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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
"Cool" and "spaz" in 1965
Noted in a Russell Baker column from 1965:
"Observer: America's New Class System"
New York Times, Apr. 11, 1965, p. E14
Your teen-age daughter asks what you think of her "shades," which you are canny enough to know are her sunglasses, and you say, "Cool," and she says, "Oh, Dad, what a spaz!" (Translation: "You're strictly from 23-skidoo.")
This is of interest for those familiar with the Areffian history of "cool" (1), wherein 1965 represents something of a nadir. Baker's daughter (we assume it's his daughter, despite the second-person narrative) clearly thinks that Dad is uncool for using the word "cool". It would be a decade before "cool" was cool again.
The other notable usage in the above quote is "spaz". The OED has another 1965 cite for "spaz" from movie critic Pauline Kael:
1965 P. KAEL I lost it at Movies III. 259 The term that Americanteen-agers now use as the opposite of 'tough' is 'spaz'. A spaz is a person who is courteous to teachers, plans for a career..and believes in official values. A spaz is something like what adults still call a square.
Pre-1965 examples of "spaz" are difficult to find in print (though the new OED draft entry for the verb "spaz" includes an example from 1957). Like the longer form "spastic", it was (and is) considered to be an offensive epithet. As Robert Burchfield noted in the OED2 entry for "spastic" (meaning "one who is uncoordinated or incompetent; a fool"), "it is generally condemned as a tasteless expression, and is not common in print." But once "spaz" developed into the 'uncool' sense as above, it was apparently distant enough from "spastic" to make it into print.
The earliest public attestation I know of for the 'uncoordinated' sense of "spaz" is the undeniably tasteless garage-rock single "Spazz" by the Elastik Band (Atco #6537, Nov. 1967), included in the box set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (2). The catchy refrain goes, "I said, get offa the floor, get offa the floor, boy, people gonna think, yes they're gonna think, people gonna think you're a spazz." (This is also the earliest example I know of for the double-z spelling of "spazz".)
(1) See helpful graph here:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.usage.english/msg/3f06c74c4c3ef4e3?dmode=source (2) The single is described here:
"Observer: America's New Class System"
New York Times, Apr. 11, 1965, p. E14
Your teen-age daughter asks what you think of her "shades," which you are canny enough to know are her sunglasses, and you say, "Cool," and she says, "Oh, Dad, what a spaz!" (Translation: "You're strictly from 23-skidoo.")
This is of interest for those familiar with the Areffian history of "cool" (1), wherein 1965 represents something of a nadir. Baker's daughter (we assume it's his daughter, despite the second-person narrative) clearly thinks that Dad is uncool for using the word "cool". It would be a decade before "cool" was cool again.
The other notable usage in the above quote is "spaz". The OED has another 1965 cite for "spaz" from movie critic Pauline Kael:
1965 P. KAEL I lost it at Movies III. 259 The term that Americanteen-agers now use as the opposite of 'tough' is 'spaz'. A spaz is a person who is courteous to teachers, plans for a career..and believes in official values. A spaz is something like what adults still call a square.
Pre-1965 examples of "spaz" are difficult to find in print (though the new OED draft entry for the verb "spaz" includes an example from 1957). Like the longer form "spastic", it was (and is) considered to be an offensive epithet. As Robert Burchfield noted in the OED2 entry for "spastic" (meaning "one who is uncoordinated or incompetent; a fool"), "it is generally condemned as a tasteless expression, and is not common in print." But once "spaz" developed into the 'uncool' sense as above, it was apparently distant enough from "spastic" to make it into print.
The earliest public attestation I know of for the 'uncoordinated' sense of "spaz" is the undeniably tasteless garage-rock single "Spazz" by the Elastik Band (Atco #6537, Nov. 1967), included in the box set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (2). The catchy refrain goes, "I said, get offa the floor, get offa the floor, boy, people gonna think, yes they're gonna think, people gonna think you're a spazz." (This is also the earliest example I know of for the double-z spelling of "spazz".)
(1) See helpful graph here:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.usage.english/msg/3f06c74c4c3ef4e3?dmode=source (2) The single is described here:
Top answer
[nq:1]This is of interest for those familiar with the Areffian history of "cool" (1), wherein 1965 represents something of a ... thinks that Dad is uncool for using the word "cool". [/nq] Well, more precisely, it would be about two decades before "cool" was cool again.
- [nq:1]This is of interest for those familiar with the Areffian history of "cool" (1), wherein 1965 represents something of a ...
- thinks that Dad is uncool for using the word "cool".
- [/nq] Well, more precisely, it would be about two decades before "cool" was cool again.
- The beginnings of the revival of "cool" can be seen in events that took place during 1974 and 1975 (principally having to do with the new sitcom Happy Days ).
- Sometimes it takes ten years for a revival to hit its stride.
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35 Answers
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[nq:1]This is of interest for those familiar with the Areffian history of "cool" (1), wherein 1965 represents something of a ... thinks that Dad is uncool for using the word "cool". It would be a decade before "cool" was cool again.[/nq]
Well, more precisely, it would be about two decades before "cool" was cool again. The beginnings of the revival of "cool" can be seen in events that took plac
Well, more precisely, it would be about two decades before "cool" was cool again. The beginnings of the revival of "cool" can be seen in events that took plac
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[nq:1]Noted in a Russell Baker column from 1965: "Observer: America's New Class System" New York Times, Apr. 11, 1965, ... "spaz" developed into the 'uncool' sense as above, it was apparently distant enough from "spastic" to make it into print.[/nq]Odd, since the pre-1965 definitions of "cool" and "spaz" are all that Generation Y, and possibly Generation Z as well, seem to know. "Cool" does not so
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[nq:1]Odd, since the pre-1965 definitions of "cool" and "spaz" are all that Generation Y, and possibly Generation Z as well, seem to know.[/nq]
So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use (though I'm sure not an extinction).
[nq:1]"Cool" does not sound "dated" in the way that some former teen s
So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use (though I'm sure not an extinction).
[nq:1]"Cool" does not sound "dated" in the way that some former teen s
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}> Odd, since the pre-1965 definitions of "cool" and "spaz" are all that }> Generation Y, and possibly Generation Z as well, seem to know. }
} So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I } think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use } (though I'm sure not an extinction).
Heck, it was popular when *I* was 11-14 or so. It was a bad t
} So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I } think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use } (though I'm sure not an extinction).
Heck, it was popular when *I* was 11-14 or so. It was a bad t
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[nq:1]ObNonSequitur: I saw Dinah Shore in a restaurant in or near Huntington sometime during that period.[/nq]
Wasn't Rey a guest on her show back in the 'Seventies? I know he was on at least one of The Mike Douglas Show and The Cavett Show . I'd pay muchos Deutsche marks to see some of that footage, but perhaps it's available at one of the broadcasting musea.
Wasn't Rey a guest on her show back in the 'Seventies? I know he was on at least one of The Mike Douglas Show and The Cavett Show . I'd pay muchos Deutsche marks to see some of that footage, but perhaps it's available at one of the broadcasting musea.
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}> ObNonSequitur: I saw Dinah Shore in a restaurant in or near Huntington }> sometime during that period.
}
} Wasn't Rey a guest on her show back in the 'Seventies? I know he was on } at least one of The Mike Douglas Show and The Cavett Show . I'd } pay muchos Deutsche marks to see some of that footage, but perhaps it's } available at one of the broadcasting musea.
You'd think h
}
} Wasn't Rey a guest on her show back in the 'Seventies? I know he was on } at least one of The Mike Douglas Show and The Cavett Show . I'd } pay muchos Deutsche marks to see some of that footage, but perhaps it's } available at one of the broadcasting musea.
You'd think h
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[nq:2]The earliest public attestation I know of for the 'uncoordinated' ... example I know of for the double-z spelling of "spazz".)[/nq]
[nq:1]Wait...I thought this "uncoordinated" meaning is the one that the 1965 father used, whereas his spastic, uncool daughter who thinks ... 1967 is the first time "spaz" was used to mean spastic, what did it mean according to the 1965 father?[/nq]
If i
[nq:1]Wait...I thought this "uncoordinated" meaning is the one that the 1965 father used, whereas his spastic, uncool daughter who thinks ... 1967 is the first time "spaz" was used to mean spastic, what did it mean according to the 1965 father?[/nq]
If i
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[nq:2]Odd, since the pre-1965 definitions of "cool" and "spaz" are all that Generation Y, and possibly Generation Z as well, seem to know.[/nq]
[nq:1]So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use (though I'm sure not an extinction).[/nq]
It was popular when I was 11-14 as well, which, in accordan
[nq:1]So "spaz" is still in use? It was popular when I was 11-14 or so, but I think an early form of political correctness caused a decline in use (though I'm sure not an extinction).[/nq]
It was popular when I was 11-14 as well, which, in accordan
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[nq:2]Wait...I thought this "uncoordinated" meaning is the one that the ... spastic, what did it mean according to the 1965 father?[/nq]
[nq:1]If it meant anything at all to Dad, it surely meant "spastic" (i.e., uncoordinated).[/nq]
Just to be clear, it was originally a medical term, used for those who were crippled by muscle disease. M-W:
Main Entry: 2 spastic
Function: noun
D
[nq:1]If it meant anything at all to Dad, it surely meant "spastic" (i.e., uncoordinated).[/nq]
Just to be clear, it was originally a medical term, used for those who were crippled by muscle disease. M-W:
Main Entry: 2 spastic
Function: noun
D
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[nq:1](Say, where *is* Rey, anyway?)[/nq]
Vatican City, or possibly Boulder.
Vatican City, or possibly Boulder.
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