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Jive Turkey vs. Totally Radical.

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suedenim Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl from Jet Dream HQ Since: Oct, 2009
Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl
#1: Apr 4th 2011 at 11:32:52 AM

I just stumbled across the Jive Turkey trope today. It says "Compare to Totally Radical," so I'm trying to do so. What's the difference between them, though? They strike me as largely the same trope, and if there's a strong distinction it should be laid out better.

Jet-a-Reeno!
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#2: Apr 4th 2011 at 12:15:27 PM

The way I read them is that Jive Turkey is when the slang is incomprehensible, and Totally Radical is when it's out-of-date, or being used incorrectly, usually by a character who is supposed to be perceived as trying to appear cool and failing.

In many cases they overlap, with the Totally Radical character trying to be a Jive Turkey.

edited 4th Apr '11 12:19:07 PM by Madrugada

SilentReverence adopting kitteh from 3 tiles right 1 tile up Since: Jan, 2010
adopting kitteh
#3: Apr 4th 2011 at 12:23:46 PM

grin They way I interepret it is as such:

  • Jive Turkey: those random punk guys in the street trying to look so cool and rad. FAIL reason: the slang is simply unintelligible (compare hip hop, reggaeton and that kind of music).
  • Totally Radical: your dad trying to look so cool and rad. FAIL reason: the slang is (horribly) outdated, no matter it is still correct (or understandable) (compare Disco).

I wonder how close to a correct interpretation I am however now that I read Jive Turkey in a bit more depth...

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
wuggles (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#4: Apr 4th 2011 at 12:30:56 PM

[up] Same. Also Jive Turkey seems to have more of a racial element to it (i.e. it's more likely to be a black person doing it).

Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#5: Apr 4th 2011 at 6:31:30 PM

Jive Turkey focuses on the "as a foreign language" aspect. It's about characters who presumably grew up speaking so much slang that they don't even know how to speak in any other way.

Totally Radical is about people trying to seem cool for a younger audience but not really knowing how slang actually works.

edited 4th Apr '11 6:31:42 PM by Clarste

suedenim Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl from Jet Dream HQ Since: Oct, 2009
Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl
#6: Apr 4th 2011 at 7:04:12 PM

I think the "for extra bonus points" bit on Jive Turkey may confuse the matter more than it helps (not to mention the actual pothole to Totally Radical a bit earlier.)

Jet-a-Reeno!
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