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Shuckin' and jivin' (or shucking and jiving) is slang for joking and acting evasively in the presence of an authoritative figure.^[1] It usually involves clever lies and impromptu storytelling, to one-up an opponent or avoid punishment. In Ribbin', Jivin', and Playin' the Dozens: The Persistent Dilemma in Our Schools, Herbert L. Foster writes: "Shuckin' and jivin' is a verbal and physical technique some blacks use to avoid difficulty, to accommodate some authority figure, and in the extreme, to save a life or to save oneself from being beaten physically or psychologically."^[2]^[3]

Origin

According to the linguist Barbara Ann Kipfer, the origins of the phrase may be traced to when "black slaves sang and shouted gleefully during corn-shucking season, and this behavior, along with lying and teasing, became a part of the protective and evasive behavior normally adopted toward white people."^[4]

According to the 1994 book by Clarence Major, Juba to Jive: A Dictionary of African-American Slang, "shuck and jive" dates back to the 1870s and was an "originally southern 'Negro' expression for clowning, lying, pretense".^[5]^[6]

Racial overtones

The use of the phrase in modern American politics has generated charges of racism, especially as such usage increased since 2008 and is usually directed at African-American figures. In 2008, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was criticized for saying of the Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama, who was running against Cuomo's favored Hillary Clinton: "You can't shuck and jive at a press conference." Roland Martin of CNN said that "'Shucking and jiving' have long been words used as a negative assessment of African Americans, along the lines of a 'foot-shufflin' Negro."^[6] Similarly, on October 25, 2012, the former Republican Party vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin generated controversy when she stated: "President Obama's shuck-and-jive shtick with these Benghazi lies must end."^[7]^[8]

In September 2013, Rush Limbaugh referred to President Barack Obama's strategy on Syria as "Operation Shuck and Jive". He was criticized by Joan Walsh, Salon's editor-at-large, as "a racist troll".^[9]

At the 2008 ESPY Awards, Justin Timberlake used the phrase to compliment the agile play of African-American basketball player Paul Pierce. This segment was cut out of the broadcast by ESPN due to "the phrase's racial overtones".^[10]

In media

Shuckin' and Jivin': Folklore from Contemporary Black Americans is a 1981 book by Daryl Cumber Dance.^[11]^[12]
"Mr. Shuck ‘n’ Jive" is a song written by Jimmy Webb for Art Garfunkel's 1977 album Watermark. The lyrics refer to an old friend telling far-fetched stories of past glory and their current diminished state.
- A cover was released in 1981 by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson for their joint album WWII.

References

^ Linn, Michael D. (1975). "Black Rhetorical Patterns and the Teaching of Composition". College Composition and Communication. 26 (2): 149–153. doi:10.2307/357106. JSTOR 357106.
^ Foster, Herbert L. (1990). Ribbin', Jivin', and Playin' the Dozens: The Persistent Dilemma in Our Schools. Herbert L. Foster Associates, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-9624847-0-4.
^ Reeve, Elspeth (October 24, 2012). "Was It Racist for Palin to Accuse Obama of 'Shuck and Jive'?". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
^ Kipfer, Barbara Ann; Chapman, Robert L. (October 19, 2010). American Slang (4th ed.). Harper Collins. p. 438. ISBN 978-0-06-204324-5.
^ Major, Clarence (1994). Juba to Jive: A Dictionary of African-American Slang. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-051306-6.
^ ^a ^b Martin, Roland (January 11, 2008). "Martin: 'Shucking and jiving' and the campaign trail". CNN. Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
^ Palin, Sarah (October 24, 2012). "Palin: Obama's Shuck and Jive Ends with Benghazi Lies". Fox Nation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
^ Condon, Stephanie (October 25, 2012). "Palin says her critique of Obama wasn't racist". CBS News. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
^ Gold, Hadas (September 9, 2013). "Joan Walsh: Limbaugh a 'racist troll'". Politico. 'Bush had Shock and Awe? We're looking at shuck and jive here. That's what I'm gonna name this. The Obama operation in Syria, Operation Shuck and Jive, because that's what this is.'
^ Daulerio, A. J. (July 23, 2008). "ESPN Mum About Timberlake Shuckin' And Jivin' Comments". Deadspin.
^ Dance, Daryl Cumber (1981). Shuckin' and Jivin': Folklore from Contemporary Black Americans. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-20265-5.
^ Mullen, Patrick B. (1981). "Shuckin' and Jivin': Folklore from Contemporary Black Americans by Daryl Cumber Dance". The Journal of American Folklore. 94 (371): 119–120. doi:10.2307/540792. JSTOR 540792.