Hep, Hep Cat, Hip, Hippie
Etymology Of Hip
My hip went wonky again today and I could hardly walk. But it was nice weather anyway. So I sat in the garden with the rabbits, contemplating the etymology of the word "hip" (as in "cool").
There seem to be lots of theories. Clearly, these etymologists like shooting from the hip. The OED declares "origin unknown". But here's a selection of alternatives from other dictionaries:
(1) It comes from the ancient African wolof language, in which the word "hepi" or "hipi" means "with your eyes open" (ie. aware and on-the-ball)
(2) English opium addicts in the eighteenth century "got hip to" the drug by resting their long pipes on their hips. Asking someone: "are you hip?" was a naughty code for: "do you smoke opium?"
(3) It's derived from Joe Hep who ran a low-life bar in Chicago and thought he was in on all the latest gangster gossip, but wasn't. So it was first used sarcastically.
(4) It comes from "Hep, Two Three, Four!" in the army. If you marched on the beat, in step, you were "hip."
(5) It's a 1930s jazz term. Benny Goodman et al were often described as "hep." Jazz fans were called "hep-cats." But, by the 1940s, it was replaced by "hip." A 40s bandleader once said: "Hep ain't hip, Man! Hep is square - really the squarest. Hep's been out for the longest time!"
(6) It's an anti-semitic acronym based on the Latin phrase Hierusolyma Est Perdita (Jerusalem is lost). Anti-semitic rioters apparently used to shout "Hep! Hep!" while attacking Jews. Some people believe this is the origin of "Hip Hip Hooray!"
(7) It comes from the herder's cry "Hep! Hep!" urging animals to be on their toes and alert, like a hip person.
What's certain is - the word "hip" pre-dates the 1960s by a long way. It actually became hip just after 1900, when it meant "wise to" or "aware of" something. The OED cites a 1904 quotation: "At this rate it'll take about 629 shows to get us to Jersey City. Are you hip?" It then quotes a 1908 newspaper article: "What puzzles me is how you can find anybody left in the world who isn't hep."
"Hippy" (spelt "Hippie") first popped up in 1953. It was a disparaging variant of "Hipster" which first appeared in 1941, meaning someone who's very aware of the new and stylish.
And Hipster trousers were first referred to as long ago as 1962. My hip also first emerged in 1962, which is probably why it's now playing up so much and is neither groovy nor far out.
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