lid, meth, etc. (1966)

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Mon, Dec 20, 2004 at 02:35:28PM -0500, Laurence Horn wrote:
> 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.

You just forgot it after that Be-in ;-).

> >* 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.

And is the first quote for the entry in HDAS.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED