A hairstyle originating in
Africa, done by tightly twisting the hair until the strands lock together.
The name "Dreadlocks" originated on European slave-ships during the middle passage.
The white crews would bring the enslaved Africans up on
deck to wash them off. They saw that the
thick Hair of the Africans, full of vomit, blood, and shit, had matted into "dreadful locks".
It is therefore offensive and incorrect to refer to the dolltails worn by ignorant white children as Dreadlocks.
White child: "Hey man, what do you
think of my Dreadlocks?"
"I
think they're very useful as a visual indicator of your ignorance. I will now avoid you forever."