And When Did "Pimp" Become a Positive Verb, Anyway?
Call me old-fashioned, but I reject the transition of “pimp” form a negative noun–a man who rents out the bodies of women he controls (and a verb to describe that action)–to a positive verb, to make something look classy and flashy by adding gizmos and gewgaws and bling.
I don’t like it. Pimping is not a “virtue” I choose to support. I’m a wordsmith for a living–so let me propose some alternatives. We’ve got great nouns like swank or swanky, chic, glitzy, snazzy–can we turn them into verbs?
Swankify? (awkward-sounding). Chicken? (um, no, that’s taken). Snazz (I like that!). Sparkle? (already a verb, sure, why not). Glitter? Glisten? (ditto)
Let’s use our rich, rich language and banish “pimp” as a “good” verb. It’ll take some work. The phrase “pimp my” brings 10,900,000 search results, and I’m guessing almost all of them from the last two years. I’m not a language purist, believe me, but let’s put this one back in the bottle.
A lifelong activist, profitability and marketing specialist Shel Horowitz’s mission is to fix crises like hunger, poverty, racism, war, and catastrophic climate change—by showing the business world how fixing them can make a profit. An author, international speaker, and TEDx Talker, his award-winning 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, lays out a blueprint for creating and MARKETING those profitable change-making products and services. He is happy to help you craft your messaging and develop profit strategies. Learn more (and download excerpts from the book) at http://goingbeyondsustainability.com
It should be taken out in the dictionary.
It should be taken out in the dictionary.
I don’t really get it why most teens use this word “PIMP” it’s not appropriate
I don’t really get it why most teens use this word “PIMP” it’s not appropriate
Hear, hear!
“Brat” as an appellation — and aspiration — for girls and young women is similarly disturbing. There is even a line of Barbie-sized dolls called “Bratz.” (At least the original Barbie was a nurse/stewardess/fashion editor/school teacher!)
Hear, hear!
“Brat” as an appellation — and aspiration — for girls and young women is similarly disturbing. There is even a line of Barbie-sized dolls called “Bratz.” (At least the original Barbie was a nurse/stewardess/fashion editor/school teacher!)
I couldn’t agree more. Regardless of how media portray the “industry” prostitution is a blight on society and, in many cases, is nothing less than a form of slavery. The word “pimp” should remain in the gutter with those to whom the title is given.
Steve Jennings’s last blog post… Urban Neighborhood Outreach (UNO)
I couldn’t agree more. Regardless of how media portray the “industry” prostitution is a blight on society and, in many cases, is nothing less than a form of slavery. The word “pimp” should remain in the gutter with those to whom the title is given.
Steve Jennings’s last blog post… Urban Neighborhood Outreach (UNO)