To shuck and jive" originally referred to the intentionally misleading words and actions that African-Americans would employ in order to deceive racist Euro-Americans in power, both during the period of slavery and afterwards. The expression was documented as being in wide usage in the 1920s, but may have originated much earlier.
"Shucking and jiving" was a tactic of both survival and resistance. A slave, for instance, could say eagerly, "Oh, yes, Master," and have no real intention to obey. Or an African-American man could pretend to be working hard at a task he was ordered to do, but might put up this pretense only when under observation. Both would be instances of "doin' the old shuck 'n jive."
It has been adopted into non-Afroamerican speech, with a reference to behavior adopted in order to avoid criticism.
"Shucking and jiving" was a tactic of both survival and resistance. A slave, for instance, could say eagerly, "Oh, yes, Master," and have no real intention to obey. Or an African-American man could pretend to be working hard at a task he was ordered to do, but might put up this pretense only when under observation. Both would be instances of "doin' the old shuck 'n jive."
It has been adopted into non-Afroamerican speech, with a reference to behavior adopted in order to avoid criticism.
by Dr. Mark January 20, 2010
by Editor9955 October 25, 2012
by Swarsfanatic June 26, 2005
Shuck: To get rid of, ditch, throw away. To try to shed your true image in favor of a false one.
Jive: Trying to adopt a new social status, pretending to be "all that" + a bag of pentium chips.
Jive: Trying to adopt a new social status, pretending to be "all that" + a bag of pentium chips.
by Snaggletoothed Fisherman October 12, 2005
to try and wank and be cool at the same time.
as chris rock once said somewhere (I can't remember where from) "Ain't no shuckin' and jivin'"
as chris rock once said somewhere (I can't remember where from) "Ain't no shuckin' and jivin'"
David: Did you see Lee in the club chasing away all the hotties?
Percy: Yeah man, niggah was shuckin' and jivin'.
Percy: Yeah man, niggah was shuckin' and jivin'.
by Lars May 15, 2005
by Mack C February 22, 2007
To sit around and bullshit with your coworkers instead of doing your assigned work; to slack off. Can be identified with the use of the term "oooooowwww ggggiiirrrrllll"
Tisha, Monica, and CiCi sat around the office shucking and jiving all afternoon after the boss left early.
by The Great POW October 4, 2006