by west21345 October 4, 2009
Get the Thang mug.A misspelling and pervasive mispronunciation of "thing" – used by African Americans, some Caribbean Americans, and several "Black wannabe" Caucasians (i.e. Eminem) as a cultural identifier.
by Symchiatric July 30, 2008
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by DreamsL0ST January 22, 2005
Get the thang mug.by Anonymous August 16, 2003
Get the Thang mug.by F nevetS February 12, 2019
Get the Thang mug.Starting around 1990, roughly concurrent with the release of Spike Lee's seminal motion picture "MALCOLM X" and the dizzying successes of rap music stars, a t-shirt slogan started to appear which said; IT'S A BLACK THANG, Y'ALL, YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.
The word "thang", used in this context, was an Ebonicism used to refer specifically to a cultural meme or norm, which those who belonged to the special group-- in this case, African-Americans, would immediately recognize and understand... whilst those not belonging to this group (whites or non-blacks) would fail to understand, appreciate, or even recognize.
Thus, by extension, a "thang" is a folkway, meme, norm, predilection, code, shibboleth, artifact or behaviour exclusive to, or closely allied with, a particular sub-group of the larger populace.
The word "thang", used in this context, was an Ebonicism used to refer specifically to a cultural meme or norm, which those who belonged to the special group-- in this case, African-Americans, would immediately recognize and understand... whilst those not belonging to this group (whites or non-blacks) would fail to understand, appreciate, or even recognize.
Thus, by extension, a "thang" is a folkway, meme, norm, predilection, code, shibboleth, artifact or behaviour exclusive to, or closely allied with, a particular sub-group of the larger populace.
Upon entering a neighborhood bar traditionally frequented by the African-American community:
White wannabe-rapper: "Yo, what is up widdis? One jar at the end of the bar filled with pickled eggs and another one filled with pickled pig's feet? Yo, dass nasty!""
His Black buddy: "Man, it's a Black thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, during a moment of treasured understanding:
Straight guy: "Would you mind please telling me what IS it with you gays and Barbra Streisand?
Gay guy: "Oh, I guess it's a Queer thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, at a typical American High school:
High School Teacher A: "One of my students actually has a tattoo of a tiny black teardrop under his left eye! It's kinda creepy... What is THAT all about??"
High School Teacher B: "Yeah, well that's a Latino gang-banger thang. Supposedly it means they've offed someone."
White wannabe-rapper: "Yo, what is up widdis? One jar at the end of the bar filled with pickled eggs and another one filled with pickled pig's feet? Yo, dass nasty!""
His Black buddy: "Man, it's a Black thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, during a moment of treasured understanding:
Straight guy: "Would you mind please telling me what IS it with you gays and Barbra Streisand?
Gay guy: "Oh, I guess it's a Queer thang, you wouldn't understand."
Or, at a typical American High school:
High School Teacher A: "One of my students actually has a tattoo of a tiny black teardrop under his left eye! It's kinda creepy... What is THAT all about??"
High School Teacher B: "Yeah, well that's a Latino gang-banger thang. Supposedly it means they've offed someone."
by david lincoln brooks August 13, 2007
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