Can anyone translate two Italian slang words azupep and shagamay both phonetic spellings and heard in the Spike Lee movie Do the Right Thing?

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1109806

2026-05-16 11:35

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Azupep is a dark colored pepper used in cooking

I'm adding to the answer above. When I was a kid in Central Jersey I used to hear the oldtimers use "azupep" to mean an alcoholic drink, or to take a drink. Example: "It's azupep time," said late in the afternoon. When I heard the term in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, referring to the alcoholic character "Da Mayor," I thought made sense, broadly.

adding onto the above answer

Literally translated, azupep means "eggplant". But it has another meaning. Italians living on the mainland used the Word "azupep" as a racial slur towards the typically more swarthy residents of the island of Sicily. It was a reference to their darker, more tanned skin.

In the movie, Pino's use of the Word is ironic, because he is using it as a racial slur towards a black man, but if he was living in Italy, it's a slur people would use towards him.

I have no idea what the significance of the other Word is. Sorry.

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