verb
signify
To engage in indirect wordplay or ritual insult.
The friends signify, trading playful insults without taking offense.
Etymology
The general verb for conveying meaning acquired a specialized African American use. It names indirect, figurative verbal performance, including playful insult and layered wordplay.
More examples
- She signifies on her cousin with a sly joke about his shoes.
- They keep signifying, each trying to top the other's joke.
- He signified with a teasing story that never named its target.
Forms
signify · signifies · signified · signifying