[SnareeWer]

A weird cultural quirk that I didn't know was so widespread. Also called steups
Sucking teeth is something I've seen alot of West Africans (Ghanaians and Nigerians) do. It's a sound people make when they are annoyed. I used to think only West Africans did this, but then I saw this video, and apparently some Caribbeans do it also.

The girl uses the teeth sucking in the same way West Africans do.


Do black Americans do this also? I don't think so... Do people in your culture do this? Also, I can't recall ever hearing white or Asian folks 'sucking teeth'.

This is funny. I first heard the term "steups" (didn't know that was how it was spelled, because it sounds like "stoops") from a woman friend many years ago. She is Afro-Caribbean and she does it too, but I never thought of ethnicity having any connection to that habit.

[JeremyIV]

Wow. I didn't know it was that widespread. Maybe Jamaicans, Caribbeans and West Africans are pissed more often because I'm sure they do it a lot more than everyone else.

Seems like a random/weird signal for being annoyed. If it is so widespread, maybe it is programmed into us...but I think it started somewhere, most likely West Africa since they do it all the time and so do West Indians.

I don't think rolling your eyes is programmed into people, but that's nearly universal. If you went to some isolated tribe in Brazil, I doubt the kids are rolling their eyes at their parents.

Lol, some East Africans also describe that their parents suck their teeth when upset...

[cepAceryTem]

We do it too, sometimes while shaking our heads as well. Here it usually means displeasure or disbelief. It can be the equivalent of "face palming".

However, it's not as obvious/exaggerated as the girl in the video, so I'm not sure it's the same. For us it's more about making a sound.

[SteantyjetMaw]

LOL, its called "Kissing you teeth" and its pretty common in some parts of London.

All the Jamaicans do it.

CC knows her Jamaicans!

---------- Post added 2012-02-25 at 19:35 ----------

LMAO

this Trini chick is OD'ing on that joint though. Most Trini women don't do it that often.

[SantaClaus]

Yeah we call it "Kissing Teeth". Only females do it, as it's considered a feminine action. Words like "Cho", "Madaz" & "Ehhhh!" come after

[JonDopl]

Koreans make some kind of cluck/click noise with their tongue hitting the roof of the mouth to express frustration or displeasure, but it's independent of the teeth.

I used to do the teeth kissing when I was in middle school. I grew up with a lot of black people, and I picked it up directly from them.

[GrolmangHat27]

This is quite common from my experience. Why would you think it has a Black origin or only done by Blacks?