Dictionary

call out of one's name en · VERB

Pronunciation

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Meanings

1. (qualifier:now chiefly African-American Vernacular; formerly more widespread; now chiefly African-American Vernacular; formerly more widespread) To call someone by a name other than their actual name; to misname.
   • Every person I knew had a hellish horror of being “called out of his name.” 2012, Maya Angelou, The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou:
   • ‘Mrs. Pettican,’ she said to me, which I call it better manners than callin’ you Cook as they mostly do, as though they paid your wages for the right of callin’ you out of your name- 1930, Dorothy Sayers, Strong Poison:
2. (qualifier:now chiefly African-American Vernacular; formerly more widespread; now chiefly African-American Vernacular; formerly more widespread) To swear at (someone); to curse out.
   • “You're one crazy bitch. You know that? I gave you everything and then some, and you're gonna play me like this?” Shontay cut her eyes at him. “I can't believe you had the nerve to call me out of my name." 2015, Jazz Jordan, Lust & Hip Hop 3 (The Ms. Mogul Series), →ISBN:
   • He was the same man that called her out of her name. 2006, Tamika Bafo, The Story of Lucifer's Daughter, page 15:
   • 'Get out of my house, you wh—e!' to which she added another name, which we do not care to stain our paper with: it was a monosyllable beginning with a b—[. ... Betty replied] 'I am a woman as well as yourself,' she roared out, 'and no she-dog; and if I have been a little naughty, I am not the first; if I have been no better than I should he,' cries she, sobbing, 'that's no reason you should call me out of my name.' 1832, Henry Fielding, The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, page 66:
   • When the white society would call you all kind of name and you say to yourself 'I am only a child why are they calling me out of my name.' 2011, David L. Cook, The History of America, →ISBN, page 31:

Forms