Are these really Charlotte slang terms or just DaBaby talk? We pacify the rumors
As a lifelong Charlotte-area resident and rap fan, there’s one person I look to when I want insight into the Queen City’s vernacular: DaBaby.
The rapper – whose real name is Jonathan Kirk – recently appeared in a TikTok for Billboard to break down what he described as local lingo.
“That’s some Charlotte lingo for you to take with you and do what you want with it,” Kirk said at the end of the video.
But are the phrases truly Charlotte slang, or is DaBaby spinning a tall tale?
“For a fact Charlotte lingo!” one commenter wrote. “You gotta be from Charlotte to know.”
“Boy don’t nobody say nun of this I love u tho,” another responded.
Here’s what you need to know.
“Blank”
According to Kirk, “blank” means “to do something exceedingly well.”
Referring to his recently released studio album “Be More Grateful,” he offered an example: “You blanked on that album.”
I’ve heard the term used before, but with a very different meaning. In the context I knew, it referred to unleashing a string of curse words at someone who likely had it coming.
“A fool”
This one is all about how you say it, Kirk told Billboard.
“I’m not calling you a fool, like a f****** dumb***,” he said, repeating the phrase in a high-pitched tone. “That’s throwback Charlotte lingo. The youngins may not know anything about that.”
I’d never heard of this one and Kirk did not explain what the term meant, but according to Urban Dictionary, it refers to someone who keeps making bad decisions or used as a term for a friend.
“Cud”
Rhyming with “good,” “cud” is a term often used, Kirk said, “when you see something fine walk by” – likely a reference to the women he frequently raps about.
“Like ‘cud God almighty,’ you know what I’m saying?” said Kirk. “But not with the ‘G.’”
I lived in my fraternity house for two years in college, so I heard that term often. I’m not sure the women it was directed at appreciated it.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 8:54 AM.
