jig/gig

[Wilson Gray]

Surely, "jig(aboo)" = black, colored, Negro, African-American, etc,.
etc., has not been
resurrected?! I don't think that I've ever heard it in the wild. I
know it only from literature and the movies. Or am I mistaken in
assuming that it ever died, in the first place?

-Wilson

On 9/18/07, Dennis R. Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: jig/gig
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Could some ESA (ethnic slur avoidance) be going on here? I have seen
> younger people look nervous at uses of "jig" even when it clearly
> refers to a dance.
>
> While on ESA's, the local (but expanding) East Lansing coffee outfit
> "Beaner's" has decided to become "Biggbys" (since it logo is a "Big
> B"). They want to avoid the slur of Hispanics (principally Mexicans
> and Mexican-Americans), and the change seems preemptive rather than
> reactive.
>
> I'm not sure how they will avoid the stress pattern implied by
> "Biggby" (with weak stress on the last syllable) when they obviously
> want their new name to recall the logo, but wadn't no linguists
> consulted.
>
> dInIs
>
>
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Laurence Urdang <urdang at SBCGLOBAL.NET>
> >Subject:      jig/gig
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >What I would qualify for inclusion in the burgeoning list of
> >Fractured Idioms is the recently heard, "the gig is up."
> >   "The jig is up" has cites going back to the 18th century, but it
> >must be admitted that today, "the gig is up" has more meaning to
> >those familiar with the entertainment business.  Danse macabre there
> >somewhere?
> >   L. Urdang
> >   Old Lyme
> >
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>
> --
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> North Whitehead
>
> Dennis R. Preston
> University Distinguished Professor
> Department of English
> Morrill Hall 15-C
> Michigan State University
> East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
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