The Sanas Jazz, Jazz and Teas

[Jonathan Lighter]

The sexual sense of "jazz," v., further complicates etymological investigation.  There is widespread testimony from the '20s and later that this was known before the word for the music, yet - perhaps for obvious reasons - pre-WWI cites are unavailable.

If "jazz" = "screw" antedates  "jazz" = "music," the problem is very different than if the reverse obtains.

Raven McDavid, Jr., recalled once that when his father first heard that a "jazz" band was coming to Charleston, he couldn't believe his ears. And his reaction allegedly had nothing to do with music.

JL

Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: The Sanas Jazz, Jazz and Teas
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On Jan 27, 2005, at 10:19 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> Subject: Re: The Sanas Jazz, Jazz and Teas
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>
> Jesse, I assume you're checking your Irish dictionary and your team of
> experts if indicated.
> Cassidy's suggestion is not obviously absurd at this point.
>
> If it is, then shame on me.
>
> JL

"Cassidy's suggestion is not obviously absurd at this point."

I'm standing with you foursquare on this one. I've always felt that the
decades-long attempt to connect the colored American with the devil's
music is totally misplaced. Clearly, Irish jigs, reels, and such like
are the true source of such cacophony. A more recent example is the
recording of the song "Colours" by the Irish singer Donovan. Notice the
oddly-rhythmic drumming that is heard as part of the background music,
not to mention the singer's own particular method of playing the
guitar. It's a revelation! And then there's the fact that, for an
Irish-American former colleague of mine, one David Beach ("Beach"
doesn't strike me as being an Irish name, but, since I found out that
the "obviously" Teutonic name, "Hindelang," is of Irish provenance,
I've learned to reserve judgment on such points), the word "jazz" was a
living, active part of his normal vocabulary for that for which others
would substitute "fuck."

-Wilson Gray

>
>
>
> Jesse Sheidlower wrote:
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> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Jesse Sheidlower
> Subject: Re: The Sanas Jazz, Jazz and Teas
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> --------
>
> On Thu, Jan 27, 2005 at 07:03:02PM -0500, Fred Shapiro wrote:
>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2005, Mullins, Bill wrote:
>>
>>> Is there some setting in AOL you can change so your posts come arrive
>>> without
>>> extraneous characters inserted?
>>
>> Is there some setting in AOL that he can change so that some
>> etymologies
>> are not Irish in origin?
>
> Hahahahaha!
>
> BTW, Daniel Cassidy does not stay on this list even long enough to
> read the responses (though of course he could be using the archives).
> He joins, immediately posts, and then immediately resigns. This has
> at least been his recent pattern.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
>
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