# What is the origin of the now-trendy (?) "-iz-" infix (ex. "shiznat") ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594 "2002-05-06T18:58:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/1 "2002-05-06T18:58:16Z")
_“Linkin Park is the shiznat”_ OK, I understand that the sentence above means “Linkin Park is the SHIT”. Now I’ve been hearing this infix (cf prefix, suffix) used all the time. A recent example is the following: There is a popular bar in my town called “The Dock”. A friend recently said that he was heading to the “Dizock” after work, of course referring to The Dock bar. Sometimes he’ll call his friends “Dizonna”, “Bizen”, “Rizob” (Donna, Ben, Rob). I hear this on television from time to time, too – usually on MTV or other youth-oriented fare. I see it on various message boards all over the Net (including here). It’s definitely not a local thing. So … who or what STARTED that? How did it get in popular culture? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/2 "2002-05-06T19:18:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*_“Linkin Park is the shiznat”_ > > OK, I understand that the sentence above means “Linkin Park is the SHIT”. \*\* No. The way you wrote it, it means “Linkin Park is the shat,” which doesn’t really make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/3 "2002-05-06T19:28:43Z")
sup sup, Actually, like so many other words, originally was derived from urban black vernacular. Snoop Doggy Dog has a penchant for using Z’s and such in his music and generally when he talks i public. Peace homies, Brian ---
**Author:** ![OfBlinkingThings](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ebca7d/32.png) [@OfBlinkingThings](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OfBlinkingThings)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/4 "2002-05-06T19:28:43Z")
The adding of “iz” to such words as shiznit and dizamn and Hizo can be chalked up to the great american lyricst and poet Snoop Doggy Dogg. He has done a lot of good for the lizanguage of our proud pizeople. I hope one day he wins a pizulitzer for his cizontributions to american dizialouge. I hizope that anwsers your question. ``` your nizzle OfBlinkingThings ``` ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/5 "2002-05-06T19:42:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mobo85 \* > \*\*No. The way you wrote it, it means “Linkin Park is the shat,” which doesn’t really make sense. \*\* By the book, you’re correct – but I have seen the word “shiznat” spelled that way repeatedly, and have heard the “shizz-NAT” pronunciation repeatedly. I think it’s one of those exceptions to the rule. … To all: Snoop Dogg, huh? No wonder I didn’t know! Now, did HE borrow it, or is “-iz-” a Snoop Dogg original? Reminds me of the former slang “hizzoner”, which I think was on par with calling someone “boss”, but with scorn. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/6 "2002-05-06T20:33:50Z")
Snoop Dog! Playa pleaze! I remember the girls in Frankie Smith’s **Double Dutch Bus** talking like that way back in '81. Dizouble Dizutch! Dizouble Dizutch! ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/7 "2002-05-06T20:50:55Z")
Oh, my hizzead… ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/8 "2002-05-06T22:30:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MachV \* > \*\* > I remember the girls in Frankie Smith’s **Double Dutch Bus** talking like that way back in '81. \*\* Yup. There’s a song on that album that says it’s a slang thang (slizang, thizang). Wonder how many useful brain cells I have tied up remembering stuff like that. I hadn’t heard of it before then, but I hadn’t heard of double dutch either and I know now that double dutch is a lot older than 81. It did get fairly popular at the time, then faded almost completely from memory until people now say it as the next “new” thing (or thang I guess I should say). I searched on the net and everyone seems to think it came from Snoop Doggy Dog though. So much for the great knowledge base of the internet. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/9 "2002-05-07T02:12:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OfBlinkingThings \* > \*\*. . . great american lyricst and poet Snoop Doggy Dogg. He has done a lot of good for the lizanguage of our proud pizeople. I hope one day he wins a pizulitzer for his cizontributions to american dizialouge. I hizope that anwsers your question. > \*\* Sigh. I must be getting old. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/10 "2002-05-07T02:20:29Z")
It’s not easy to stay hep. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/11 "2002-05-07T02:28:46Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not easy to stay hep. Ultimately not that rewarding, either. Unless trivia games are big on your schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/12 "2002-05-07T10:46:35Z")
Not too surprising that it was around in 1981. The word Fat/Phat meaning something that is terrific… i.e. “Man, this is some PHAT music!” comes from the 19th century… and all these little hiphop kiddies thought they invented it. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/13 "2002-05-07T17:27:31Z")
**Arken** , I’ve been told (half tongue-in-cheek) that “phat” was an acronym for “pretty hot and tempting”, originally applied only to women, then later to things like cars, clothes, music etc. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/14 "2002-05-07T17:38:20Z")
First time I heard the “pretty hot and tempting” definition was by Chris Tucker in “Money Talks”. How long had people been saying phat before then, I wonder? ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/15 "2002-05-07T20:15:43Z")
In my day it was earz,as in you’re nearzuts,ie:you’re nuts.(loco) Same way hep in the 30’s 40’s became hip in the 50’s cool in the 60’s and whatever today. If you want to credit/blame anyone do so for the parents,who probably picked it up from the prev.generation,ad ifinitum. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/16 "2002-05-07T21:26:47Z")
My grandmother and her friends would use a language on the phone that put an _op_ after the first letter (or sound in the case of th, sp, etc) of each syllable. Hello there: H_op_ell_op_o th_op_ere. This was when phones were on party lines, meaning the little old lady next door could pick up her phone & listen in on your conversation. The girls would come up with these bizarre code languages to deter eavesdroppers. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/17 "2002-05-08T00:03:58Z")
**Arken** said > [@](#): > > The word Fat/Phat meaning something that is terrific… i.e. “Man, this is some PHAT music!” comes from the 19th century… and all these little hiphop kiddies thought they invented it Could you give a cite as to when/where those terms were used in the 19th Century? Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/18 "2002-05-08T00:47:10Z")
I have never heard this one. . . . I use shnitz all the time myself when I want to indicate a mildly humorious / light-hearded exclamation of some sort (oooh shnitz! Forgot to butter my corn! Err, ok bad example)., but that is about it. ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/19 "2002-05-08T17:22:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Com2Kid \* > \*\*I have never heard this one. . . . > > I use shnitz all the time myself when I want to indicate a mildly humorious / light-hearded exclamation of some sort (oooh shnitz! Forgot to butter my corn! Err, ok bad example)., but that is about it. \*\* How about: “One day I was taking a shnitz & realized I had forgotten to butter my corn.” ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sgt.J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.J)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-now-trendy-iz-infix-ex-shiznat/107594/20 "2002-05-08T19:11:08Z")
The “iz” comes from a “pig-latin” like language used on the east coast. My mother and Aunts learned it from a cousin from Jersey in the late 50’s. It’s much like the language **MachV** mentioned his Grandfather used. The adults in my family use it to discuss inappropriate things in front of the children. Everyone I know (who uses it) calls it “Carnie” and says it was the language the “Carnies” at the carnivals and fairs used to speak privately in front of the customers. To make it work you put “iz” or “eez” (either works, as long as the sound is consistent) in front of vowel sounds. It’s the same language as “double dutch” in the song