“Tuff”
“Tough and tuff are two different words. Tough is the same as rough, tuff means cool, sharp- like a tuff-looking a Mustang or a tuff record. In our neighborhood both are compliments.” I will explain what I think is “tuff” in the book, “tuff” in society, and “tuff” to me. In my opinion “tuff” is a slang term meaning cool, sharp. “Tuff” is similar to other slang words like swag, clean, or lit. Tuff from The Outsiders has many examples. One example was cars such as Mustangs and Corvette Stingrays. The Socs drove tuff, expensive cars. Another example of tuff was the Greasers hair. Their hair was long, slicked back, and covered with grease. Greasers believed their hair was a sign of being tuff. A third example of tuff was family. Family for the Greasers was everything. Johnny did not have a good home life, so the gang was his family. Since Ponyboy’s parents died, his family were his brothers and the gang. …show more content…
I believe people in society have different opinions of tuff. A black man with sagging pants, gold chains, gold teeth, and a crooked hat could be seen as a thug by society or as tuff by people in his neighborhood. Looks can be deceiving. That man could be highly intelligent, educated, and have a career. Also, people that ride motorcycles are often viewed as tuff. However, they could be businessmen and business women in their everyday lives. The Greasers were viewed as thugs by the Socs and other people in town. They were thought of as hoods, but they were mostly hard working, proud, and loyal to family and friends. Ponyboy was intelligent and did well in school. Because of his looks people in society thought that was strange. Tuff in society to me means an education, career, and a family regardless of how people