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Ratchet: an Etymological Origin & Social Dispersion Theory

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Ratchet: an Etymological Origin & Social Dispersion Theory RATCHET: AN ETYMOLOGICAL ORIGIN & SOCIAL DISPERSION THEORY by CHRISTA A. RAMPLEY (Under the Direction of LEWIS C. HOWE) ABSTRACT Ratchet has received a tremendous amount of pop-culture attention within the last decade. Despite folkloric theories as to the origins of the term in the working-class black population of the Southern United States, this work presents evidence that showcases the development of ratchet within the chiefly white trucking community. From there, the word is traced through the ages, arriving and once again departing from the black community supposed to have proliferated the term, stopping by the LGBTQ community, and finally resting with the young, white middle- class. Attention is paid to the sociological implications of the word’s progression from an underground label to a mass-population phenomenon, including the various gender-specific, racially-charged, and class-based sentiments associated with its use. In summary, ratchet is evaluated for the multi-level appropriation of culture that it so accurately represents with special consideration to the concepts of language variation and both lexical and semantic change. INDEX WORDS: sociolinguistics, slang, etymology, dispersion, rap music, reality television, class, gender, race, African-American Vernacular English, AAVE RATCHET: AN ETYMOLOGICAL ORIGIN & SOCIAL DISPERSION THEORY by CHRISTA A. RAMPLEY BA, University of Georgia, 2013 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2017 © 2017 Christa A. Rampley All Rights Reserved RATCHET: AN ETYMOLOGICAL ORIGIN & SOCIAL DISPERSION THEORY by CHRISTA A. RAMPLEY Major Professor: Lewis C. Howe Committee: Fredric Dolezal Jonathan Evans Electronic Version Approved: Suzanne Barbour Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Ratchet ..................................................................................................1 2 Ratchet Folklore .............................................................................................................8 3 Etymological Origin of Ratchet ...................................................................................11 4 Pop-culture Etymology and Dispersion .......................................................................14 Pre-1990’s ..............................................................................................................14 1990’s .....................................................................................................................15 2000’s .....................................................................................................................18 Since 2010 ..............................................................................................................23 5 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................43 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................49 iv CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Ratchet As has been common in the development of English for centuries, borrowing and convergence from other languages or cultures provides much of Standard English production. These patterns of language transfer are still evident today in the United States, where borrowing of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is becoming increasingly popular among white youth (Sutton 1995). With the rise in popularity of black cultural phenomena, such as rap music, adoption of AAVE structure, phonological features, and lexical items have begun to permeate the speech of young white middle-class Americans (Sutton 1995). Of particular interest in this shift of dialect is the integration of particularly ‘black’ terms often associated with the lower-class black community. These terms, often dispersing from particular types of underground rap music, are explicit in their reference to gang activity, drug use, objectification of women, and general participation in a diverse and often illegal party scene. The world referenced in these lyrics, though frowned upon by majority society, is exalted by this style of music, leading to an idea of exclusivity and rebellion that many of America’s white youth revel in. Because of this, many lexical items from this seemingly underground culture have become prevalent in America’s majority culture. One such term, ratchet, has rapidly become a favorite among upper middle-class white females. As a member of the word classes adjective, noun, and verb, this word is used to denote a sense of ‘ghettoness.’ Being ‘ratchet’ is characterized by a loud, obnoxious demeanor, a lack of education, the use of seemingly outdated technology, and a particularly underprivileged look or 1 feel (Urban Dictionary 1999-2016). When applied to an event, such as a party, the meaning can range from “wild and crazy night out” to “the location of this party makes me uncomfortable.” As in: “Sarah: Hey Jessica, were you invited to Starr's ratchet party tonight? Jessica: Starr knows not to invite me, I'm not a ratchet, I wouldn't be caught dead shaking my booty in front of others.” (Urban Dictionary 2015) “I don’t like going over to Christina’s ratchet-ass house. Her neighbor tried to sell me crack last week!” When used to describe an object, the term typically refers to the malfunction or decrepitude of the object, such as older, not up-to-date technology. For example: “You still use a flip phone. That’s ratchet.” “girl: that is the most ratchet-ass car i've seen boy: i'm glad we dont have one like that” In reference to an older vehicle. (Urban Dictionary 1999-2016) In its most common form, as a significant of a type of female, ratchet typically refers to black women of a lower socioeconomic status, who are often seen as larger-bodied with “torn leggings,” “caked on make-up,” “8”” or higher heels, and large gold jewelry (Urban Dictionary 2 1999-2016). These women are described as having an uncouth manner of presenting themselves that is often culturally applied to their race and social class. As in: “God Damn! Look at that Ratchet ass bitch over there! [When] pointing out an extremely unattractive woman walking by in a Bikini too small for her body type and her tampon string hanging out.” (Urban Dictionary 1999-2016) "Ayy yo tell me why this bitch is down to let the whole team smash?!? Cause she ratchet..." (Urban Dictionary 1999-2016) Ratchet, much like better known derogatory terms for black people, describes a stereotype - a stereotype that seems to not only not fit in white society, but creates a sense of majority prestige in its use by white people. If media popularity is any indicator, the past ten years have seen the popularity of ratchet skyrocket, with previously small pockets of use expanding to include the masses. From rap music to modern sitcoms, the word is everywhere in contemporary media. The word is even facing backlash for its seemingly racial overtones. Theories abound as to the origins of ratchet, but how did this word truly come to be a recognized part of the American lexicon, and how did white middle-class Americans so quickly and efficiently infiltrate the ranks of ratchet? In order to answer this question, lexicographic etymological research constitutes a large portion of this work. Luckily, Zimmer & Carson (2013) laid out a small portion of the required research in their work with the newly fashionable terms of 2012. Within this work, an article for American Speech titled “Among The New Words,” Zimmer & Carson compare and contrast 3 many trendy terms that merged into common speech during 2012, including popular or newly coined terms, like YOLO “abbreviated phrase used as motto to encourage one to enjoy life” (2013: 211), mansplain “explain in a condescending manner to a woman” (2013: 200), phablet “midsized electronic device with the properties of both a mobile phone and a tablet computer” (2013: 206) and slut-shaming “publicly deriding women who engage in sexual activity” (2013: 209). Much of the data displayed by Zimmer & Carson relies heavily on the technological aspects of modern research techniques. In concern to ratchet, Zimmer & Carson seem to assume the mass propagation of the term to set its beginning, themselves claiming that “its origin is unclear” (2013:197). Because of this assumed timeline, their research barely scratches the surface of the term, dating only as far back as 1999. In fact, the lack of continuous research into the history of ratchet allows them to erroneously include the term in the list at all, as other resurgent terms are excluded due to their previous domains of use (2013: 196). In following only the majority use of ratchet Zimmer & Carson miss out on a large portion of the terms history and underlying social connotation, including the derogation implied towards black and lower-class communities. Following the research style laid out by Zimmer & Carson, modern technology, such as social media platforms, blogs, and user-submitted dictionaries, are cited frequently in this work. Of these, Urban Dictionary, created by Aaron Peckman, proves to be one of the most useful. Used both in this work and the definition provided by Zimmer & Carson (2013), Urban Dictionary has become an extremely useful tool in not only defining slang terms but retrieving information on public opinions and usage (Demaso & Cotter 2007). These sources
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