Freak Dancing (1998)

[Jonathan Lighter]

"Freak" dancing in its current sense could have evolved at any time since "freak-out" days of the late sixties when "freak" was a big word.

Meanwhile, a recent episode of the syndicated reality freak show "Elimidate" (urgent viewing for those who doubt we live in the End Times) featured two young women on a dance floor being urged to "do the lesbian dance!"  Perhaps a folk holdover from idyllic days on Lesbos (goak), this turned out to be the smae rhythmical butt-to-bellybutton feminine writhing that created new fans of Sharon Stone in the film "Basic Instinct" (Paul Verhoeven, 1992).

On the same dance floor, a self-described "shy daddy's girl" from Long Island  demonstrated the unmistakably hetero step de jour with her guy of the hour which, had it been taped even in the freaky sixties, would have landed everybody, including the producers, in jail or in the nuthouse.

"Freak, that I may know thee!"

JL, now flirting with Prudery. ("Hiya, Toots!")


"Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mullins, Bill"
Subject: Re: Freak Dancing (1998)
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A prior sense, apparently meaning "that wacky shit those kids are doing
nowadays," without a explicit sexual component (although we all know
that dancing leads to, well, you know . . . Why don't Baptists/Church of
Christ/(insert your favorite conservative Southern Christian
denomination) have sex standing up? Someone might think they are
dancing.)


New York | Syracuse | Syracuse Herald | 1912-05-05
>From a Roller Rink ad, p. 22
"ALL FREAK DANCING BARRED"

"Their Married Life" by Mabel Herbert Urner | Lincoln Daily Star |
1914-04-17 p. 10/4
"Well, it will be a long time before I shell out my good money to any of
these counter jumpers for their freak dancing lessons."

Ohio | Mansfield | Mansfield News | 1910-12-14
>From a Dance Academy ad, p. 12
"No freak dancing allowed. "

"Freak Dancing Has Caused a Complete Revolution in the Terpsichorean
Artistry" [unsigned]
Ohio | Zanesville | Zanesville Signal | 1926-10-27 p. 11/4
"A concensus of opinion indicates when the freak dances were innovated
last year, both young and old
were then enjoying dancing, but after the jazz steps had really
developed, dancing became so uncomfortable for the middle-aged and older
dancers that they soon quit visiting the parks and pavilions where
assembly dancing was permitted. The result is that, this year, with the
Charleston, Bobby Jones and other freak steps being barred, and dancers
of these eccentricities are not visiting dance places while the older,
more graceful dancers have not yet realized that an effort is being made
to restore the more conservative dances."


"Officer Loses First Round To Dancer"
Michigan | Holland | Holland Evening Sentinel | 1966-02-26 p. 6/1
"Brodie, 40, hauled Karen's boss, Henry Roman, into court Wednesday on a
charge of "allowing immoral, vulgar, suggestive or freak" dancing at the
discotheque."


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