RE:.. reprove the accuracy of the word "black" as a adjectifier to "English"
a few years ago, there was a lot of negative press about one particular variant of english, namely the english that tends to spoken by american urban blacks. but i think, we here recognize that there are many, many variant of english.
the primary variant are American(US), and British (UK). In the american variant, there are subsets for NY, (which tend to have more yiddish) and Pennsylvanian Dutch, (which has been a topic of conversation here) and Canadian--(which is some what of a hybrid-- UK to start, but since canadian get exposed to so much of US variant, via TV and radio, they have incorporated some words, expressions from US.)
black english is just an other variant. If we recognize it, and treat it equal, and realize it not "wrong"-- but sometimes sounds strange, or looks strange, (see aging/ageing), and explore it openly, i see nothing wrong with that, or even with recognizing and naming the variant.
this board has mocked and made fun of the UK variant, with all its extra vowels (programme, honour, etc.,) and done the same to some US variants , but all variant are treated equally (that is, all are open to being mocked, and all are recognized as "proper").
I don't think BYB was doing any different when he commented about "ink pen".
in fact, it might be an interesting idiom to explore. since its found in black english, and in Chicago, i suspect it has its roots in a southern variant of english. the english spoken in the appalachian, a very noted variant, has influenced a the variant spoken in chicago. there is a natural migration from many of parts of the appalachians to chicago. But the appalachian variant doesn't usually effect the variant used by american blacks.. The influence might be broader than appalachia.
perhaps AnnaS, or Jackie or any one else who has lived in the south or chicago are can help use informally track its use--
i think, so long as we treat all variant alike, and do not denigrate any one single variant, there is no harm.
OP
