Etymology Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).
Don’t try to jive me! I know where you were last night!
It's the year when all of the white politicians will be back in the so-called Negro community jiving you and me for some votes.1964, Malcolm X, The Ballot or the Bullet:
2
Colloquial To dance, originally to jive or swing music; later, to jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, disco, etc.
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life; ooh, see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen!1976, “Dancing Queen”, performed by ABBA:
"Can you flamenco?" "If I have to. How about you?" "Love, I can barely waltz. Jive a bit if I'm pissed enough."2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 212:
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When it was time for stage games, I found myself jiving to Chinese orchestra and *Nsync tunes with my colleague’s sister — one of my “supporters”.2015 April 19, Yeo Sam Jo, “Hello, I'm Eligible Bachelor #43”, in The Straits Times, Singapore, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2016:
Etymology Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).
1
A dance style popular in the 1940–50s.
2
Swing, a style of jazz music.
3
A slang associated with jazz musicians; hepcat patois or hipster jargon.
Then the loud sound did seem to fade / Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase / That weren't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive1972, “Starman”, in The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, performed by David Bowie:
4
US, Colloquial Synonym of bullshit: patent nonsense, transparently deceptive talk.
Don’t give me that jive. I know where you were last night.
Although speaking Western Japanese to your friends in Ōsaka, Kyōto, or Kōbe will allow you to get closer to them, speaking Western Japanese in Tōkyō might seem as outlandish as hearing a Japanese exchange student back home speaking jive or cockney.1993, Peter Tse, Kansai Japanese: The Language of Osaka, Kyoto, and Western Japan: This Japanese Phrasebook and Language Guide Teaches the Kansai Dialect, Tuttle Publishing, →ISBN, page 17:
"Oh come on," she said. "I heard you talking jive the other day when you were playing with your dolls. And back in February, when you recited that poem by, by—what was the poet's name? "Langston Hughes?" "Right, Langston Hughes," Kanta said. "You spoke jive when you read that poem, remember?"2019, Mathea Morais, There You Are, Amberjack Publishing, →ISBN:
Etymology Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).
In the DuPont plantation state they even passed a law that said if building codes aren't lived up to you can deposit your money in one of the company banks and leave it then 'til the cat comes round. Ain't that the jivest crap you ever heard of? I mean, paternalism with a capital WHITE.1968, Black World/Negro Digest, volume 17, number 8, page 81:
A good right on for Roscoe Lee Browne who can take the jivest role Hollywood can dish out and still come out with his Blackness intact.1972, Jet, volume 41, number 22, page 60:
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Young man, I was once in your shoes / I said, I was down and out with the blues / I felt no man cared if I were alive / I felt the whole world was so jive1978 October 23, Jacques Morali, Victor Willis, “Y.M.C.A.”, in Cruisin', performed by Village People, track 1: