Don't jive me

Posted by Smokey Stover on May 22, 2008 at 03:08

In Reply to: Don't jive me posted by ESC on May 17, 2008 at 10:28:

: : My theory is that 'Don't Jive Me' comes from slave talk -- and is quite literal in meaning -- they just didn't know how to spell gyve.

: : Seems plausible -- how would you test (i.e. prove/disprove) it?

: The theory, in previous discussion at www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 27 messages 759.html, is that it comes from jibe.

Many of you will remember the jive sequence in the movie, Airplane! In this very funny movie two African-American gentlemen are speaking incomprehensibly, and for reasons that I forget someone thinks what they're saying might be important. No one can understand them until Barbara Billingsley, famous for the role of June Cleaver in the TV series Leave it to Beaver and described in the cast of Airplane! as "Jive lady," steps up and says, "I speak jive," and neatly translates what the two men are saying. To see an example of the jive talk in question, use this link:

www.imdb.com/ title/tt0080339/quotes

• Jive talk