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Link
Yaco! We don’t live
in the United States, we live... Be forewarned, those were different times. Everyday expressions from that era are hardly G-rated by today's standards! Bad Another superlative, meaning the opposite of its original usage. Straights found this endlessly amusing and hip TV detectives still cracked streetwise jokes about this wry irony well into the 80s. The original '60s use was intended semi-ironically, referring to violating social norms and therefore being "bad" but, of course, the black culture and white counterculture of the '60s was not overly enamored of social norms. See AWESOME, BAD ASS, BODACIOUS, BOMB, COSMIC, CRISP, DESTROYER, HOT, KICK-ASS, KILLER, MEGA-, MIND-BLOWER, PURE, PRIMO, RIGHTEOUS, RIGHT ON, SERIOUS, STONE, TASTY, WICKED. Badass mildly impressive. Bad Vibes an experienced freek, much like Spider-man with his tingling "spider-sense," could detect bad moods in another person with perceptivity akin to a sixth sense. Or was it paranoia? In any event, there were an awful lot of freek terms for unpleasantness. See BUMMER, BOGUE, BRING DOWN, COME DOWN, DOWNER, HASSLE, HUSTLE, NEGATIVE ENERGY, PARANOIA, TRIP. Bag 1. one's avocation and/or profession (e.g. "Dig-it, contract law is his bag"). 2. to quit, give up or throw away. (e.g. "I'm sick of this job. I'm going to bag it.") See BLOW, BOOK. Baggies one might like to term these oversize polyester trousers to be entirely the property of the disco craze, but many Freeks wore these high-waisted, thin-belted monstrosities, called "elephant bells" in the earliest part of the '70s. Batik a method of printing colored designs on textiles by waxing the parts not to be dyed. The same effect was created by print reproduction means and successfully marketed via retail outlet by all major clothing manufacturers. See CO-OPT, TIE DYE. Bite me See EAT ME. Black not a color. If you were an African-American with a job in the insurance or banking industry, you almost certainly were not Black. See SOUL. Blow 1. to leave. See BOOK. 2. to dismiss, quit, or give up. (e.g. "He wanted to get together with me but I totally blew him off." or "I was supposed to have this work done by today but I blew it off.") 3. cocaine. Like BAGGIES, more properly part of the disco era. 3. oral sex. 4. Cocaine. Not related to BLOWN AWAY. See COKE, EAT ME, HEAD, GOING DOWN, SUCKS, TOOT. 5. an insult (e.g. "Blow me!"). Blown away 1. to be astonished, flabbergasted (e.g. "I just won a million dollars! I'm blown away!" or "I can't believe I slept through the alarm clock again! I'm blown away!") 2. to be stoned on really good reefer. Both usages probably less derived from the '60s term "mind blown" than Vietnam military slang meaning to be killed by an explosive weapon. See STONED, etc. Blotter LSD served on a small square of blotting paper, sometimes decorated with images such as R. Crumb's cartoon character "Mr. Natural." See ACID. Bodacious superlative meaning bad (meaning good--ha-ha, Kojak). The origin of the term is unknown but it is assumed to be intended as a parody of rural speech and was possibly borrowed from the Li'l Abner comic strip. The term also seemed to have implications of being large, powerful, and somewhat grotesque. See GROATY, HUMUNGUS. Bogart to keep for one's self, be greedy (e.g. "Don't bogart that joint."). Urban myth had it that the term was derived from the boorish manners of the screen persona of Hollywood actor Humphrey Bogart, but this lacks a consistent logic, as the actor was misogynist and sadistic but rarely greedy. The term "Bogue" is reputed to derive from "Bogart." This also seems to be a false etymology. See BOGUE, WET-LIP. Bogue 1. phony, false, an imitation. 2. general negative adjective applied equally to sour milk and drug overdoses. Most likely derived from "bogus." See BOGART, BOGUE, NEGATIVE, WET-LIP. Bogueness unpleasantness. A variation of BOGUE. Bomb superlative meaning bodacious. Sometimes used with the definite article (e.g "the bomb"). This term is emblematic of a very short period, from late 1971 to early 1974. Anecdotally, the term was derived from the Jamaican use of the term "bomber" or "the bomb," in reference to weapons of war, to describe a big fat joint (with a swollen midsection, like the shape of the aforementioned weapons). This term was only used by the adolescent age group (i.e. high school students), and only during the limited time period ('71-'74) and largely limited to the Mid-West, although there has been usage reported in New England. In the '90s, "the bomb," a variation, has seen some popular usage. See AWESOME, BAD, BAD ASS, BODACIOUS, COSMIC, CRISP, DESTROYER, HOT, KICK-ASS, KILLER, MEGA-, MIND-BLOWER, PURE, PRIMO, RIGHTEOUS, RIGHT ON, SERIOUS, STONE, TASTY, WICKED. Bomber a big fat joint with a swollen midsection, like the shape of a bomb or a B52 bomber airplane. Anecdotally, the term was originated by Rastafarians. See JOINT. Boner 1. a mistake. 2. an erection. Both usages were particularly popular with pubescents of an age when an erection was usually a mistake. Arguably, this age took a long time to pass. Bongwater 1. the foul, nasty smelling and worst tasting water inside the variety of waterpipe called the "Bong" (usually manufactured from plastic which lends a further layer of odiousness to the ghastly brew) 2. any bad tasting or smelling drink. Boogie 1. to dance 2. to copulate 3. to socialize at a party 4. to have a fight 5. to move quickly, to hurry 6. to enter a reputedly blissful state of mind (usually with the aid of beer, cigarettes, marijuana, and loud, repetitious, blues-oriented music). Book to leave, depart, often of necessity. See BAG, BLOW, CRUISE. Bootleg illegally manufactured commodities, especially musical recordings but also xeroxed publications (e.g. "I saw this really bomb article in Creem, so I bootlegged you a copy."). Originally Prohibition-era slang for home-brewed liquor. Bourgie diminutive of bourgeois meaning lacking political, moral, and esthetic merit and often manufactured from petrochemicals. Boutique any store or shop that sells goods or services that might possibly be seen as stylish and contemporary (e.g. barber shops, record stores, health foods, art galleries). See HEAD SHOP, SALON. Bread sarcastic term for money. A surviving '60s term used mockingly. Casual '60s terms for money (e.g. moolah, pelf, cabbage, sheckels, long green) were not in '70s vogue. Money was in shorter supply and was beginning to be taken more seriously. See SPARE CHANGE. Bring-down an emotional downswing, often prompted by straight assholes who don't appreciate good boogie music. Also used as an insult (e.g. "Gee, dad, why do I have to turn the music down? You are such a bring-down.") See BAD VIBES, NEGATIVE. Bro diminutive of BROTHER but used more casually, especially in greeting. Brother any male human being, especially if he has long hair, and doubly especially if he has a spare joint. See SPARE CHANGE. Bud the flowering organ of a marijuana plant. Myths abounded about male and female plants and which one got you higher. See DOPE, GRASS, HASH, HASH OIL, JAY, JOINT, NUMBER, POT, REEFER, ROACH, SPLIFF, THAI STICK, WEED. Bum to acquire through begging. (e.g. "Can I bum a smoke from you?"). See HUSTLE, JIVE, SPARECHANGE. Bummer a bad experience (e.g. secret bombings in Cambodia or losing your house keys) or a depressing person (e.g. your college dorm roommate, who, it turns out, is a Jehovah's Witness). See BRINGDOWN, DOWNER. Burn to cheat. See HUSTLE, JIVE, RAP, RIPOFF, SCAM, STREET WISE. Burnout 1. a person who has had too much of any given experience (e.g. a profession, a type of food, a drug.) 2. to get too much of anything. Business, taking care of-, doing your- one's private affairs, especially and including one's mental or physical health. (e.g. "Don't rag on her because she stopped doing acid and now won't talk to anyone. She had to. She was freaking. Now she's just talking care of business." and "Stop wailing on the bathroom door, man. Fred went on this all-fruit macrobiotic diet, and he's got to be in there for awhile. He's just doing his business.") Busted 1. to be arrested by the police. See JIVE. 2. to be caught in an illicit activity, by your parents, your teachers, or, worst of all, your girlfriend (e.g. "I didn't know she was your sister-- besides, didn't we agree to see other people?") Buzz an exciting sensation imparted by a novel experience, physical exercise, certain herbal teas, and all drugs. More jazz-era heroin slang adapted to ironic '70s use. See MAINLINE, RUSH, TURN-ON. Link Yaco has written comic books for several publishers. He is currently working on a couple comics-related paperbacks. He has been a copywriter, technical writer, newspaper journalist, and magazine entertainment writer. He has a Masters' degree in Telecommunications and was a technical manager at MIT for five years. Link lives in West Greenwich Village with his wife, Susannah, a Senior Vice President at an independent film company. Check out his web page here Read last week's column Visit Link Yaco Home Page COPYRIGHT 1999 LINK YACO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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richard e. schiff,
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