Swag?!?!

So there is this term (for once it is not only limited to the Washington Metropolitan area) and I'm going to say that it has been popular for the better part of 2008 until now...it's "SWAG". Now I don't mind new terms...I actually welcome them but it's when a terms definition, stability and integrity are challenged that I began to worry. So with that being said let's go ahead and talk about the issue at hand which is the use of the word "SWAG".


SWAG: appearance, style; the way he or she presents them selves. That is the definition in the urban dictionary but the is also a definition in Merriam Webster dictionary which has to do with adornment and drapery. The term has been out for a long time but of course like everything else it did not become popular until someone famous i.e. Lil Wayne started using it (I may be wrong on this one and if I am let me know). Once the it word became popular everyone started using making statements like "Check my swag" meaning that this person believes that they are tight (DC slang for very attractive and well dressed, owning many fine garments and shoes...perhaps even a nice car). The problem with words like these is that there are no terms that one must abide by when using them so a bum off the street could walk up to you and be like "My swagga on 1000 and climbing", not to say that there is anything wrong with self confidence but let's not overindulge in it.

I say that to say this...the person who coins the term should create some sort of standards for the people (who want to use or consider them self the actual term i.e. fresh,fly,flashy etc.) to abide by. I would feel jiy (more DC slang) blown if I was calling myself fly and someone else who was not of substantial standards was able to apply the same term to them self...but that's just me. So the lesson we learned today is if you use the term please be able to meet our (the peoples) standards and if you don't you may be subject to shunning.