Confronting My Linguistic Fear of the Week

I'm attracted to spicy language: particularly gritty, pithy sayings such as “drop it like it’s hot.” But even with the assistance of Urban Dictionary, I'm afraid that I may use it incorrectly and divulge my otherwise secret middle-aged-suburban-mother identity.  

Does anyone have any good example situations in which this expression would be appropriate, or better still, complete sentences that I can model?   I will deduct points from your score if you have to begin the sentence with, “Yo! Bitches!” to make it work.  

I don’t like that, or gangsta crap in general.

But I do like the sound of the expression itself and so I want to drop it like it’s hot into my everyday speech.

For what it's worth, that rates a C+ for effort.

Comments

Kelly Elmore said…
If Livy and Aaron leave me to do the dishes alone tonight, I may have to drop it like it's hot.
September 7, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Lynne said…
That's decent, although it's a little too close to a literal interpretation: I have dropped many a dish that is too hot from the dishwater (usually adding a pithy cuss-word embellishment). So, I have to deduct for the concrete use of the expression. B.

I'm going to make an attempt to say it out loud today in normal speech. I'll report back (especially on the reaction from the listeners) if I have any success.
September 7, 2010 at 10:40 AM
Lynne said…
I used it today with my son who did not respond well. He said, and I quote, "That's embarrassing. I felt bad repeating that guy using bomb as an adjective." After wondering if I used it correctly, he said, "You used it correctly, but anytime you use it, it's wrong." So there goes my new expression.

He felt the need to add later that adding such expressions into my everyday speech was NOT an appropriate goal to have on any day, so I'm dropping it like it's hot.

F
September 7, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Trey Givens said…
"Drop it like it's hot" in the source song refers to a dance movement seen at a club. Snoop is requesting that the lady in question stop what she's doing and show him that she knows how to work it.

Use of that expression every day would be tough unless you're actually in a club every night scoping hotties, but an example of use for the term might be toward SB, "Hey, babe, why don't you come over here and drop it like it's hot for me?"

Your son is right, though. Unless use of that particular class of colloquial expression is your norm and reflected in the rest of your personal style, eg. fashion, mannerisms, etc., then it will always read as awkward and wrong. You would be better served to find ways to use the expression ironically, which you might argue is your intent ANY time you employ it. In the event of ironic use, you can claim to your son that in place of being gangsta you're actually going hipster.

By the way, a hip-hop expression that I enjoy using ironically is "holla." It's an all-purpose greeting, but implies enthusiasm, affection, or even flirtation. To emphasize self-consciousness and the sense of irony in employing that expression pronounce it with a hard R on the end, like "Holler." This is fun and wholly appropriate for grown people who rarely -- and, if ever, only in private -- drop it like it's hot.
September 7, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Lynne said…
Word. (Can you hear the irony?)

"Hey, babe, why don't you come over here and drop it like it's hot for me?"

Still laughing at the imagery.

I'm gonna (even that hurts a little to write) have to try that one out! It's just too funny.

Thanks for the advice, hipster guru!
September 7, 2010 at 6:47 PM
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