Wanted: Ebonics Translator for Federal DEA Job

abcnews ^ | Aug. 23 ,2010 | SARAH NETTER

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The U.S. Department of Justice is looking for fluent Ebonics speakers to fill nine drug enforcement jobs, giving merit to a dialect that experts say is often mimicked and little understood.

The federal Drug Enforcment Administration translators would work out of the Atlanta field office according to a Justice Department request, posted online today by The Smoking Gun.

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From 23-April-2010 (didn't see it posted)

No...it's not the from the Onion

[mozarky2]

Why were there only 49 contestants in the Miss Ebonics Pageant?

[Tigerized]

Too bad Barbara Billingsly has passed.

She was fluent in Jive, closely related to Ebonics.

[N. Theknow]

Why were there only 49 contestants in the Miss Ebonics Pageant?

No one wanted to enter as Miss Idaho?

[hosepipe]

"fluent Ebonics speakers"... LoL.. now thats funny..
A Mega-Oxymoronic reference if thats even possible..

[cripplecreek]

Fo’shizzle?

[hosepipe]

Idaho.... LoL...

[org.whodat]

Yo ho, what da de ja pa

[Paladin2]

Zero don’t B from da ‘hood.

[ladyL]

This stuff is serious. In 1976, Dekalb Co. Georgia School Board considered making EBONICS a recognized language. They were toying with Ebonic classes to learn the language.

Uhmmm is this racist?

[Nevadan]

No problem! Just check out the easy Ebonics translator website: http://www.joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp

[aliquando]

Fo’ shizzle my nizzle!

[Da Coyote]

Idiocracy.

It isn’t a movie.

It’s a forecast.

[Cicero]

Urban dictionary:

“fo shizzle ma nizzle” is a bastardization of “fo’ sheezy mah neezy” which is a bastardization of “for sure mah nigga” which is a bastdardization of “I concur with you whole heartedly my African american brother”

Can I apply for the job?

[muawiyah]

“shizzle” is from some other language ~ which is funny about that whole schtick. All the guy did is pick up a bunch of words from elsewhere ~ just like The Simpsons. All that “Okilydokily” sort of thing is honest to goodness Mingo!

[Just another Joe]

Let me see if I qualify?

"How are yopu this morning?"
"how iz ya dis here morning? don't make me shank ya!"

"I'm going to kick your ass!"
"I'm going ta smoke yo' ass! and git Sheniquah's ass back ova' heeah."

"Let's buy a bottle of liquor."
"Let'sgank uh bottle o' King Colt. sho 'nuff!"

[Celtic Cross]

"giving merit to a dialect that experts say is often mimicked and little understood"

Dialect? Its not a dialect, its ignorant mumbo-jumbo from people who don't know how to speak the King's English.

And is there such a thing as an 'ebonics expert'?

[warchild9]

Language reflects cognition.

[EGPWS]

Stanford University professor of linguistics, has described it as “Black English” and noted that “Ebonics pronunciation includes features like the omission of the final consonant in words like ‘past’ (pas’ ) and ‘hand’ (han’), the pronunciation of the th in ‘bath’ as t (bat) or f (baf), and the pronunciation of the vowel in words like ‘my’ and ‘ride’ as a long ah (mah, rahd).”