[Ads-l] Further Antedating of =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9CHigh_Five=E2=80=9D_?=(Verb)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Fun topic. Ben Zimmer found the verbal form "high-fiving" spoken by
commentator Al McGuire in a video clip from an NCAA Tournament game
dated March 16, 1980. Ben's message is in the ADS list archive.

[Begin message from Ben Zimmer on Oct 5, 2017]
Even earlier, the "high five" was discussed near the end of the Mar.
16, 1980 NCAA Tournament game (Midwest Regional Final) between
Louisville and Louisiana State, on the national broadcast on NBC
Sports. Color commentator Al McGuire explained the gesture (and also
provided the verbal form "high-fiving"). On YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQsjJFC99Ck&t=5410s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jqgEGIBLaM

My transcription:

Al McGuire: You see the handshaking above the head? You know what the
guys call that? A high five!
Billy Packer: High five?
Dick Enberg: There's another freshman going...
McGuire: Yeah. High five. They're high-fiving out there right now. [Or
possibly: "There's high-fiving out there right now."]
Enberg: Louisville with some high fives.
[End message from Ben Zimmer on Oct 5, 2017]

Garson

On Tue, Jun 24, 2025 at 6:35 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> hIgh-five, v. (OED 1980 [8 Oct.])
>
> 1980 Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1 May 1-B/5 (Newspapers.com)
>
> The Lakers … have turned into a high-fiving, backside-slapping, bear-hugging bunch of kids.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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