spaz(z), n.

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 19:57:28 -0700, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM> wrote:

>"Spazz," n. & v., were both in daily use on the West Side of Manhattan in
>the fall of 1959. At least among us kids.  I remember because I'd never
>heard them before. The same was true of "retard," n.

Was nominal "spazz" used in the 'uncoordinated' sense (i.e., for someone
who frequently "spazzed out"), or in the 'uncool' sense of the 1965 cites?
 I realize there may have been a subtle gradation from one sense to the
other.



--Ben Zimmer