[Ads-l] Antedating of "Groovy" (General Term of Commendation)

[Shapiro, Fred]

The OED's earliest citation for "groovy" as a general term of commendation is dated 1944.

Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 6, 2025 7:57 AM
To: American Dialect Society <ads-l at listserv.uga.edu>
Subject: Antedating of "Groovy" (General Term of Commendation)

1941 Pittsburgh Courier 26 Apr. 7 (ProQuest)

This coarsely-featured little lady was what the higher-ups call homely ... but to Diggsie, she was groovy.

NOTE: The OED has a 1937 citaton for "groovy" in specifically jazz-slang usage.

Fred Shapiro

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