More on Wolof "hip"

[Wilson Gray]

On Dec 8, 2004, at 10:23 PM, Jesse Sheidlower wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> Subject:      More on Wolof "hip"
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>
> ADS-L'ers who are a fan of the Wolof "hip" story might be
> interested in my article on the subject in Slate:
>
> http://www.slate.com/id/2110811/
>
> They let me namecheck Larry for the headline, thank goodness,
> though they insisted on using the word "coined".
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>

I've read the article and I agree with it completely. I especially
enjoyed your critique of Major 1994, given that I'm in total agreement
with your opinion of it, since it's also my opinion of it. I also
enjoyed your takedown of Herbert Gold. Once upon a time, I confess, I
rather leaned toward the "booted to the hip" etymology, but I couldn't
reconcile it with my own primary use of "hip" as meaning "in possession
of knowledge" and not as meaning "prepared," "ready," etc.

-Wilson Gray