Ask McFartnuggets: “How Come Black People Call Things “Mad” And White People Call Things “Crazy”?

Dear McFartnuggets: 
How come White people always call things “Crazy” like “These Pop Tarts are crazy good!” but Black people call things “Mad” like “These Pop Tarts are mad good!” Crazy and mad pretty much mean the same thing so why do White and Black people use different forms of the same thing? -- Luis from Houston

Dear Luis:
People are just exposed to a certain way of speaking when they grow up. People’s dialects and vernacular are informed by family and friends. Because there are a lot of communities that are still isolated as White or Black there can be certain phrases that seem exclusive to each group. However, what you will find is that in integrated neighborhoods, White people will say “mad” and Black people will say “crazy.” It’s not like these words are exclusively meant for a certain ethnicity, it’s all a matter of their origins. For example, a White person was likely the first person who ever called something “crazy good.” It doesn’t mean Black people can’t say that, they might just feel more comfortable calling something “mad good” because that’s how their friends talk. Once a certain way of speaking develops an identity of its own, those who wish to present a certain idenitty must adhere to the lingo to complete their presentation. “Crazy” and “mad” both fit into different identities at the moment. The important thing to remember is that words are not exclusive to ethnicity, except the n-word and most racial slurs.

Whether you believe pomegranate juice is "crazy healthy" or "mad healthy" might depend on your upbringing.

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