Biddy: a good-looking girl

Mega Biddy: a one-of-a-kind very attractive girl

Biddy Cave: where several Mega Biddies coexist

Michael learned the term Biddy in the schoolyards back in his hometown of North Jersey.  “The terms Mega Biddy and Biddy Cave I learned while at a party in the neighbor town of Nutley, which is also located in North Jersey.  I feel like the etymology behind the term is that it is spelled similar to “buddy” meaning that at one point in time biddy meant a good female friend.  The mega in Mega Biddy clearly implies that this girl is supreme and on a different level.”  When I asked Michael about others reactions to the term, he said that when he first came to USC, people who were not from the east coast had never heard the term before and didn’t understand him.  He claimed that it was just a part of his everyday language back in New Jersey.

Through paradigmatic analysis, I feel that the term biddy has more of a negative connotation than it is comparable to a “female buddy”.  I feel that the etymology is very close to the spelling of the word “bitch” and therefore was originally meant in a negative fashion.  Similarly, the term Biddy Cave suggests an image of women living like savages in a cave, almost like slaves.  I find it interesting how there is plenty of folk speech regarding names for females: broads, chicks, beezies, etc.

Through further research, there is a produced hip-hop song entitled “Hey Bitty” by the artist Nitty.  Although spelt differently, the term carries a derogatory connotation by reading the lyrics.  Also, this version of spelling is even closer to the spelling of the word “bitch”, further supporting that the etymology of the term came from “bitch” and carries a negative connotation.  Lastly, Nitty is from the Bronx in New York, which through historic geographic, begins to support the idea that the term originated in the east coast, specially the northeast.

Annotation:

Nitty.  Player’s Paradise: “Hey Bitty”.  Universal Records: 2005.