"good to go"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Bill Mullins <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:

> There is a 1986 movie titled "Good to Go", but apparently it has something
> to do with Go-Go music.  It also stars Art Garfunkel, so odds are it is a
> real snoozer.
>
> "This Time, 'Good to Go' Is American Battle Cry"
> By JOHN KIFNER Special to The New York Times
> New York Times (1857-Current file); Feb 3, 1991; ProQuest Historical
> Newspapers The New York Times
> pg. 15
> "Thus far in the Persian Gulf war, the comparable phrase is the far more
> bouyant "good to go."  The phrase means "ready and eager," and to American
> officers the difference is cause for optimism."

I wouldn't discount the movie title.  Despite the presence of Art
Garfunkel, the movie was supposed to introduce the country to "go-go"
music, which allmusic.com describes as "a bass-heavy, funky variation of
hip-hop that was designed for house parties," originating in Washington,
DC in the early to mid-'80s.  The soundtrack included a song called "Good
to Go" by the group Trouble Funk, which was sampled by many hiphop DJs.

The phrase "good to go" appeared in a number of rap songs of the mid-'80s.
 The earliest example I can find is from LL Cool J's 1985 single, "I Can't
Live Without My Radio": "I'm good to go on your radio."  The Gulf War
usage could very well have originated in hiphop/go-go circles.

--Ben Zimmer