Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Where does the word "zaddy" come from? There are as many hot takes as there are hot zaddies, but I think mine's better: It's a story of phonetic assimilation, auditory biases, and borrowing across dialects. Stay to the end for a special musical guest!

Link to the IPA "zaddy" shirt: teespring.com/zaddy-tee

SNL "Westminster Daddy Competition" video: youtube.com/watch?v=5Y4tw9DcnUs

NBC's (wrong) video about the origin of Zaddy: youtube.com/watch?v=Vv_liXpj9sk

Salt 'n' Pepa "Shoop" video: youtube.com/watch?v=4vaN01VLYSQ

John Leguizamo from 1992: youtube.com/watch?v=NWKrXx013cw

Bree Runway and Yung Baby Tate "Damn Danny": youtube.com/watch?v=QGBM2vWEfNo

Digital Underground (Shock G RIP) "Humpty Dance": youtube.com/watch?v=PBsjggc5jHM

Ty Dolla $ign "Zaddy": youtube.com/watch?v=3pAoC-DWNfs