lid, meth, etc. (1966)

[Laurence Horn]

At 3:44 AM -0500 12/20/04, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>
>    "The best pot is supposed to be Acapulco Gold. Panama Red is good
>    and so is Chicago Green."

Chicago Green?  I guess I led a sheltered life.

>
>* blow (a person's) mind (OED2 1967)
>
>    "I walked into his living room and the shades were down, the
>    Rolling Stones were blaring out of a box, psychodelic lights were
>    flashing out of the coffee table and these guys with long hair
>    were huddled in the corner passing a joint (marijuana cigarette)
>    around and blowing their minds."
>
>But this is antedated by:
>
>    Way-Out Garb Offers Art Form for Clique
>    Los Angeles Times, Nov 2, 1965, p. A1
>    "The clothing makes me feel free and I dig blowing people's minds
>    (upsetting people)."
>
>This is already the transferred sense, 'to produce (in a person) a
>pleasurable (or shocking) sensation', so the more strictly drug-related
>sense is no doubt even older.
>
The Lovin' Spoonful's classic "Do You Believe In Magic", which as
memory serves, was familiar to everyone (well, maybe not EVERYone)
during the summer of 1965 and may have come out a few months before
that, began as follows.  And yes, this was already understood as a
metaphorical transfer by then.


Do you believe in magic in a a young girl's heart
How the music can free her, whenever it starts
and it's magic, if the music is groovy
It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie
I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul
But it's like trying to tell a stranger bout rock and roll

If you believe in magic don't bother to choose
If it's jug band music or rhythm and blues
Just go and listen it'll start with a smile
It won't wipe off your face no matter how hard you try
Your feet start tapping and you can't seem to find
How you got there, so just blow your mind