{"id":7818,"date":"2022-08-10T16:52:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-10T16:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=7818"},"modified":"2022-08-10T16:52:02","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T16:52:02","slug":"jive-turkey-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/jive-turkey-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Jive Turkey \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did someone call you a \u2018jive turkey\u2019 <\/em>after you made an unbelievable claim? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018jive turkey\u2019<\/em> means someone overexaggerates things or makes outlandish claims they can\u2019t prove. The jive turkey <\/em>emulates this behavior in an attempt to gain attention. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Typically, jive turkey is an outdated saying, and people might laugh at you for using it in the modern lexicon when better insults are available.<\/p>\n

A jive turkey<\/em> pretends to be something they are not, and they lie about things to try and enforce their fake claims or persona. A jive turkey<\/em> may claim they are rich or powerful, or they may spin stories that make them seem important, with no proof to back their claims. A jive turkey<\/em> is someone that speaks with confidence but lies about their achievements.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t believe a word that jive turkey says. He never tells the truth, and he\u2019s always trying to make himself look important in front of others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat guy is a real jive turkey. Someone needs to shut him up and put him in his place. It\u2019s not going to be me, but sooner or later, someone will have a confrontation with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, kid, you\u2019re a jive turkey. You can\u2019t expect me to believe what you just told me. That\u2019s impossible for anyone to do. Just go home to your momma and leave me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen here, jive turkey. You may think everyone is fooled, but I see right through you. I know when someone is telling lies, and when they\u2019re telling the truth, you\u2019re a liar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReggie is such a jive turkey. He\u2019s always making big claims but never backs them up. It\u2019s like he thinks no one will check his street cred. It\u2019s going to end up getting him in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a jive turkey. Can you fellas believe what this guy is saying? He\u2019s telling me he fought Muhammed Ali in his early career and knocked him out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018jive turkey\u2019 originates from African-American slang in the early 1970s. The first use of the term in media was in the 1971 film Shaft,\u2019 directed by Gordon Parks. Shaft was an icon of African-American masculinity during the early seventies, and he would use the term in the movie to describe someone he thought was messing him around.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Shaft;\u2019 film franchise was enormously successful with the African-American community. Many of the original slang terms from the movie, including \u2018jive turkey,\u2019 experienced public adoption by African-American communities across the United States.<\/p>\n

Shaft carried themes of black empowerment, sexuality, masculinity, and racial overtones. The series was filmed in locations around New York City, including Times Square, Harlem, Greenwich Village, and other areas around Manhattan.<\/p>\n

However, experts believe the 1980s TV show \u2018The Jeffersons\u2019 made the saying famous.<\/p>\n