[Ads-l] brat

[Ben Zimmer]

Thanks, Nancy! My WSJ column on "brat" came out right when the Charli XCX
album was released on June 7, so I was too early for the whole "brat
summer" thing. But here's another WSJ piece on the "brat" phenomenon from
July 26:

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/brat-summer-charli-kamala-harris-27a97c54?st=1u5wqdin04ohhzs&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

On Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 1:31 PM Nancy Friedman <wordworking at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Ben Zimmer wrote about “brat" in June for the WSJ (unlocked article):
>
> https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/brat-maybe-that-spoiled-kid-is-cool-after-all-00bcdfd3?st=mq0bv8l7b3mpbfk&reflink=mobilewebshare_permalink
>
> And I wrote about it for my newsletter:
> https://open.substack.com/pub/fritinancy/p/word-of-the-week-brat
>
> On Tue, Aug 13, 2024, 10:24 AM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
>
> >
> > Here is my write-up of the term from 3 weeks ago. This particular usage
> > comes toward the end.
> >
> > [
> https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/brat-brat-pack-brat-summer
> > ](
> https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/brat-brat-pack-brat-summer
> > )
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2024 9:23am
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: [ADS-L] brat
> >
> >
> >
> > Some people are evidently going around saying that Kamala Harris is
> "brat."
> > It's a compliment.
> >
> > The term's seeming coiner, hip-hopper Charlli XCX, explains the nuances
> of
> > this concept at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqqlgq7k374o :
> >
> > "Charli told the BBC's Sidetracked podcast that brat is a concept that
> > represents a person who might have 'a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a
> > strappy white top with no bra'.
> >
> > "It has been deemed by some pop critics as a rejection of the 'clean
> girl'
> > aesthetic popularised on TikTok, which spurned a groomed ideal of
> > femininity, and instead embraces more hedonistic and rebellious
> attitudes.
> >
> > “ 'You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party
> and
> > maybe says some dumb things some times,' Charli explained on social
> media.
> >
> > “ 'Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of
> like
> > parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile.
> > Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.' "
> >
> > Got it?
> >
> > JL
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org