Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black/Southern) indulging in a ritualized exchange of insults.

1939		J. Dollard ‘The Dozens’ in Amer. Imago I Nov. 4–20: There is another name for the Dozens, ‘joaning.’.
1960		Axelrad & Muensterberger Psychoanalytic Study of Society 213: The objects of denigration are predominantly, if not invariably, mothers and sisters—and the theme of joning is usually related to their sexual availability.
1970		L. Rainwater Behind Ghetto Walls 350: Field workers were able to engage pre-adolescents in discussions of ‘joaning’ and ‘the dozens’ and joke-telling readily, once the children learned that they would not be punished for their openness.
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: joning v. See signifying.
1991		in A. Dundes Mother Wit from the Laughing Barrel 287/1: Keep on joanin’ / You’ll make me mad. / I’ll tell you the trouble / Your grandmaw had.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 23: Good jonin’ required a brutal wit, a sharp tongue, and a thick skin.
1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 joan v 1. to make fun of.
2007		Wash. Post 22 July 🌐 She often asked her American co-workers to translate such words as ‘joning,’ slang for making fun of someone.