Slang Editorial :: Never Underestimate The Value Of A Holla'

Wednesday, August 05, 2009
"Growerage": Word/Grammar Uses Of Which I Am Not A Fan

After this unofficial inauguration by the godhead of exasperatingly senseless word drivel, "grower", what follows is the first entry of a new series whereby I reference briefly words or conventions of modern parlance that I find tiresome or even annoying. These entries will henceforth be known as "Growerage".

Today's entry:

"To bite"

Neither, of course, to "bite into a tomato", nor "biting" as in "cutting/sarcastic", but to "rip off another person's style, especially with respect to music or fashion. From early hip-hop culture" (according to the most commonly sanctioned definition in the populace-approved Urban Dictionary).

Example: "And it also doesn't bother me that [Jay-Z is] biting Jeezy's flow"

Tom Breihan, rap writer for Pitchfork and the Village Voice, is a lover of the term and one of its most egregious abusers (above quote was his, as also here and here, etc).

Why don't I like it?

1) Too cute. I can visualize a writer grinning as he pounds it out on his keyboard, excitedly thinking to himself (usually men are the only ones who use this term), "Yeah THAT'S RIGHT!" There's also something about its usage that feels awkwardly forced and too un-selfaware, like, "Using this term proves both my credibility and wit to my audience of readers."

2) Literally speaking, the term is too much of a stretch for it to feel like a logical and natural shorthard for copying. Just as "moving his arm quickly" does not lead to "gets in fights", biting does not get me to stealing.

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Yep, I'm a crotchety dick. I implore you to begin filling storage closests with diary entries on my own obnoxious writing choices.

Labels: case studies, Growerage

posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 8/05/2009 04:29:00 PM 0 comments

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