Verbal jousting and ritual insults, seen in adolescent immigrants from French-speaking countries, are a mode of communication and a form of cultural practice. These « digs » are often considered to be an emblem of linguistic incivility and a mark of « street culture ». They seem to originate in a culture of eloquence, derived from the popular traditions of immigrants from francophone Africa. As ritualized play, they help to socialize young people within their peer group.

Adolescence, 2013, T. 31, n°3, pp. 711-721.