ghetto lean?

January 14, 2013 1:41 PM

Is there a term for when someone leans very far back and extends their arm to drive?
posted by skwint to writing & language (16 answers total)

Detroit leaning. Made famous by Chrissie Hynde in her "Brass in Pocket" lyrics.
posted by in278s at 1:43 PM on January 14 [2 favorites]

Gangsta lean.
posted by nubianinthedesert at 1:43 PM on January 14 [8 favorites]

A universally-recognized one without a racial connotation?
posted by box at 1:53 PM on January 14 [2 favorites]

Detroit leaning. Made famous by Chrissie Hynde in her "Brass in Pocket" lyrics.

I think the term "gangsta lean" was famous long before then.

Old school William DeVaughn (often mistakenly attributed to Curtis Mayfield). Released in the early 1970s.
posted by fuse theorem at 1:54 PM on January 14 [4 favorites]

You gotta go with William DeVaughn on this. Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin the screen with a gangsta lean.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:54 PM on January 14 [7 favorites]

Gangsta lean has it, according to wikipedia.
posted by procrastination at 1:59 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]

It's "digging the scene with a gangsta lean," she says pedantically.
posted by Sidhedevil at 2:06 PM on January 14 [8 favorites]

What Is the ‘Detroit Leaning’ Referred to in the Pretenders’ ‘Brass in Pocket’? summarizes.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:45 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]

We call it 'driving like a bogan' here in Oz...
posted by geek anachronism at 4:52 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]

When it's done by an Italian -American in the NYC area this is sometimes called the "cugine lean."
posted by crankylex at 5:58 PM on January 14

Not knowing any Italian-American, how exactly do you pronounce that lean, crankylex?

• soo-gi-nay
• koo-gi-ney
• choo-jean
• kuh-gyn

etc. Many possibilities. Which?
posted by Rash at 7:24 PM on January 14

It's "digging the scene with a gangsta lean," she says pedantically

Once again autocorrect ruins it for me.

Cugine is kinda a version of Italian cugino meaning cousin. It's usually more like coo-zheen.
posted by Ad hominem at 7:33 PM on January 14 [1 favorite]

That was known as a "pimp lean," in 1980s-90s New Jersey, at any rate.
posted by chowflap at 8:19 PM on January 14

Used to be called 'the straight arm' technique I thought, but that was back in the day, before ricers and baseball caps worn back-to-front ...
posted by GeeEmm at 9:17 PM on January 14

Rash, I've always heard it pronounced like "koo-zheen."
posted by crankylex at 3:47 AM on January 15

I'm glad this got so many answers. haha. thanks everyone.
posted by skwint at 9:37 AM on April 2