I just found Quix’s use of the phrase so ... interesting. I actually looked it up on Yahoo Answers, and found the following:
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“To shuck and jive” originally referred to the intentionally misleading words and actions that African-Americans would employ in order to deceive racist Euro-Americans in power, both during the period of slavery and afterwards. The expression was documented as being in wide usage in the 1920s, but may have originated much earlier.
“Shucking and jiving” was a tactic of both survival and resistance. A slave, for instance, could say eagerly, “Oh, yes, Master,” and have no real intention to obey. Or an African-American man could pretend to be working hard at a task he was ordered to do, but might put up this pretense only when under observation. Both would be instances of “doin’ the old shuck ‘n jive.”
Today, the expression has expanded somewhat from earlier usage, and is now sometimes used to mean “talking pure baloney,” “goofing off,” or “goofing around.” The original meaning of deceit often remains, however.
* 2 years ago
Source(s):
I teach some African-American Studies courses.
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Great answer! Thanks!
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Fascinating, actually. I haven’t ever heard anyone actually use the phrase in real life.
Just a note:
Extravagant language can be misunderstood; the more words iused, the greater the possibility of error. OTOH, If the writer wants to obfuscate a meaning, what better way than to bury it in wordiness?
Instead of taking a discussion point by point: throwing a glob of multiple points, interspersed with insulting references, claims of loving intent, whining about being attacked, and noble vows to take the high road—
That might constitute something worthy of the racist and disgusting appellation of a “shuck and jive.”
Pardon me, but use of that out-dated phrase is very telling, particularly when one uses it against Catholics, saying they do that. IMHO it reveals something very important about the way the writer views Catholics.
I think
shuck and jive, slip and slide, run and hide
was also from a rock song.
I mean it in the sense that all humans have a tendency to use flurry tactics, obsfucations, rationalizations etc. to defend against having to uncomfortably face some significant part of their construct system as even remotely possibly needing reevaluation, reconstructing and laying aside of sacred cows in the process.