signify v.
1. to boast or to pretend to a greater sophistication than one actually possesses; usu. as signifying n.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Born to Be (1975) 225: The girls were all signifying nothing freakish, when the Queen came back into the room. | |
| ‘Prison Parlance’ in AS IX:1 27: signify. To pretend to have knowledge of a matter in which one is poorly informed. To trifle with an important matter. | |
| New Hepsters Dict. in Calloway (1976) 259: signify (v.): to declare yourself, to brag, to boast. | |
| Man Who Was Not With It (1965) 193: ‘I got money,’ I said. ‘Quit signifying.’. | |
| On the Yard (2002) 85: Now, you jus’ signifying, fool. I got big-six myself. | |
| ‘Pimp in a Clothing Store’ in Milner & Milner (1972) 286: Yessiree, Jack, he’s coming on down high-sidin’, signifyin’ and talkin’ that jive, come ridin’ on by hollering, ‘Hey, you jive malformies, you better get on your job out there, quit your chippying!’. | |
| College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Sig (verb) To talk too much, never shut up. | |
| Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 signify Definition: 1. to show by a sign; to speak strongly. |
2. to cause trouble, to stir things up, often purely for fun, whatever the actual results.
| Mules and Men (1995) 123: ‘Aw, woman, quit tryin’ to signify.’ ‘Ah kin signify all Ah please, Mr. Nappy-chin, so long as Ah know what Ah’m talkin’ about.’. | |
| Black Metropolis 568: He was always watching her and signifyin’ she was turning tricks with Slick. | |
| On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 356: Anybody that’s leaving jail soon and starts talking about his release date is signifying to the other fellas that have to stay. | |
| ‘A Coupla Scalped Indians’ in King Black Short Story Anthol. (1972) 268: Man, the white folks know what that fool is signifying on that horn, they’d run him clear out of the world. | |
| Corner Boy 74: I ain’t insinuating. I’m signifying. | |
| On The Road (1972) 241: Anybody signify with me, my nose opens. | |
| Book of Negro Folklore 364: Monkey just kept on signifying, / Lion, you for sure caught hell. [Ibid.] 487: signify: to cast aspersions, hint at something wrong. Tell me plain, baby, and don’t signify. | |
| Tattoo the Wicked Cross (1981) 2862: Don’t nobody signify nothin’ no time about me! | |
| Mama Black Widow 226: I’m gonna give you a fat mouth if you don’t stop signifying and talking shit to me. | |
| ‘Shoe-shine on 63rd’, in Kochman Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out 212: Somebody gonna snatch y’all asses out of place for signifying. | |
| Maledicta V:1+2 (Summer + Winter) 266: A prisoner threatens another by selling a wolf ticket or ridicules by signifying, usually in rhyme. | |
| Chili 67: Being black folks, they did find enough energy to signify a bit about me ’n my big lady. | |
| Corner (1998) 149: You should come back from th window [...] He gonna see you signifyin’. | |
| Portable Promised Land (ms.) 156: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Signify. Sanctified. Supafly. Sinnerman. |
3. to recite one of a variety of purpose-written ‘tales’ or ‘toasts’, usu. recounting the exploits of some mythical gangster-cum-sexual athlete.
 | Expressively Black 213: From time to time the poets rap, jive, sermonize, signify, toast, or boast. | |
| (ref. to 1969) Born in a Mighty Bad Land 214: In his Die Nigger Die ([...] 1969) H. Rap Brown [...] speaks affectionately of having gone into bars when he was a youngster and listening to the men all tell their tales and ‘signify.’ He means toasting. |
4. to lure, to talk in a persuasive manner.
| Who Live In Shadow (1960) 48: Jimmy was ‘in a groove’ as far as the fly chicks, the prostitutes, and their sweet men were concerned. They said he had a doggy nose that could smell a good trick, and a fine vocabulary for signifying the score: You want your ashes hauled, Jack? You want to meet a saucy little chick? |
5. to chatter, to gossip.
| Homicide (1993) 389: The crowd eventually loses interest [...] the locals [...] are back to signifying. |