[Reader-list] char soh bees

[Isaac D W Souweine]

Aarti:

I can think of two more examples of the "char so bees" phenomenon from
the states. One is the use of the phrase "four twenty" to refer to
marijuana smoking. This tradition is robust enough to include a practice
of smoking at that time of day and even a supposed smoker's holiday on
April 20 i.e. 4/20. Supposedly this usage is tied to the fact that in
some state law code (California?) 420 is the number that refers to
marijuana possesion. Guess it's just coincidence that this is the same
number as in char so bees. Or perhaps it's an especially euphonic
number. The other example is the use of the term "one eight seven" to
refer to murder. I believe 187 is the number code for homicide in
California (or perhaps nationally). Would be cool to know other similar
examples. . . 

-Isaac 
 



----- Original Message -----
From: Aarti <aarti at sarai.net>
Date: Thursday, March 24, 2005 2:11 am
Subject: [Reader-list] char soh bees

> Dear All,
> 
> For a little while I have been thinking about some things that I 
> want to 
> share with you, with which I need some help. They are very 
> unformed 
> right now, just nascent initial thoughts, not quite coherent, but 
> nonetheless. Through conversation with comrades here, maybe they 
> will 
> get clarified and more fleshed out.
> 
> I am basically curious about how the law circulates, and the forms 
> in 
> which it circulates. By this I mean..how do we know the law in 
> everyday 
> life? For instance, if you happen to be a filmmaker and need to 
> shoot in 
> a particular area, you know you will have to get permissions from 
> the 
> DCPs of various police stations because many areas, Central Delhi 
> for 
> instance are under this Act (the exact act i forget now) which 
> makes 
> shooting etc without permission illegal. Likewise in the course of 
> doing 
> the things we do we interact with the letter of the law in various 
> ways, 
> and the law filters down to us. What we know of the law is not 
> always 
> the 'Law' i.e we have a sense of what it is we can and cannot do, 
> though 
> we may not always be in the know of the specific legal injunction 
> that 
> allows or prohibits the doing of certain things.
> 
> Also, how does the language of the law enter our language. For 
> instance 
> 'char soh bees' (420) is a common phrase to describe a no-good 
> character, but it is also section 420 of the IPC which relates to 
> dishonesty, cheating, petty fraud etc. what are other similar 
> phrases in 
> common usage which speak of the law? I was wondering if anyone 
> might be 
> able to help me with this. I right now cant think of any other 
> phrase 
> except char so bees, but I'm sure there must be others.
> 
> 
> Any thoughts, and help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> best
> 
> Aarti
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