Julia Bard talked to a group of black school students about the language they use amongst themselves

Rebecca, Darren, Lucy, Balo, Ellen, Shawna and Josh are all in their A-level year at a north London comprehensive school. Shawna and Josh each have one white and one black parent; the others all have black parents, who come from various parts of Africa. I asked them if they could tell me some words and expressions they would only use in the company of black friends but would never use to white people. They were thinking of examples when Balo's phone rang. It was Josh, running late.

'Wass up my nigger?' shouted Balo, leaning back in his chair. 'Get up here and don't add the black people time.' The others fell about.

'It's ironic,' said Balo, reverting to standard English. 'There's so much pain behind that word "nigger", yet we use it in a funny way, as a joke.' And although they'd be unlikely to find a white person who would openly use the term, they are well aware of how language continues to oppress:

'Who says that dark is sinister and white is pure?' asks Josh.

They are scathing, though, about white kids who are heavily into black culture. 'Black is the best youth subculture,' says Rebecca, 'but I can't stand people who overcompensate.' It's a word they use a lot. I ask for an explanation and the students give me a tour of their slang terms.

Overcompensating — trying hard to be into black subculture; hiding their middle class background and pretending to come from the ghetto

Bougie (boozhee) — bourgeois

Mothercracker — white person trying to act like they are black

Heavy — brilliant

Fussy — idiot

Blood — black, beautiful people

Peeps — black, beautiful people

Nubian — intelligent, beautiful, black girl

Grey — white

Snowflake — white

Casper — white

Wigger — white

Beige — mixed race

Kriss kross — mixed race

Species — mixed race

Melted vice versa — mixed race

Confused — mixed race

Point five — mixed race

Half-caste — mixed race

Blick — black

Tinted — black

Black bastard — black

Mango muncher — black

Jamo — Jamaican

Coconut — black person who identifies with white people

The students gave humorous and very sophisticated explanations of the words they used and of the racism that was woven through their experience. They were warm to each other and generous-spirited to white people. One of their favourite teachers was a white woman who exhibited great anger about racism.

'Why are white people terrified of black people?' asked Lucy.

'My mother's family have been through the most terrible things in South Africa but my mum doesn't blame all whites. Black people don't,' said Balo. 'We are the most jolly mother****ers!'

Visit our forum and tell us about any slang words you can add to these.

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