Usually considered an aspect of
Black urban life, playing the dozens has come into
vogue in
mainstream America due to the spread of
hip-hop and
rap music. In fact, part of the
origin of rap music involves rival DJs and gang leaders at dance clubs playing the dozens. It is also known as
dissing,
cracking,
snapping, and
ribbing, among other terms.
Basically, it involves two or more people throwing "snaps", or quick insults at one another. It is more than a game, it is a fight for supremacy of cool. Fast thinking and verbal agility are very important, as it is not only what you say, but how quickly you say it. It is also important to throw out more insults than your opponent. There is no tit-for-tat in the dozens. The best way to win is to leave your opponent without a retort while you pour a stream of invective over them.
The volume of your voice is not important. In fact, raising your voice will often be interpreted by onlookers as a loss of composure. Remember, it's about cool as much as it is about insults.
Insults about a person's mother, clothes, and income level are the most popular. Rhyming insults are worth extra.
It is also the name of a novel by William D. Pease.