I’ve had a few people look at me confused or even better, they read the name  of our dinner party and call me to ask “What’s Chez Boogie?”

Chez Bougie (bou·gie - Prounounced bū‘zhē) is a play on the term Bougie which is a word I’ve heard since I was a child. You see, I’m a black dude from the hood (Bed-Stuy SON!) and bougie is a slang term for when someone might have been doing something that the people around them might consider above their station.

Example. My mother was/is impeccably dressed at ALL times. My mom could go to a Cookout and still look like she’s going to deliver a keynote speech somewhere. This could have (and did) get her labeled bougie.  She just thought she had pride in her appearance. I had a little outburst about a year ago when I desperately wanted a Brie and Granny Apple sandwich but my ghetto supermarket had none. I was immediately called bougie because why do I “need” brie? Just get some regular old cheese and be done with it.

Ordering brie is the equivelent of riding on horses and making people walk along beside you holding umbrellas.

The term Bougie is, of course, a play off of the word bourgeoisie. Some take offense to the term. Most times when you are called it, its not a compliment.  “I” on the other hand wear it as a badge of honor. To me, bougie just means that someone ELSE thinks i’m being uppity. To me, I’m just not sucking like most people do (News Flash. Most people, places, and things suck. Just deal with it) Yeah, I expect some brie at my super market. I live in a first world country damnit. I enjoy 16 year single malt scotch.  Some say “bougie”, I say “You probably haven’t had it and don’t realize how amazing it is.”  So I now stand tall in all my bougie-fied glory. When I hear bougie, THAT means I’m probably livng life awesomely. Someone thinks I’m being all uppity. They should try it because eventually you’ll realize that sometimes, you’re just better.

Oh and in french? Bougie actually means candle or sparkplug.  That takes the wind out of my bougie rant just now doesn’t it?