rawk (1987)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

The pronunciation spelling "rawk" for "rock" (music) came up recently on
the alt.usage.english newsgroup.  For speakers who haven't merged "cot"
and "caught", "rawk" suggests an exaggerated pronunciation that might be
associated with young male fans of hard rock (possibly also evoking "raw"
or "raucous").

I was surprised that I couldn't find anything in the databases before 1987
(and even then mostly from one writer, L.A. Times rock critic Duncan
Strauss).  I would've guessed that it dates back at least to the late
'70s, from either the punk-rock or arena-rock scenes.

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Courier-Mail, Mar 12, 1987 (Nexis)
Well, from the deep south of the good ol' US of A comes a band who just
might restore your faith in honest rawk 'n' rowl - the Georgia Satellites.
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mod.music.gaffa, Apr 6, 1987 (Usenet)
Fortunately, "Solitude Standing" is not the "rawk-and-roll" album many
feared; once again, the arrangements are as simple, lovely and unadorned
as her voice, heavy on the acoustic guitar.
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Los Angeles Times, Jul 10, 1987, Calendar p. 25 (Proquest)
Hard-rock outlet KNAC-FM in Long Beach is already regularly playing the
album's first single, "The Name Is Love," an AC/DC-ish rawker.
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Los Angeles Times, Jul 26, 1987, Calendar p. 89 (Proquest)
Ticking off the disparate artists who've performed there in recent months
- including ... local rawk squad Dream Syndicate - Chelew suddenly seemed
struck by the diversity of the roster.
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Los Angeles Times, Nov 23, 1987, Calendar p. 9 (Proquest)
But performing the song live, these poster children for thrift shop
apparel played up both the funk and the group's colorful personality and
downplayed the hard rawk - though new guitarist Errol Stewart indulged in
a bit of fiery fret-grinding.
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Los Angeles Times, Dec 6, 1987, Calendar p. 92 (Proquest)
Not that Foreigner is simply recycling the sonic assault of such melodic
rawk fare as "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice."
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Los Angeles Times, Dec 25, 1987, Calendar p. 1 (Proquest)
The third group was Breakfast With Amy, which quickly staked out a
psychedelic-garage rawk territory.
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--Ben Zimmer