From ‘jawn’ to ‘bul,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Quinta Brunson schools Stephen Colbert on Philly slang
The "Abbott Elementary" creator schooled "The Late Show" host on everything from hoagies, to how to spell "bol."
On Tuesday’s episode of The Late Show, class was in session.
Host Stephen Colbert had Abbott Elementary creator and famously from Philly star Quinta Brunson on to teach him some Philly 101 — a.k.a. the greatest hits of our local slang.
How the lesson worked: Colbert guessed the definitions of a slew of words before Brunson taught him what they meant and how they worked in a sentence.
Colbert knew the basics, like how you order a cheesesteak “wit Whiz” and that a hoagie is a superior version of a sub, but was stumped by some of the less-straightforward terms. He thought jawn was slang for a man’s name, which is only true when it comes to a certain cringe lawyer.
“It’s a person, place, or thing, a noun if you will,” Brunson said before gesturing to a prop Late Show mug. “That jawn crazy.”
And when it came to bul, the jury is still out on whether Colbert has enough street cred to qualify.
“Am I a bol?” Colbert asked, who had the decidedly un-Philly spelling of the word written on his flashcard.
“Sure,” Brunson said.
A tribute to her mom’s West Philadelphia kindergarten classroom, Brunson’s Abbott Elementary is rife with Philly-centric references that make the show feel the right amount of authentic. Season 1 brought shout-outs to retired Action News anchor Jim Gardner and bemusing chicken spot Danny’s Wok, while Season 2 has focused on the marquee jawns — think Gritty cameos, Meek Mill references, and a James Harden costume.
The show returns from its midseason break Wednesday at 9 p.m. on ABC.