Folk Speech: Sexy and Cussin

This given saying originates from D’Vaughn’s passed down story:

“My mom went to Jamaica to celebrate her birthday during spring break. My brother and sister stayed at my Grandma’s house. My Grandma has a finished basement. MTV’s spring break is on TV and we’re like extra young and we you shouldn’t be watchin MTV Spring Break but my little brother and little sister watched it. But my grandpa sneaked downstairs and caught them watching Spring Break. He went back upstairs and told my Grandma and she’s the one that yells Ah yah yah yah. And then she proceeds down the stairs and yellin and screamin, “Why yall down here watchin sexy and cussin”. I wasn’t there but they told me. And ever since then they had to turn off the TV.”

D’Vaughn says the term is now used whenever you are watching something tht should be censored: when something is sexually explicit and cussing at the same time. One can also use this term in a joking manner with siblings or friends. For example, if  a girl is wearing a short dress, one may say, “Oh Look at her. She need to stop all that sexy and cussin”.

I agree with this particular interpretation and have also from a first-hand experience used a variation of this particular term. The particular variation I have heard and used was said as, “sexin and cussin”. My brother, who is a friend of D’Vaughn’s, would often use the term when he saw a promiscuous girl and say, “Stop all that sexin’ and cussin”.  This slight variation between variations exemplifies the importance of multiplicity and variation amongst groups who use this phrase. According to Carl Von Sydow, I would be categorized as an active bearer who has willingly helped spread this saying. I have found that my friends at the University of Southern California are starting to use the term “sexin and cussin” when they want to refer to promiscuity, sexual exploitation, and/or cussing.