Dollard (1939), Abrahams (1962) and Labov (1974) were among the first to study an important ritualized speech event called "signifying” (also known as "the dozens”, "sounding”, "joaning”, "snapping”, etc.). Traditionally limited Black North American sub-culture, "signifying” typically consists of an exchange of ritualized insults directed at an opponent’s mother or relative. The practice can also include personal insults of a simpler form. Representative examples are: "If ugliness were bricks, your mother would be a housing project.” "Your mother is so ugly, she had to find a beautician that makes house calls.” African slaves also appear to have brought this practice to other parts of the Americas (Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, etc.). But to date, scholars of Latin America have paid virtually no attention to the phenomenon, and the few who did report on it failed to connect it to the North American tradition of "signifying”. This study first reviews the basic tenets of "signifying” as practiced in the United States. Thereafter, a series of texts recorded by the author in Afro-Colombian and Afro-Ecuadorian communities will be examined in order to illustrate that "signifying” is indeed a Black pan-American (rather than simply North-American) phenomenon.Dollard (1939), Abrahams (1962) y Labov (1974) figuran entre los primeros investigadores que estudian una práctica verbal que, en la subcultura afroamericana de los EE.UU., se conoce bajo el término de signifying ‘vociferar, vacilar’ (otros términos son "the dozens”, "sounding”, "joaning”, "snapping”, etc.). Tradicionalmente limitado a los EE. UU., "signifying” típicamente consiste en un intercambio ritualizado de insultos dirigidos a la madre (o a otro pariente) del oponente. La práctica puede también incluir insultos personales más simples. Dos ejemplos representativos son: "If ugliness were bricks, your mother would be a housing project.” "Your mother is so ugly, she had to find a beautician that makes house calls.” Los esclavos africanos parecen haber llevado dicha practica a varias partes de las Américas (incluso a Cuba, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, etc.). Pero hasta la fecha, los latinoamericanistas han prestado muy poca atención al fenómeno en cuestión, y quienes sí lo han hecho jamás lo han relacionado con la tradición norteamericana del "signifying”. Este estudio primero examina las características generales del "signifying” norteamericano. Luego examinará varios textos recogidos por el autor en comunidades afrolatinoamericanas de Colombia y Ecuador. Esta aproximación comparativa permitirá establecer que la práctica de la vociferación (o de las "vaciladas”) efectivamente es un fenómeno pan-americano (en vez de simplemente norteamericano).