meaning of "Jivin"

[pinkie9]

This is from a novel.
An American woman thinks back on her young days when she went out on the streets in Manhattan, New York. She was a drug user and a prostitute, too.
She describes how the Village was a wild place and how she was cool back then.
She says "Jivin', man. That's how we used to talk."

What is "Jivin, man"? Is it a kind of greeting, like "Are you enjoying?"

[birdeen's call]

No. "To jive" originally meant to talk nonsense. Here, the verb denotes a kind of talk that is difficult to follow for those who are not familiar with it. The woman is proud of this, because she considers that kind of talk cool and colorful.

(My answer is based on this page from Urban Dictionary)

[pinkie9]

Thank you.
Are there any other opinions?

[Coolfootluke]

Thank you.
Are there any other opinions?

I am not a teacher.

Let's hope not. The word is "jiving", referring to a manner of speaking associated with twentieth-century American urban black culture, especially the jazz scene.

[petit_minou]

"Jive" is a term that has evolved. "Jive" means a type of jazz music. It was later adopted into slang, used mostly by black African Americans, to mean talking/singing/rapping/casual speech with musical undertones.

[pinkie9]

So, in this case, does "Jivin, man" mean:
1. (I'm) Jivin, man. (=I'm talking nonsense.)
2. (You're) jivin, man. (=You're talking nonsense.)
3. (Are you) jivin, man? (=Are you talking nonsense?)

Which of the above?
Or something else?

[5jj]

So, in this case, does "Jivin, man" mean:
1. (I'm) Jivin, man. (=I'm talking nonsense.)
2. (You're) jivin, man. (=You're talking nonsense.)
3. (Are you) jivin, man? (=Are you talking nonsense?)

None of these. Look back at the second and third sentences of BC's post.

[pinkie9]

Look back at the second and third sentences of BC's post.

Sorry. I was careless. Not "talking nonsense" here.

But something must have been omitted before "Jivin, man".
"I'm" or "You're" or "(something) is".
What is that?

[SoothingDave]

Jiving can mean to talk nonsense, or to be giving someone a line of BS. I wouldn't recommend anyone use this term. It is outdated, like a 1970s leisure suit.

[Coolfootluke]

Sorry. I was careless. Not "talking nonsense" here.

But something must have been omitted before "Jivin, man".
"I'm" or "You're" or "(something) is".
What is that?

I am not a teacher.

I doubt whether anybody here is qualified to say. African American Vernacular English is a creole of sorts, a different language from Standard American English with a different grammar. But there is no need for a pronoun even in Standard English. You can present a concept in a word: "Skiing, man---that's what we did all day."