Feds seek Ebonics experts to help in drug cases

[alp227]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTA — Federal agents are seeking to hire Ebonics translators to help interpret wiretapped conversations involving targets of undercover drug investigations.

The Drug Enforcement Agency recently sent memos asking companies that provide translation services to help it find nine translators in the Southeast who are fluent in Ebonics, Special Agent Michael Sanders said Monday.

Ebonics, which is also known as African American Vernacular English, has been described by the psychologist who coined the term as the combination of English vocabulary with African language structure.

Some DEA agents already help translate Ebonics, Sanders said. But he said wasn't sure if the agency has ever hired outside Ebonics experts as contractors.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38823908/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

[Fire1]

1. Roflmao!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


edit to add: "Shnizzle manizzle!"

[slackmaster]

2. "It's OK. I speak jive."

[mike_c]

4. beat me to it....

:rofl:

[ixion]

7. lol... 'xactly what came t o mind

:rofl:

[Beartracks]

8. How come I never noticed before...

... that the overhead baggage area in that Airplane is not enclosed?!

------------

[slackmaster]

9. It's one of the ongoing jokes of the movie - like the sound track

All of the shots showing the plane in flight have the sound of a propeller-driven aircraft.

And the film was made on a very low budget.

[awoke_in_2003]

18. "the sound of a propeller-driven aircraft"

for some reason, I never caught that one until I started working in flight simulation.

[COLGATE4]

23. Actually, some of the first jets did have open shelves, not

enclosed compartments overhead.

[Lucky Luciano]

10. LOL! We allllll thought the same thing! LOL nt

[24601]

16. Too much time being hard on the beaver. n/t

[guitar man]

21. dammit!

beat me to it! :rofl:

[rocktivity]

3. As long as they're not gay.

:evilgrin:
rocktivity

[Pavulon]

6. down low brothers can apply too

equal opportunity employer... That job could go to any white kid who grew up in the south listening to hip hop(well almost any)..

[Downwinder]

5. I'm fluent in pig latin, any openings? n/t

[EFerrari]

29. DEA used to pay our company $100 an hour to translate taped busts.

And that was 25 years ago.

[Historic NY]

11. "fo' shizzle my nizzle" is all i can come up with.

[annabanana]

12. Oh Dear Lord. . Is THIS

ridiculous stuff still out there? I really thought I'd heard the word for the last time. . years ago.

[IDemo]

13. I wonder if Rosetta Stone has an Ebonics course?

[LostinVA]

28. They just released Navajo

[TygrBright]

14. We live in stupid times.

ASTOUNDINGLY stupid times.

speechlessly,
Bright

[XemaSab]

15. Ah finna git ON that

They got the benjies? :shrug:

[LandR]

17. typical query

Frank the detective: what does he mean when he says "dub"?

Tyrone the translator: Dub means he wants that fire

Frank the detective: wait he wants to set a fire?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. I'd imagine they'd already have many experts.

Used to be the FBI had all sorts of experts thoroughly covering every dialect spoken in the country. Some were good enough that they could pin point a person's home county based on their accent.

[jennied]

20. Reminds me of this sketch..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pm2wTGgYAw

[Romulox]

22. This country's biggest problem? Not enough black men in jail!

If only the DEA had access to an Ebonics expert...victory in the drug war would be just around the corner!

:shrug:

[superduperfarleft]

24. Their training video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeFcVHNT1Q&feature=search

[KamaAina]

25. Got racial profiling?

:eyes:

[Posteritatis]

26. ITT: Lots of kneejerk condescension and thinly-veiled bigotry. (nt)

[LostinVA]

27. OMFG

I thought this was the Onion.

[ecstatic]

30. just hire corrupt cops nt

[Starbucks Anarchist]

31. Just watch "The Wire" and you'll pick it up quickly.

[hedgehog]

32. CAn we disband the DEA and start sending the agents to egg farms, instead?