Date:  Fri, 26 Jan 1996 16:59:38 -0500

From:  Donna Metcalf <Ddonna[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>

Subject: Re: street slang



I teach at a small, private, alternative high school where we have some

"African American urban youth" who definintely be talkin the street talk.

This morning I asked two of them about your expression.

Jimmie White said, "It mean a lot of things." First he said it means stick up

or rob. He explained that if he has a gun and says break yourself it means

"give me your money, your rings, like another word for stick 'em up." I asked

him what if the person being robbed had no idea what this expression meant

and he laughed and said he would then say, "Empty your pockets, fool."

He said it was an everyday word. It also means better yourself, as in "Better

break yourself before you wreck yourself."

I walked up to the second student and simply said, "Break yourself." He gave

me a very funny look, reached into his pocket, and handed me a big wad of

bills. (I asked no questions) Then we talked about the expression. He said,

"When you're getting jacked or something." And said the translation of jacked

was robbed, of course. He also said the second meaning was "Break your ways

and do better...buckle down." This student said the first meaning is more

common.

Donna Metcalf

Note: Jacksonville is not an urban area, rather a small town in central

Illinois. However, I also teach at our local prison and think these kids in

our school talk much like the students there, and they are mostly from

Chicago.