What Is A Scraper Slang?

Scraper slang is a type of slang originating from the United States that refers to vehicles used for illegal street racing. The term “scraper” comes from these vehicles being customized and lowered close to the ground by removing material from suspension parts. This allows them to “scrape” the ground when driven.

The origins of scraper slang can be traced back to the custom lowrider culture that emerged in Hispanic communities in places like Los Angeles in the mid-20th century. Enthusiasts would modify cars by lowering them substantially, adding custom paint jobs, wheels, and hydraulic suspension systems. These customized lowriders were known as “scrapers” for their tendency to scrape the ground when driven due to their extremely low ride heights.

History

The origins of the term “scraper” as slang can be traced back to the 1970s and 1980s in urban areas like Los Angeles and Oakland. According to sources, the term first emerged to describe large, older American cars from the 1960s and 1970s that were customized by their owners, often by installing hydraulics and custom paint jobs.1

These customized cars, commonly known as “lowriders,” were initially associated with Mexican American and Chicano culture in southern California. Enthusiasts would modify vehicles like Chevrolet Impalas and Caprices, Cadillac Coupe DeVilles, and Buick Electras and Roadmasters into “scrapers.” The large size and boxy shape of these cars, as well as the customizations lowering them close to the ground, led to the “scraper” moniker.

By the 1980s and 1990s, “scraper” slang had spread beyond the lowrider scene and into hip hop culture, particularly on the West Coast. Songs and music videos from artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur featured scraper cars as a symbol of West Coast urban culture. The slang term was also adopted more broadly to describe any large American car from the era that had been customized with fancy wheels, paint, and hydraulics.2

Today, “scraper” continues to be used in hip hop and urban culture to refer nostalgically to these iconic customized cars from previous decades, even as the automobile styles and trends have changed over time.

Common Terms

Scraper slang refers to various slang terms and phrases used in relation to “scrapers,” which are modified cars popular in hip hop culture. Here are some common scraper slang words and phrases:

• Scraper or scraper car: A modified luxury or family sedan, usually American-made from the 1980s or 90s, with custom paint, rims, and other accessories. See Scraper (car)
• Swangas: Extra long, elbow-shaped rims that stick out from the car. Derived from “swanging and banging.”
• Swanging/Swangin’: Driving a car with swangas and bouncing the suspension up and down by hitting switches.
• Banging/Bangin’: Playing very loud music with heavy bass from the car.
• Hitting switches: Activating hydraulic functions on the car, like making it bounce up and down.
• Pokin’ out: Part of the car is modified to stick out dramatically from the body, like swangas.
• Slabs: Big, American luxury sedans modified into scrapers, usually a Cadillac, Buick, or Lincoln.
• Elbows: Another term for swangas or other extended/angular rims.

These are some of the most common slang terms related to scrapers and car culture in places like Houston and the Bay Area hip hop scene.

Regional Variations

Scraper slang has distinct regional differences across the United States. In the Bay Area of California, the term “scraper” refers to a customized lowrider car with modifications to make the undercarriage scrape the ground. According to an online forum, “Scraper is a lowered car, hence the tail pipe scrapes the road.”^[1] These customized cars are part of the hydraulics car culture originating in Oakland.

In other parts of the country like New England, “scraper” has different slang meanings related to ice hockey and winter activities. A “scraper” can refer to a hockey stick or a tool to scrape ice and snow off cars.^[2] Regional slang often develops based on unique local cultures, industries, sports, and pastimes.

Understanding scraper slang requires paying attention to geographic context. While a “scraper” refers to a specific car type in California, the same word carries very different connotations in New England related to cold weather and ice sports.

Parts of Speech

Scraper slang terms can function as different parts of speech, most commonly as nouns and verbs. As nouns, terms like “scraper” and “scrape” refer to a person or tool that scrapes or removes something by abrasion. For example: “That scraper took all the paint off the wall.” As verbs, “to scrape” means to rub something abrasively to remove a layer or coating: “I’m going to scrape the old wax off the floor.”

Scraper slang also includes adjective forms to describe something relating to scraping, such as “scrapey” or “scraped.” For example: “The scraped surface was rough and uneven.”Scraper slang gets adapted into various parts of speech as needed to fit different grammatical contexts.

Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/scrape

Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/scraper

Meanings

The term “scraper” refers to several related slang meanings, often carrying a negative connotation or referring to illicit activities:

According to Urban Dictionary, in some regions a “scraper” is a run-down car with expensive accessories like rims that cost more than the car itself. It states, “Any bucket you put rims (and/or beat) on so that the value of the accessories are more than that of the vehicle. It’s a Bay thang.”

The slang dictionary Green’s Dictionary of Slang provides several definitions related to illegal or deceptive acts: “a cheating beggar,” “a gully-sneaking thief,” and “a trickster living by their wits.” It also defines it as “the penis” and “a razor.”

The core meaning seems to relate to the idea of “scraping by” or barely getting along through questionable means, highlighting economic struggle. The slang evokes images of a beat-up, barely functioning car decked out in finery it can’t afford.

Usage

Scrapers are commonly used in slang and informal speech, especially among younger generations. They often appear in hip hop, rap, and urban music lyrics as shorthand references to things like cars, money, status symbols, etc. For example, a rapper might boast about their “fully loaded scraper” to describe their flashy, expensive car with lots of customizations. The term conveys a sense of materialism and conspicuous consumption within youth culture.

In conversation, scrapers can function as shorthand to identify things, people, and places associated with urban street culture. Referring to someone as a “scraper” can suggest they have street smarts and hustle. The term may also be used as a playful insult between friends. Youth might affectionately call their run-down car a “scraper” as a way to show pride in making the most of what they have.

Scrapers are prevalent in slang because they pack a lot of meaning into one simple word. The flexibility of the term allows it to be molded to different contexts and spark cultural references through implication. Overall, scrapers are used informally to add flavor and specificity to descriptions of people, places, and things relating to street life.

Adoption

Scraper slang originated in the Bay Area hip hop scene in the 1990s, but has since been widely adopted on social media and in internet culture. As noted on Reddit, many people think the adoption of AAVE (African American Vernacular English) slang like “scraper” on platforms like TikTok has become very common. This rapid spread online has led some to criticize it as inauthentic or cringeworthy when used by those outside the culture it originated from. However, others view the mainstreaming of historically marginalized slang as a natural evolution of language. The rapid proliferation across regions and demographics demonstrates just how widespread adoption of scraper slang has become in recent years, largely thanks to the internet and social media.

Controversies

Scraper slang has been the subject of some controversies and debates, particularly around whether the terms promote negative stereotypes or attitudes.

Some argue that using words like “scraper” perpetuates harmful assumptions about fighting, violence, and working class toughness. As one Reddit user commented, “A scrapper is a slang word for someone who likes to fight. A scraper ‘scrapes’ information. Just wanted to correct that” (Source). From this perspective, the terms reinforce outdated gender norms and class stereotypes.

Others counter that scraper slang reflects the real life experiences of many people and serves as an authentic form of cultural expression. As documented on Urban Dictionary, terms like “scraper” have emerged from specific regional contexts to describe certain cars and people (Source). Therefore, some argue that efforts to curb the use of these words ignore their cultural roots.

There are also debates around whether certain scraper slang words promote harmful assumptions about physical appearance and disability. Some words play on associations between scraping and abnormalities of gait. Advocates for disability rights have criticized these terms as ableist.

In summary, scraper slang elicits disagreements between those who see the terminology as problematic and those arguing that the words hold cultural meaning. There are reasoned perspectives on both sides of these ongoing debates.

Influence

Scraper slang has had a significant cultural influence, especially in urban areas and among young people. It originated in the late 20th century in cities on the East Coast and Midwest and has since spread across the United States.

The slang is now commonly used in music, films, and other media portraying urban life. Scraper culture has been referenced in hip hop lyrics by artists like Nas and Jay-Z. Movies like Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society depicted the scraper lifestyle in Los Angeles. Over time, the slang has become more mainstream and recognized even by those unfamiliar with urban culture.

Words like “scraper”, “scraping”, and “scraped” are now common slang terms, especially among young people. Urban Dictionary has over a hundred entries defining scraper slang terms. Online discussions on sites like Reddit indicate the widespread familiarity of scraper lingo. Ultimately, scraper slang has left an indelible mark on American pop culture and youth vernacular.