Short note on scuzzy

Victor Steinbok aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
Sun Nov 6 12:15:54 UTC 2011


Thanks. I got three more 1963-5 hits from GNA:

Two are paywalled PQ:

 From 'Scuzzies' to United States Marines
Boston Globe - May 22, 1965
> At the heart of it is the "DI" himself, trained and dedicated to
> making Marines out of fat, thin, awkward, shambling, "scuzzy"
> civilians. ...

College Girls Vote the Conservative Ticket -- in Fashion
New York Times - Aug 4, 1965
> But the return to the nineteen-twenties in fashion generally is
> "scuzzy" or " chick" or "grungy," meaning terrible, or "colorful,"
> which means silly at ...

The third is the earliest and is open--yet another list, though!

http://goo.gl/EVzjc
Daily Reporter, Spencer, IA -- Mar 1, 1963
Helen Help Us [Column]. By Helen Bottel. Cleanliness Is Next. p. 4/5
> The Backyard Fence
> SWINGIN' SLANG, as lifted from my daughter's school paper:
> Everyday        New Slang
> Great        Tuff, swingin', cool
> Fabulous        Mashy
> Wierd            Scuzzy
> Cute Girl        Moose
> Not with it    Lunchy (old form: out to lunch)
> Good looking boy    Color TV
> Bad            No frosting
> Going steady        Biting the dust
> Child        Ankle biter


Note that scuzzy is given a yet another meaning here, but one that can
still be stretched under "disgusting".

     VS-)

On 11/6/2011 6:53 AM, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
> Great posting, Victor.  The earliest I find on ProQuest, not as early as Victor's earliest, is the following:
>
> 1965 _Boston Globe_ 22 May 7 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)  At the heart of it [reforms in physical training] is the "D.I." himself, trained and dedicated to making Marines out of fat, thin, awkward, shambling, "scuzzy" civilians.
>
> Fred Shapiro

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