southeast, when I was a child, I would hear that usage of the
word "signify" among the black men who worked on my uncle's farm. 
When they said it, they meant lying, jiving and the word was often
paired with some other wicked/unproductive form of
behavior-worthy-of-insult as in 
"bull-s****in' and signifyin'". 
Willie Dixon, in a group I think was called Big Three trio did a much
cleaner version of the song that Rudy Ray Moore later "fixed up". 

Brad Trainham
 
On Sat, 4 Aug 2007 21:03:37 EDT, you wrote:

> 
>Rudy Ray Moore, who  did comedy, had a story 'bout the signifyin monkey, 
>Needless to say but it was  funny as h$%^. The monkey was always rhyming and 
>messin' with this lion,  generally giving him s#$%.
>I guess it means the monkey is sarcastic and had a way with words. For  what 
>that's worth.
>      Randy 
>In a message dated 8/4/2007 6:58:52 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
>garry@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
><fsstov@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> "I got to break up this  signifyin', 'cause somebody's got to go...."
>
>now that you mention it, i  always wondered what that word meant
>in this context.   anyone?
>
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