Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) doing anything well, esp. when playing jazz.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 44: Souling, v. Playing an instrument well.

1. the black area of a city or town.

1965

H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 178: Just before I came here, I started spending a lotta time in soulville and it was groovy.

2. thus fig., any black place or situation.

1972

B.G. Cooke ‘Nonverbal communication among Afro-Americans’ in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 138: As increasing numbers of Negroes desert Soulville for honorary membership in the Establishment clique, they experience a metamorphosis.

3. Africa.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive.

1. (orig. US black) a (fellow) black man.

1959		Jazz: A Quarterly of Amer. Music Fall 291: It’s one of those type LPs. I had all ‘soul brothers’.
1964		R.S. Gold Jazz Lex. xix: Soul brother is an honorific phrase used of one Negro by another (it is noteworthy that the locution inevitably carries an implication that the white man’s soul has been forfeited by his long-standing abuse of the Negro).
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 273: The rest of these so-called soul brothers.
1986		L. Heinemann Paco’s Story (1987) 80: He was one surprised soul brother when he found out.
1990		J. Ellroy ‘Gravy Train’ in Pronzini & Adrian Hard-Boiled (1995) 500: Three soul brothers dripping with soul sauce.
2000		B. Bilger Noodling for Flatheads (2001) 205: By the late 1960s [...] Atlanta was full of soul brothers and soul sisters, wearing soul combs and doing soul handshakes.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 151: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Homeboy. Homegirl. B-Boy. B-Girl. Brotherman. Sistuhgirl. Soul brother. Soul sister.
2015		P. Beatty Sellout (2016) 271: He has that Ain’t-I-a-Soul-Brother glint in his eyes.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1994

P. Baker Blood Posse 59: He [...] gave Dave a lengthy soul brother handshake.

(US black) a black person who epitomizes everything positive in the black experience; thus soul brother/sister number two, a lesser version, or a sympathetic white person.

1969		U. Hannerz Soulside 149: Soul music is the area where the current concept of soul may have its strongest roots. James Brown is ‘soul brother number one", Aretha Franklin ‘soul sister number one’ .
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: soul brother (sister) number one n. a black person idolized as the ultimate in expression of the black experience [...] soul brother (sister) number two n. 1. soul brother (sister) number one, but to a lesser degree. 2. a white person who seems to understand the black experience and who is considered an intimate friend.

(US campus) of black students, anyone with conspicuous black pride and identity.

1975

G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 66: soul child n Person with soul or black pride and identity.

(US) Harlem, New York, the centre of black America.

1992		R.C. Cruz Straight Outta Compton 17: Thangs you put up with in Soul City when you’re not stinkypie rich or wailing at the Apollo Theatre.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 8: He eased away from the curb and cruised into downtown Soul City and onto Freedom Ave, looking for his homeboys.

(US black) dancing in accordance with the current dance style favoured in the black community.

1972

D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 80: soul dancing v. dancing in styles which are peculiar and popular to black people and their culture.

(US black) black people.

1964		D. Washington q. in Ebony Mar. 147/1: ‘[R]eal honest-to-goodness, pig feet-eating, “soul folk”...my kind of people’.
1967		R. Conot Rivers of Blood 35: ‘[W]hat’s wrong with you soul folk, you got all this opportunity, and all this equality, how come you ain't equal? ’.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 151: You work for them civil rights folks, but it’s sure pop they ain’t taught you nothin’ about soul folks.

see separate entry.

a deep kiss, involving putting one’s tongue into one’s partner’s mouth; thus as v., to kiss in this way; thus soul-kissing n.

1907		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 76: Fedinck studies up some new dope and sends Lolita soul kisses.
1908		K. McGaffey Sorrows of a Show Girl Ch. x: Some of the girls are rehearsing for the soul kiss contest, but I personally do not have to advertise.
1919		O.R. Cohen ‘All That Glitters’ in Polished Ebony 28: The delicious novelty of a soul kiss such as had inflamed only a few of his wildest dreams.
1921		Broadway Brevities Dec 18: I am just longing for one of those soul-kisses that you are so expert at giving.
1949		‘Swasarnt Nerf’ et al. Gay Girl’s Guide 35: ‘French-kissing’ or ‘soul-kissing’ plays a very deep part in all but the most fleeting affairs.
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye (1958) 133: Why don’t you go on over and give him a big soul kiss, if you know him.
1967		‘Philip Barrows’ Whores, Queers & Others I [ebook] [A]ll I got was a little soul-kissing and a couple of feels of bare tit.
1970		(con. 1950s) H. Junker ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 99: A soul kiss involved the tongue.
2013		J. Porter ‘One More Day Can’t Hurt’ in ThugLit Apr. [ebook] Sitting down for a soul kiss before they’d even ordered a drink.

(US black/W.I., Jam.) black American slang.

1968		L. Barrett Rastafarians (1977) 5: Since the 1950s, a new linguistic change has taken place in Jamaica. This is what we may call a ‘soul language’ – highly symbolic and radically revolutionary.
1968		‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2.

(US black) African Americans considered collectively.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2.

(orig. US black) a single tuft of hair worn beneath the lower lip.

2001		J. Stahl Plainclothes Naked (2002) 2: He tugged his soul patch and worked his lower lip indignantly.
2006		G. Malkani Londonstani (2007) 257: — It looked like you had a stick of black furry chewing gum stuck between your lower lip and chin. What was that style called? — A soul patch.
2008		R. Price Lush Life 381: Mid-twenties, with a soul patch under his lip .
2019		C.D. Rosales Word Is Bone [ebook] He had a mustache like one of those cowboy ones with a fat soul-patch beneath his bottom lip.

(US black) the political and cultural influence wielded by the black community.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2.

1. (US gay) a black man’s semen, or, by metonymy, the man himself.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 63: black man [...] soul sauce. [Ibid.] 187: soul sauce [...] 2. black man’s semen.
1988		H. Max Gay (S)language.

2. (US) blood.

1990

J. Ellroy ‘Gravy Train’ in Pronzini & Adrian Hard-Boiled (1995) 500: Pitbulls ran helter skelter, then zeroed in: three soul brothers dripping with soul sauce.

(US black) a gathering of black people.

1967		J. Horton ‘Time and Cool People’, in Trans-action 4 6/1: Sometimes we taped individuals, sometimes ‘soul sessions.
1968		‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 44: Soul session, n. A gathering of Black people; a dance; a discussion; or an entertainment of some kind.

(orig. US black) the ritualized shaking and slapping of hands.

1972		D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 80: soul shake n. popular thumb-locking handclasp used to symbolize unity and greeting among black people.
1974		R. Blount Jr About Three Bricks Shy of a Load 186: Baldy, a chunky bald Harp [...] , still operates on the North Side, and gives soul shakes and calls people ‘Brother’.
1985		(con. 1969–70) D. Bodey F.N.G. (1988) 42: The two of them go through some soul shakes with their dirty right arms.
1997		(con. 1970s) G. Pelecanos King Suckerman (1998) 30: Marchetti [...] gave Cooper his idea of the soul shake.

1. (US) a girlfriend.

1907		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 129: Angela is the name of Fedinck’s ‘soul sister’.
1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 333: ‘How in hell can a junky whore be the soul sister of a man what don’t use shit?’.

2. (orig. US black) a black woman.

1965		H. Rhodes Chosen Few (1966) 151: ‘What kind?’ [...] ‘White, huh?’ ‘Naw.’ ‘Soul sister?’.
1973		D. Goines Street Players 11: You ain’t the only person in this room who happens to have a soul sister working down on the track.
1980		Spoonie G ‘Monster Jam’ 🎵 I’m Angie B, your soul sister.
2000		B. Bilger Noodling for Flatheads (2001) 205: By the late 1960s [...] Atlanta was full of soul brothers and soul sisters, wearing soul combs and doing soul handshakes.
2001		‘Randy Everhard’ Tattoo of a Naked Lady 208: ‘He the jealous type?’ I asked. ‘Wouldn’t you be?’ the soul sista said.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 151: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Homeboy. Homegirl. B-Boy. B-Girl. Brotherman. Sistuhgirl. Soul brother. Soul sister.

see soul brother number one

(US black) music.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 44: Soul sounds, n. Good music. Harmony which appeals to Blacks.

1. (US black) a conversation between two or more black people.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2.

2. (US black, also soul language) terminology and expressions typical in conversation among black people.

1972

G.S. Holt ‘Inversion in Black Communication’ in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 155: When speaking of whites, Blacks often show their admiration by making such statements as: ‘He's as slick as a nigger.’ [4] [...] [fn.4:] This kind of language behavior is called ‘soul talk,’ ‘soul language,’ or ‘spoken soul’ by Blacks.

a white man who affects a black lifestyle.

1971

T. Rhone Smile Orange i i: joe: Look at him beads. ringo: Is a white soul brother.

(US black) do your best, keep your black identity.

1994

C. Major Juba to Jive.