The vowel sound in joint is a diphthong, meaning its two smaller vowel sounds that act like a single vowel sound. Linguists have long been fascinated by the peculiar mid-Atlantic mutations of words such as water and creek (in Philadelphia parlance, wooder and crick) and an unusual lexicon that includes words such as hoagie and jimmies (a sub sandwich and sprinkles, respectively), but nothing has captivated them quite like jawn., The word jawn is unlike any other English word. Yes, popular slang words beloved by millennials like "binge-watch" and "woo-woo" have been added to the definitive book of words, but what about the slang popping up in your DMs? The search algorithm handles phrases and strings of words quite well, so for example if you want words that are related to lol and rofl you can type in lol rofl and it should give you a pile of related slang terms. Definitions include: the current location. High quality Jawn-inspired gifts and merchandise. Really, anything? In Philly you can say I have a lot of jawn to do for school, says Jones. You can tell the general education level of the user of said word by how many times they use it in a sentence. By . The Urban Thesaurus was created by indexing millions of different slang terms which are defined on sites like Urban Dictionary. Noun. But what does this Philly slang word even mean? You can even buy a t-shirt that celebrates its contribution to a local delicacy, or one that marries two of our greatest accomplishments: Wawa and the word. Do We Really Care What Mark Ruffalo Thinks About Helen Gym? Due to the way the algorithm works, the thesaurus gives you mostly related slang words, rather than exact synonyms. As you've probably noticed, the slang synonyms for "term" are listed above. She didnt have to name the thing in question, but her tone or eye contact let me know exactly what she was talking about every time. Jawn (rhymes with fawn, dawn, etc.) jawn A word used in Philadelphia to describe any noun whose appropriate word could not be recalled by the brain in the necessary time. For a lot of the words in our vernacular, we may not have delved into a meaning, but the sounds are important to us, he continued. These indexes are then used to find usage correlations between slang terms. Used particularly in reference to a physical object which is either difficult for the speaker to describe or in cases where the word used to describe the object in question is much longer than the one-syllable " jawn ." Reserved for romantic relationships. The joint constrains the motion of two bodies to pure rotation along a common axis. Hence: joint becomes jawn.. Definitions include: the potential of facilitating one's meeting of other people. To learn more, see the privacy policy. Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. It is an all-purpose noun, a stand-in for inanimate objects, abstract concepts, events, places, individual people, and groups of people. This idea of "meeting" eventually led to "joint" being used to refer to disreputable places where criminals met: It could be when Bryce Harper wears his Clearwooder t-shirt. No, never heard it before. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. The definition broadened in the American South around the time of emancipation, with the prominence of juke joints, bars and clubs that served as safe spaces for black Americans to come together and hang out. At some point in the 1970s, Philadelphia coined the all-encompassing noun "jawn.". The magic of jawn is that, for some reason, theres always an understanding of what it is referring to. The specific lengthening of aw in Philadelphia is possibly because of the one major similarity that Philadelphia has with New York, linguistically: ah sounds are often changed to an exaggerated aw, in words like caught. (New Yorkers are more extreme, with their cauu-ffee, but Philadelphians do this, too.) Why Is Memphis Called Grind City? - CLJ We think you'll like it. Note that this thesaurus is not in any way affiliated with Urban Dictionary. Jawn is Philadelphia slang for anything literally anything. 2. jawn- noun: literally can mean anything. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Both my parents used it, and still do something remarkable, considering how quickly slang tends to cycles into and out of use from one generation to the next. Though jawn has become part of our regions shared culture, it will always carry a deeper meaning to the Black community. All rights reserved, Sixers to Donate $760 Per Assist to Philly Gun Violence Prevention During Playoffs, Police ID 2 Persons of Interest in Triple Homicidein Philadelphia, Mark Your Calendars: These Festivals Are Coming to the Philly Area This Spring, Bryce Harper Cleared to Return to Phillies Lineup, Source Says. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. This is the joint recorded by bandleader Cab Calloway in his 1939 Hepcat Dictionary, under the entry for "joint is jumping" (Calloway defines that phrase as "the place is lively"). A yawn is a reflex consisting of the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the eardrums, followed by an exhalation of breath. Jawn is a slang pronoun that originated in Philly. It is a magical word, and did not come about in a vacuum. The word jawn can be used to replace any noun in a sentence, but the term is more than an interchangeable Philly word. With footnotes and all that fancy jawn). Philly Slang, Dialect, Accents & how we talk in Philadelphia The Enduring Mystery of 'Jawn,' Philadelphia's All-Purpose Noun. 25 Words That Mean Something Different In Philadelphia - Movoto Real Estate 373. Joint is an old word: it dates back to the 1200s and referred initially to the point where two bones meet. Urban Dictionary on jawn: it can mean anything, like a fine girl, a blunt, really, it can be used for everything, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Merriam-Webster describes "jawn" as a Philadelphia all-purpose noun. Jawn hypes people up and is a term of encouragement, like how Funky Four Plus One calls each member of their group the joint in their song Thats the Joint. Privacy Policy. Jawn n. Slang. It can refer to abstract nouns such as theories; a colleague of Jones routinely refers to Marxist jawn. It can also refer to people or groups of people. Last edited on May 13 2005. Tell him about urban dictionary : r/wholesomememes - Reddit The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! And not something you want to be.. Overall my explanation of jawn resonated with people, but there was a small handful of people who were strangely possessive of jawn, and were quick to discredit my perspective for one simple reason: I am from New Jersey. The plural can be either . Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Around Philadelphia, the term "Jawn" can often be heard. Jawn can mean nothing and everything. Urban Thesaurus - Find Synonyms for Slang Words 20. We don't need a dictionary telling us what we already know to be true: Jawn is a versatile jawn. Jawn is used as an all encompassing substitute for any person, place, or thing. Logged-in users can add themselves to the map. Last edited on Nov 20 1997. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. By general Twitter consensus, "jawn" is " super Philly slang " meaning " anything! Submitted by Anonymous Merriam-Webster announced Wednesday on Twitterthat Philly's own beloved slang term "jawn" could be the dictionary's next new word: "Philly, this jawn's for you wrote, the dictionary wrote. 'jawn' is a word commonly used on social media by the younger youth meaning someone that is excessively goodd looking could be used similarly to the word peng. Or terms that Gen-Z has made popular . Jawn is dead: The Philly word's journey from quirky regionalism to Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. In this page you can discover 13 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for jaw-dropping, like: mind-blowing, spine-tingling, eye-popping, Bentleys, walk-around, tudorbethan, spine-tingle, mindblowing, heart-stopping, and breathtaking. Sorry, Angry; jawn doesnt seem stoppable. What is JUNT slang for? The alterations from standard American English are consistent and can be understood by any speaker, and the history of black people in this country provides a historical basis for isolation, which can produce these kinds of systematic changes in language. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. (in this case, a dip chew) Did you hear about that bull Tony Gwynn? The acknowledgment of the words validity is decent, but this larger recognition makes me a little weary about the future of jawn. A certain mainstream embrace or semantic commandeering has happened with other words from black culture thatve reached the mouths of white people across the country and ended up in one dictionary or another. I was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1989 and lived in a mixed-race household with my grandparents, my uncles, and my mom. It feels like its oh ee, but phonetically, thats not actually how we tend to pronounce it. Slang Term Teddy Bears | TeeShirtPalace When you know the history behind jawn, understand where it comes from and recognize the community who brought meaning to it, you can better appreciate its more subtle meanings. What it means everywhere else: A toilet, spelled "john." What it means in Philly: A word used in the place of pretty much any noun. Please give today. According to linguists, jawn comes ultimately from the word joint via New York City. Jawn is a context-dependent substitute noun, a noun that substitutes for any other noun. twinlomi - Blog Urban Dictionary: Jawn How every letter can be (annoyingly) silent. Or in other words, meat sauce. Offer subject to change without notice. If that jawn y'all is any indication, jawn will be in up in this Philly jawn for a while. #1 Term: (A word or expression you have seen in writing) jawn Your definition or explanation: A word used by people in Philadelphia, USA to describe a noun that could not be thought of when the speaker needed it in a sentence. A jawn billboard by Visit Philly from years past. Philadelphia, "youse"should listen to this "jawn.". It's similar to the word 'thing' in use but carries more local flair. Definitions include: an item whose name one doesn't know or has forgotten. Regionalisms are a class of words that most speakers think are a quaint relic of a bygone era, a time before national radio and television broadcasts flattened our vocabulary into general American English, when people were born, raised, and buried in the same town. Delivered to your inbox! Its time for a new municipal flag design that represents our citys culture, history, and future. It is, as the site says, by far the largest single sociolinguistic corpus of any speech community. Neighborhood by neighborhood, person by person, linguists blanketed Philadelphia and recorded thousands of hours of Philadelphians speaking. Jawn is so much more than just an interchangeable Philly noun its an emphasis of the noun its replacing. I value the words ability to identify something that I cant quite articulate while still being understood. I didn't even realize this was Philadelphia slang until I mentioned that I had to tap MAC when I was in Boston. a word used by Philly cats to describe anything and everything.NY cats interject with the word "joint" but it doesn't convey the same feelings.jawn definitio. Ex: When asking for a something, one could say: "Someone pass me that jawn!" 19. But not always. jawn 1-another word for joint; a marijuana cigarette . Urban Dictionary on jawn: it can mean anything, like a fine girl, a blunt, really, it can be used for everything. My introduction to graduate work was being asked about jawn, says Jones. Definitions include: to Hawaiians, used to describe people/places/objects. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, jawn actually comes from New York City and is derived from the word joint,, used the term juke joint to refer to clubs and bars. If you know of another definition of JAWN that should be included here, please let us know. National awareness is death for local vernacular.". The settlement will bring new affordable housing to the site and provide money to displaced residents. The meaning changes, and thats the point. It is an all-purpose noun, a stand-in for inanimate objects, abstract concepts, events, places, individual people, and groups of people.