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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

what it is en · X

Pronunciation

Etymology

Possibly a combination of what up with how goes it and similar phrases. First use appears c. 1972. See cite below.

Meanings

  1. (qualifier:African-American Vernacular, slang) A casual greeting.
    • "What it is, my niggaz?" Hollywood gave True a pound then jerked him in for a hug. 2007, K'wan, Still Hood, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 87:
    • Mrs. Franklin breaks her embrace, begins running water into the sink to wash dishes...What it is, baby. What it is. 1972, Odie Hawkins, Odie Hawkins:
    • A boy broke out of the crowd shouting, "Hey! Hey! What it is, brothers, what it is?" 2001, Chris Fuhrman, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, University of Georgia Press, →ISBN, page 162:
    • "What it is?" David greeted me. 1997, April Sinclair, Ain't Gonna be the Same Fool Twice, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 181:

Synonyms

what it do · what up · what it be