Izand hizow mizany izothers izknew izit?
January 25, 2011 8:06 PM
Hizave yizou izever tizalked lizike thizis? Whizat dizid yizou cizall thizis lizanguizage?
I mean the name you used for it if you learned it as a kid, as I did. I thought maybe there was another name for it, because Google is getting me nowhere. I started the search to find out how well-known it is, wondering how "secure" it is to use when office gossips are within earshot, etc., so could you please let me know if you know it, and if you know many others who do.
I'm aware of the prominent musician who has been said to use this, but- as far as I can tell what he does is NOT exactly the same language we used to use.
I mean the name you used for it if you learned it as a kid, as I did. I thought maybe there was another name for it, because Google is getting me nowhere. I started the search to find out how well-known it is, wondering how "secure" it is to use when office gossips are within earshot, etc., so could you please let me know if you know it, and if you know many others who do.
I'm aware of the prominent musician who has been said to use this, but- as far as I can tell what he does is NOT exactly the same language we used to use.
In linguistic circles, it is known as iz-infixation. I don't know if your version varies from the version used in hip-hop circles over the past few decades, but it looks the same from your example.
Here is an overview of it.
And here is a more in-depth analysis of it (pp. 159-172).
posted by kosmonaut at 8:12 PM on January 25, 2011
Here is an overview of it.
And here is a more in-depth analysis of it (pp. 159-172).
posted by kosmonaut at 8:12 PM on January 25, 2011
Nubbo, bubbut ubbi hubbave tubbalked lubbike thubbis. Obviously a different "language" (Ubbi Dubbi from the TV show zoom), but the same rule of inserting a repetitive sound before each vowel. The only question I can answer is how secure it is: I've found, after months of use in middle school, that outsiders generally can't tell what you are saying. However, once they learn the rules it's really easy to decipher.
posted by pintapicasso at 8:12 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by pintapicasso at 8:12 PM on January 25, 2011
If it helps you search, Wikipedia would call that "Gibberish (language game)", though your particular version isn't given, and honestly I find that to be kind of a weird entry.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by unknowncommand at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2011
Have a look at the Wikipedia page on language games. It appears yours fits in the "gibberish family"
posted by lollusc at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by lollusc at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2011
I should add that I think anybody under the age of 35 is sure to at least be familiar with it (thanks to hip-hop).
posted by kosmonaut at 8:14 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by kosmonaut at 8:14 PM on January 25, 2011
My father taught this to me when I was little, and he referred to it as "carnival talk". I have no idea if that's what it is actually called. It was just as you described.
posted by delicate_dahlias at 8:17 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by delicate_dahlias at 8:17 PM on January 25, 2011
Ok I'll go ahead and say we called it fly-talk. You guys really think "anybody under 35" knows it, as kosmonaut says? It pretty well flummoxes my nieces.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 8:19 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 8:19 PM on January 25, 2011
It's a variant of Ubbi Dubbi, which is similar to Ippish, Oppish, and Ibbish.
posted by stefanie at 8:20 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by stefanie at 8:20 PM on January 25, 2011
UgI lugearned sugomethuging slugightlugy dugiffigerugent ugovuger hugere.
I always thought it a variant on Pig Latin. My grandma and my mom would talk to each other in Yiddish. My mom didn't want to have to teach me Yiddish, but she still wanted a "secret" language so she could make fun of people to me when in public. *sigh*
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2011
I always thought it a variant on Pig Latin. My grandma and my mom would talk to each other in Yiddish. My mom didn't want to have to teach me Yiddish, but she still wanted a "secret" language so she could make fun of people to me when in public. *sigh*
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2011
stefanie: neat! I guess my mom's variant would be Uggi Duggi, then!
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 8:29 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 8:29 PM on January 25, 2011
Ivits sivort ivof livike hivorse livativin, yivused bivy Rivichivard Bivach. Bivut yivou hivave tivo divo ivit ivaftiver iveviverivy sivyllivabivle, ivor bivefivore iveviverivy vivowivel.
posted by limeonaire at 8:33 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by limeonaire at 8:33 PM on January 25, 2011
I think I know what you're talking about, more or less, and it's not Snoop Dogg style talking.
My dad taught my brother and I "Ob" language. In "Ob" language, you insert "ob" before every vowel sound. Sobo obit goboes kobind obof lobike thobis. Obaftober yobou lobistoben tobo obit fobor obawhobile, yobour brobain bobecomes youbused tobo obit, oband yobou coban obundoberstoband obit probettoby wobell.
Then, based on that model, my brother and I invented a number of variations, like "ex" language Same as "ob", but instead, use "ex". It's a very sexy language. That's the main variant I remember, but there were others we tried, like "ik" language, and a few others.
I don't know what you call those languages -- they're sort of like a more obscure, less obvious variant of pig-latin.
posted by smcameron at 8:34 PM on January 25, 2011
My dad taught my brother and I "Ob" language. In "Ob" language, you insert "ob" before every vowel sound. Sobo obit goboes kobind obof lobike thobis. Obaftober yobou lobistoben tobo obit fobor obawhobile, yobour brobain bobecomes youbused tobo obit, oband yobou coban obundoberstoband obit probettoby wobell.
Then, based on that model, my brother and I invented a number of variations, like "ex" language Same as "ob", but instead, use "ex". It's a very sexy language. That's the main variant I remember, but there were others we tried, like "ik" language, and a few others.
I don't know what you call those languages -- they're sort of like a more obscure, less obvious variant of pig-latin.
posted by smcameron at 8:34 PM on January 25, 2011
Based on stefanie's link, my "ob" languages is apparently called "Obbish."
posted by smcameron at 8:36 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by smcameron at 8:36 PM on January 25, 2011
My friends and I called this "doubletalk" (alternately, "doublespeak") and we had a lot of different syllables we used, including "iz", "ug", and "udug" (which made every word really long to say...dudugoo yudugoo knudugow dudugoubletudugalk?).
I don't know if the name "doubletalk" went much beyond my elementary school, but I was born in 1985 and grew up in an LA suburb.
posted by little light-giver at 8:43 PM on January 25, 2011
I don't know if the name "doubletalk" went much beyond my elementary school, but I was born in 1985 and grew up in an LA suburb.
posted by little light-giver at 8:43 PM on January 25, 2011
When I was a kid (early 80s), pig Latin used allaba, ellebe, illibi, ollobo, ullubu for vowels. Sollobo illibit soullabounded allabot lilliabike thillibis. Millabi nielabieces calaban't ulllubunderstallaband allaba worlabord olloabof allabany ollabof illabit.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:44 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:44 PM on January 25, 2011
I grew up knowing a slight variation of that as "Gibberish". I think our infixing syllable was "op" and not "iz". I remember being mystified as a kid - there was definitely a point where I had figured out the rules of pig-latin, but couldn't for the life of me untangle "gibberish".
"Iz" is probably a lot more recoginzable to people from 13-40 because of its use in hiphop over the last decade. But if your nieces are, like, 5 and 7, that probably doesn't mean anything to them yet.
posted by Sara C. at 8:50 PM on January 25, 2011
"Iz" is probably a lot more recoginzable to people from 13-40 because of its use in hiphop over the last decade. But if your nieces are, like, 5 and 7, that probably doesn't mean anything to them yet.
posted by Sara C. at 8:50 PM on January 25, 2011
Where I grew up we called it Gibberish also, and did it like this:
M-ana-gary h-ana-gad a-naga li-ne-gittle l-ana-gam
I-ne-gits fle-ne-geece w-ana-gaz whi-ne-gite ana-as sno-no-gow
posted by stray at 9:08 PM on January 25, 2011
M-ana-gary h-ana-gad a-naga li-ne-gittle l-ana-gam
I-ne-gits fle-ne-geece w-ana-gaz whi-ne-gite ana-as sno-no-gow
posted by stray at 9:08 PM on January 25, 2011
The first Sweet Valley Twins book that I ever read was based on the premise of the twins' secret language (Ithig) getting out and becoming a craze in their school. Ithigi trithigied tithigo tithigalk lithigike thithigem fithigor withigeeks.
I've never been able to speak any of these languages fast enough for them to be any use.
posted by Fuego at 9:15 PM on January 25, 2011
I've never been able to speak any of these languages fast enough for them to be any use.
posted by Fuego at 9:15 PM on January 25, 2011
I stand corrected: It appears that for the most part Snoop Dog DOES use the language as I used it. There are aberrations though, which threw me off in my short sample. One thing's for sure: he didn't invent it, as much of the internet thinks he does.
There may be many who are familiar with this from hip-hop, but I wonder if they're really fluent with it (as opposed to just being aware that Snoop says some words with a funny Z sound) Here's hoping he didn't spoil it.
There was a guy in my office once, 35 years old at least, who could not understand pig latin no matter how explicitly we explained it to him. One can only imagine what torments he went through as a kid.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 9:26 PM on January 25, 2011
There may be many who are familiar with this from hip-hop, but I wonder if they're really fluent with it (as opposed to just being aware that Snoop says some words with a funny Z sound) Here's hoping he didn't spoil it.
There was a guy in my office once, 35 years old at least, who could not understand pig latin no matter how explicitly we explained it to him. One can only imagine what torments he went through as a kid.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 9:26 PM on January 25, 2011
Please, age is not a factor here. I'm 44 and have understood Pig Latin for a long time. As for infixes, they've been around for quite a while too - just look at the Fat Albert cartoon, there was a character -- Mushmouth -- who (as wikipedia puts it) "always spoke in virtual Ubbi Dubbi". I never had a problem understanding him, even as a child.
So as for security, I wouldn't bet on your officemates not understanding what you're saying. Some people are very good at deciphering what's being said without even trying.
posted by patheral at 9:39 PM on January 25, 2011
So as for security, I wouldn't bet on your officemates not understanding what you're saying. Some people are very good at deciphering what's being said without even trying.
posted by patheral at 9:39 PM on January 25, 2011
google for the song "Double Dutch Bus" if you don't know it already.
posted by gnutron at 9:53 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by gnutron at 9:53 PM on January 25, 2011
British comic Professor Stanley Unwin had his own version, Unwinese. Here's him doing it to the musical stylings of world music collective Suns of Arqa.
posted by Abiezer at 9:54 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 9:54 PM on January 25, 2011
Wope hopad "op-talk". OpI thopink wope oporopigopinopallopy gopot opit fropom mopy fropiend's fopathoper, whopo wopas fopond opof thope wopord "popopopadopopopolopis" opin opit.
posted by Because at 10:12 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by Because at 10:12 PM on January 25, 2011
delicate_dahlias: "My father taught this to me when I was little, and he referred to it as "carnival talk". I have no idea if that's what it is actually called."
Yes.
posted by Rat Spatula at 10:51 PM on January 25, 2011
Yes.
posted by Rat Spatula at 10:51 PM on January 25, 2011
Ibi libearnibed thibis vibaribiibant fribom miby mibothiber. She called it "dibubble tibalk".
posted by polymath at 10:58 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by polymath at 10:58 PM on January 25, 2011
My late grandmother, who grew up in Chicago in the early 1900s, simply called it Pig Latin, but it was the infixing kind, like Ubbi Dubbi, etc., not the ig-Pay atin-Lay that most people associate with Pig Latin. Only in her infixolect, the syllable was "egg," and the syllable break was always at the "ay" sound, with the g picking up the next syllable, so that "bye" was "bay-guy," and "interesting" was "yay-ghin-tay-gher-ray-guess-tay-ghing," for instance. My speech teacher in high school spoke an "op" variant of this, and I quickly learned how to substitute "op" for "egg" in all of this. Whey-gut fay-gun!
posted by kentk at 11:31 PM on January 25, 2011
posted by kentk at 11:31 PM on January 25, 2011
This affection when used in hip-hop evolved from a utilitarian function. In addition to sounding "cool"/different, it adds one or more syllables to a word. In a poetic form where the cadence is so important, adding a syllable here or there to get it perfect can be the difference between something great and something lame.
When considering freestyling (extemporaneously performing verse), one could see adding an "iz" here or there as a tool to ensure that unprepared or unpracticed lines match up with the patterns you'd like to effect. This goes back to the very early days of hip-hop.
Then, well, it sounds cool and it's a "thing", and people inject it into non-freestyle situations. (Then Das EFX comes out, adds wriggedy-wrek and close variants three times in every single line of every song, and... well, it still sounds cool.)
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 11:50 PM on January 25, 2011
When considering freestyling (extemporaneously performing verse), one could see adding an "iz" here or there as a tool to ensure that unprepared or unpracticed lines match up with the patterns you'd like to effect. This goes back to the very early days of hip-hop.
Then, well, it sounds cool and it's a "thing", and people inject it into non-freestyle situations. (Then Das EFX comes out, adds wriggedy-wrek and close variants three times in every single line of every song, and... well, it still sounds cool.)
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 11:50 PM on January 25, 2011
Also: the earliest use of izzle related things in hip-hop that I can think of would be Biz Markie (late 80s), but I was sure it predated that, so I looked it up on wikipedia and found this. (quoting):
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 12:04 AM on January 26, 2011
Popularized by rap artist Snoop Dogg, from a style of cant (esoteric slang) used by African American pimps and jive hustlers of the 1970’s. The “-iz, -izzle, -izzo, -ilz” speak, similar in some ways to Pig Latin, was developed by African Americans around the period of the Harlem Renaissance, with hotspots of the speak in Oakland, New York City, and Philadelphia. It was partially developed as young African American girls improvised chants and nursery rhymes while jumping rope, with the -iz dialect serving to add syllables when necessary to maintain the rhythm. A similar -iz dialect has also been used by carnies (carnival workers).Unsourced, but plausible.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 12:04 AM on January 26, 2011
patheral: "just look at the Fat Albert cartoon, there was a character -- Mushmouth -- who (as wikipedia puts it) "always spoke in virtual Ubbi Dubbi"."
Not only that, but the iz version reminded me of how Bill Cosby sometimes spoke to be silly on The Cosby Show. Like imitating how he might sound after the dentist in the episode where they take Peter to the dentist.
posted by IndigoRain at 12:58 AM on January 26, 2011
Not only that, but the iz version reminded me of how Bill Cosby sometimes spoke to be silly on The Cosby Show. Like imitating how he might sound after the dentist in the episode where they take Peter to the dentist.
posted by IndigoRain at 12:58 AM on January 26, 2011
Bootsy Collins also popularized iz'ing up the language, prior to hiphop and Snoop's massive revival of it.
posted by yeloson at 1:38 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by yeloson at 1:38 AM on January 26, 2011
My gradeschool friends and I took it up a notch by using both infix AND Pig Latin to make it extra uncrackable. And reeeally long to get out each sentence: oggudop-taggaday eegedee-reccedet-sagadau.
Now I will be killed.
posted by Pomo at 2:30 AM on January 26, 2011
Now I will be killed.
posted by Pomo at 2:30 AM on January 26, 2011
In my part of the UK, growing up, known in my family as eggy-weggy language.
Heggave yeggou eggevegger teggalkegged leggike theggis?
Only slight difference from yours, apart from substitution of -egg- for -iz- is the use before all conceivable vowels, e.g. teggalkegged.
posted by londongeezer at 4:15 AM on January 26, 2011
Heggave yeggou eggevegger teggalkegged leggike theggis?
Only slight difference from yours, apart from substitution of -egg- for -iz- is the use before all conceivable vowels, e.g. teggalkegged.
posted by londongeezer at 4:15 AM on January 26, 2011
If someone did this at my office, a) loads of people would know what they were saying and b) everyone else would make fun of them.
At least, if my 4th-grade experiences are anything to go by.
(My mom and stepdad used Spanish for this, which is why my Spanish vocabulary is better than my high school curriculum would suggest.)
posted by SMPA at 4:18 AM on January 26, 2011
At least, if my 4th-grade experiences are anything to go by.
(My mom and stepdad used Spanish for this, which is why my Spanish vocabulary is better than my high school curriculum would suggest.)
posted by SMPA at 4:18 AM on January 26, 2011
I've always been under the impression that that specific form of iz-infixing was called "Double Dutch," based on the song "Double Dutch Bus."
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:33 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:33 AM on January 26, 2011
Op-talk is also featured in a Baby-Sitters Club book, which is how I learned it.
posted by naoko at 6:44 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by naoko at 6:44 AM on January 26, 2011
Yes, londongeezer, agi hagavage talkaged lagikage thagat, except my mum (who learned it at school in the sixties) called it hagey-pagey. The g has the same sound as in 'egg', and the a is like 'eh', so it looks more confusing when written down, but I'm pretty sure it's the same as your eggy weggy language.
posted by Lebannen at 7:02 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by Lebannen at 7:02 AM on January 26, 2011
Another vote for Ob.
posted by runningwithscissors at 7:10 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by runningwithscissors at 7:10 AM on January 26, 2011
My brother and I used to talk exactly the way you describe every now and then. We were probably about 10 when Snoop started doing this in music videos which is (obv.) where we picked it up. We didn't have a name for the 'language'.
posted by PercussivePaul at 7:23 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by PercussivePaul at 7:23 AM on January 26, 2011
These things fascinate me, because I just can't comprehend how anyone speaks them. I mean, I can sit and read the rule and understand how it works, but my brain just won't put it together as a speaking language (and I'm not a total languages dunce, I've studied a few with reasonable success).
As an aside, someone is now running a rather charming Stanley Unwin Twitter feed.
posted by penguin pie at 7:31 AM on January 26, 2011
As an aside, someone is now running a rather charming Stanley Unwin Twitter feed.
posted by penguin pie at 7:31 AM on January 26, 2011
Count me in for the ob variant of this, and we called it "ob language." We did pig latin, too.
posted by marginaliana at 9:31 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by marginaliana at 9:31 AM on January 26, 2011
I spent a semester in England in 1992, and I was amazed that no natives that I asked had heard of Pig Latin before.
Also, as a kid I learned Turkey Talk (details forgotten, just the name) in grade school, plus a few others, all probably from PBS shows like "1-2-3 Contact."
posted by wenestvedt at 9:54 AM on January 26, 2011
Also, as a kid I learned Turkey Talk (details forgotten, just the name) in grade school, plus a few others, all probably from PBS shows like "1-2-3 Contact."
posted by wenestvedt at 9:54 AM on January 26, 2011
My younger sister and a couple of her friends did this with the syllable "luf" and called it "doubletalk", during the late 80s in northern California. "Howlufow arlufar yolufu dolufoing tolufodalafay?" Totally incomprehensible at first, but practically transparent once you understand the pattern.
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:16 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:16 AM on January 26, 2011
In Yorkshire as a preteen in the 1970s, I talked Aggy with my friend Tracey:
"Dago yagou lagike magee?"
"Shagall wagee gago tagoo thage pagark?"
I thought we made it up a really special secret language, but it's interesting to see the variations! I didn't know what pig Latin was until much later.
I also had a teenage boyfriend who spoke what he called "butcher's back slang" (he was a trainee butcher). So "bald bastard" was "d-lab dratsab."
posted by vickyverky at 12:43 PM on January 26, 2011
"Dago yagou lagike magee?"
"Shagall wagee gago tagoo thage pagark?"
I thought we made it up a really special secret language, but it's interesting to see the variations! I didn't know what pig Latin was until much later.
I also had a teenage boyfriend who spoke what he called "butcher's back slang" (he was a trainee butcher). So "bald bastard" was "d-lab dratsab."
posted by vickyverky at 12:43 PM on January 26, 2011
My stepdad called this "carney talk" in the 70s/80s in California. I learned to speak it when I was about 12. Definitely a variant on Pig Latin, and I HAVE heard carnival/state fair workers using this when they didn't want you to know what they were saying. Would not be surprised if Snoop picked it up or heard about it during those same years.
posted by polly_dactyl at 2:25 PM on January 26, 2011
posted by polly_dactyl at 2:25 PM on January 26, 2011
I learned this (with the Zs) from my Iranian father, who called it "Zagari" (I have no idea if that spelling would be close, but that's what it's always sounded like to me). Dad seemed to think that no one else could understand it (and we did speak it fast, so maybe they couldn't...often) and used it talk about the neighbors while they were around.
posted by devotion+doubt at 10:03 AM on January 28, 2011
posted by devotion+doubt at 10:03 AM on January 28, 2011
Just in case you're still reading this: The earliest usage of it I'm aware of is by professional wrestlers, going as far back as the thirties and forties at least. There's no specific word for it. Some wrestlers called it Z-talk. The idea was that they needed to be able to communicate with each other without the rubes catching on, so instead of saying, "Duck my next move," they would say, "Dizuck my nizext mizove."
I believe it originated with carnies, or at least that's where it found the most traction.
And now you know.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 7:45 PM on November 29, 2011
I believe it originated with carnies, or at least that's where it found the most traction.
And now you know.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 7:45 PM on November 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Obscure Reference at 8:08 PM on January 25, 2011