Re: the "hip" thing

Tony Reid (t-bird@salata.com)
20 Jun 96 00:23:22 -0800


el> The 'Hip' originated from the beatnik-derived slang of the '50s-'60s
el> and still used today: "hip" meaning 'fashionable' or 'cool'- i.e.
el> "That's so hip," "What is hip?" etc.

um, elson... the beatniks got most of their slang from american blacks. if
you read "on the road", you'll realize that the beats (or at least kerouac)
idealized the black experience, and somehow "aspired" to be black. besides,
the beats were preceded by the "hipsters"...

el> The 'Hop' quite simply means 'dance' - i.e. "At the hop," "Sock Hop",
el> etc.

i think you're also overanalyzing a bit. the mc really seemed to be
improvising words that didn't necessarily mean anything (e.g. someone asked
me the other day what the "wiggedy" in "wiggedy wack" meant. it doesn't mean
anything...).

i think your explanation works, but the originators were being much more
visceral, less cerebral.

t-bird

... ...and that's the t-bird opinion (whether you asked or not!)