Whence "gig"?

[Irwin Schwartz]

My unabridged Webster's defines "gig" as "a single engagement, especially
sidework [origin unknown]."

Any of you music historians have an idea of the origin of the word?


Regards,
Irwin
http://members.aol.com/midimusic

[Ron Capik]

Irwin Schwartz wrote:

> My unabridged Webster's defines "gig" as "a single engagement, especially
> sidework [origin unknown]."
>
> Any of you music historians have an idea of the origin of the word?
>
> Regards,
> Irwin
> http://members.aol.com/midimusic

I found this more detailed (yet still inconclusive) etymologically on the
word origins web page.
< http://www.wordorigins.org/index.htm >
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gig:
Gig is an interesting word with a variety of etymologically unrelated senses.

The oldest sense is that of a top or other whirling object. It dates to c.
1440. The origin
is unknown. The sense of top is the source of some other senses, such as a
giddy or
flighty person, fun, merriment, and a whim.

The sense of a light, two-wheeled carriage dates to 1791. This sense is a
transference
from the earlier sense. The motion of the carriage and its tendency to upset
are not
unlike that of a top. Also related is the sense of gig meaning a ship's boat.
This
nautical sense dates to 1790.

Gig can also mean a spear or harpoon, and it is a verb meaning to spear or
stab, as in
Gig'em Aggies. This sense originally comes from the Spanish word for harpoon,
fisga.
The Spanish word appears in English in 1565 as fisgig. An alternate spelling
is fizgig
and the word is also folk-etymologized as fishgig, a harpoon for stabbing
fish. The
clipped form gig appears in 1722.

This brings us to the most common sense, that of a musician's engagement or
job.
The musical sense dates to 1926 and first arose as jazz slang in the US. But
the origin
is not in music. The use of gig to mean a non-musical job or occupation dates
to 1908,
and the sense of a business affair or event is a year older than that. The
origin is
unknown, but it may come from the slang term gag. This dates to 1890 and
means
business method, practice, or behavior. All these sense are American slang
usages.

These last senses may be from, or be influenced by, an obsolete sense of gig.
This
sense of gig is a type of bet in a numbers game. It dates to 1847 and is an
arbitrary
use of the sense of gig as a carriage (a horse is another type of bet).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ron Capik
--

[Paul Gitlitz]

Very interesting, but I believe you may have missed a word relational
crossover between jig and gig.

Main Entry: 1jig
Pronunciation: 'jig
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Middle French giguer to frolic, from gigue
fiddle, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German gIga fiddle; akin
to Old Norse geiga to turn aside
Date: circa 1560
1 a : any of several lively springy dances in triple rhythm b : music
to which a jig may be danced
2 : TRICK, GAME -- used chiefly in the phrase the jig is up
3 a : any of several fishing devices that are jerked up and down or
drawn through the water b : a device used to maintain mechanically the
correct positional relationship between a piece of work and the tool
or between parts of work during assembly c : a device in which crushed
ore is concentrated or coal is cleaned by agitating in water
- in jig time : in a short time : QUICKLY


On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 22:04:00 GMT, Ron Capik >
wrote:

>Irwin Schwartz wrote:
>
>> My unabridged Webster's defines "gig" as "a single engagement, especially
>> sidework [origin unknown]."
>>
>> Any of you music historians have an idea of the origin of the word?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Irwin
>> http://members.aol.com/midimusic
>
>I found this more detailed (yet still inconclusive) etymologically on the
>word origins web page.
>< http://www.wordorigins.org/index.htm >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Gig:
>Gig is an interesting word with a variety of etymologically unrelated senses.
>
>The oldest sense is that of a top or other whirling object. It dates to c.
>1440. The origin
>is unknown. The sense of top is the source of some other senses, such as a
>giddy or
>flighty person, fun, merriment, and a whim.
>
>The sense of a light, two-wheeled carriage dates to 1791. This sense is a
>transference
>from the earlier sense. The motion of the carriage and its tendency to upset
>are not
>unlike that of a top. Also related is the sense of gig meaning a ship's boat.
>This
>nautical sense dates to 1790.
>
>Gig can also mean a spear or harpoon, and it is a verb meaning to spear or
>stab, as in
>Gig'em Aggies. This sense originally comes from the Spanish word for harpoon,
>fisga.
>The Spanish word appears in English in 1565 as fisgig. An alternate spelling
>is fizgig
>and the word is also folk-etymologized as fishgig, a harpoon for stabbing
>fish. The
>clipped form gig appears in 1722.
>
>This brings us to the most common sense, that of a musician's engagement or
>job.
>The musical sense dates to 1926 and first arose as jazz slang in the US. But
>the origin
>is not in music. The use of gig to mean a non-musical job or occupation dates
>to 1908,
>and the sense of a business affair or event is a year older than that. The
>origin is
>unknown, but it may come from the slang term gag. This dates to 1890 and
>means
>business method, practice, or behavior. All these sense are American slang
>usages.
>
>These last senses may be from, or be influenced by, an obsolete sense of gig.
>This
>sense of gig is a type of bet in a numbers game. It dates to 1847 and is an
>arbitrary
>use of the sense of gig as a carriage (a horse is another type of bet).
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Ron Capik

[Mike Rivers]

Slang doesn't really have very well documented history. Why a "joint"
(in either context often associated with musicians)? Why an "axe" or
"deck" or "desk" for that matter?




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Nathan West]

Ax ( no 'e') stems from back in the 30's and 40's where rural Jazz and
Blues musicians would go to a club/gig/joint etc, and in a process of one
up mans ship would start 'cuttin heads', or showing off one's best stuff
in a playoff between musicians.

When a particular musician failed, he/she would go home and practice.
Most wouldn't practice in the house ( too many Wives and Family to
object to taking time on what was a hobby and didn't usually produce
money to live), but in the Woodshed (toolshed made of wood etc...)where
it wouldn't bother anyone. Hence the term Woodsheddin' for practicing,
and it just followed that the terms came from what were tools of the
farmers trade etc.... One could surmise that Raking, Shoveling and like
tools/terms weren't as threatening to another player hence Woodsheddin,
Ax, Cuttin Heads etc... *Chops*, *Plank* and words like it came into
being after the urbanization of previously exclusive rural terms,
following the terms dictated by the Woodshedin experience.

I'd take a guess that the scientific nature of early recording lended
itself to calling certain tools by more mundane and/or practical terms.
Tapes sit on a deck, scientist work at a desk...however those I am just
guessing at.



Mike Rivers wrote:

> Slang doesn't really have very well documented history. Why a "joint"
> (in either context often associated with musicians)? Why an "axe" or
> "deck" or "desk" for that matter?
>
> --
> I'm really Mike Rivers - )
> However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
> lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
> you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
> and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

--
Cheers and All
Nathan

" Elementary chaos theory tells us that all of Cakewalk will eventually
turn against their masters and run amok in an orgy of blood and kicking
and the biting with the metal teeth and the hurting and shoving."
-Professor Frink

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Nathan West wrote:

> the Woodshed (toolshed made of wood etc...)

A woodshed is where a rural dweller stores one's winter heating fuel, as
in wood for the fire(s). Therein one will often find, of all things, an
axe.

(3 QuadraFires and a custom Feather Falls here.)

--
ha

[Nathan West]

LeBaron & Alrich wrote:

> Nathan West wrote:
>
> > the Woodshed (toolshed made of wood etc...)
>
> A woodshed is where a rural dweller stores one's winter heating fuel, as
> in wood for the fire(s). Therein one will often find, of all things, an
> axe.

Well the *etc* was to indicate that it wasn't limited to a wood tool shed,
just a structure in the backyard.

> (3 QuadraFires and a custom Feather Falls here.)

For God's sake man...how many pieces of wood can you chop at a time?

--
Cheers and All
Nathan

" Elementary chaos theory tells us that all of Cakewalk will eventually turn
against their masters and run amok in an orgy of blood and kicking and the
biting with the metal teeth and the hurting and shoving."
-Professor Frink

[Buster Mudd]

(Irwin Schwartz) wrote in message >...
> My unabridged Webster's defines "gig" as "a single engagement, especially
> sidework [origin unknown]."
>
> Any of you music historians have an idea of the origin of the word?
>


From the metric system, where the prefix "giga-" indicates 1
billion...as in the typical wages for the average musician working
society, pick-up, or general business gigs.

I just got a call to do a nano over the weekend.

[Ted Spencer]

A Google search turned this up:

----------------

Longtime audio guy Peter Stefan asked about the derivation of the word "gig".
He was referring to the definition, "a job usu. for a specified time; esp.: an
entertainer’s engagement. (This def courtesy of Merriam-Webster’s
Collegiate® Dictionary).

The first historical reference for this meaning is documented as occuring in
1926, both in Webster’s and the OED. Both assert that the origin is unknown.

www.phoenix.net/~melanie/et_e-g.htm#carnival is an archive of "Your Etymology
Questions", wherein it is suggested, "…gig-a musical performance, likely
comes from French gigue ‘a ball or dance’, from Middle French giguer ‘to
dance’. Jig (the verb) likely comes from the same source."

Now, no dictionary I checked (six or so) gives the word gig this definition,
let alone this derivation, so I place little credence in this source.

Gig is truly a hard-working word. The earliest meaning of gig is Sumerian, in
which it means black or dark. If you go back just a few hundred years, it
refers to the vagina AND the asshole. Later in history, definitions include:
something that whirls or is whirled; a 3-digit selection in a numbers game; a
person of odd or grotesque appearance; a long light ship; a rowboat designed
for speed rather than for work; a light two-wheeled one-horse carriage; a
pronged spear for catching fish; a military demerit…and that’s just the
nouns!

The etymology for this slew of meanings varies, but the specific meaning about
which Peter queried seems to have no identified derivation. Sorry Pete, I guess
I blew this gig. No, not THAT kind of gig! What a mind!

-------------------

Ted Spencer, NYC

"No amount of classical training will ever teach you what's so cool about
"Tighten Up" by Archie Bell And The Drells" -author unknown

[Jay Kadis]

After reading Cannery Row in high school, the frog gig definition sums it up
for me and the gigs I've been doing. I feel pretty much like a stuck frog
after returning home at 3am with the PA and most of the other equipment.

That and the paltry pay. Oh, but it's fun, right? [Where's that thread about
feeling old?]

-Jay--
x------- Jay Kadis ------- x---- Jay's Attic Studio ----x
x Lecturer, Audio Engineer x Dexter Records x
x CCRMA, Stanford University x http://www.offbeats.com/ x
x-------- http://ccrma-www.stanford.edu/~jay/ ----------x

[P Stamler]

Q: If you see a banjo player and a frog coming down the street, why will the
frog be smiling?

A: The frog has a gig.

Peace,
Paul

[Phil Wilson]

You don't listen to much classical music, or you'd have come across Pachelbel's
Canon and Gigue, or Canon in D & Gigue. The French explanation sounds pretty
believable to me.
--
Phil Wilson
"Ted Spencer" > wrote in message
...
> A Google search turned this up:
>
> ----------------
>
> Longtime audio guy Peter Stefan asked about the derivation of the word "gig".
> He was referring to the definition, "a job usu. for a specified time; esp.: an
> entertainer's engagement. (This def courtesy of Merriam-Webster's
> Collegiate® Dictionary).
>
> The first historical reference for this meaning is documented as occuring in
> 1926, both in Webster's and the OED. Both assert that the origin is unknown.
>
> www.phoenix.net/~melanie/et_e-g.htm#carnival is an archive of "Your Etymology
> Questions", wherein it is suggested, ".gig-a musical performance, likely
> comes from French gigue 'a ball or dance', from Middle French giguer 'to
> dance'. Jig (the verb) likely comes from the same source."
>
> Now, no dictionary I checked (six or so) gives the word gig this definition,
> let alone this derivation, so I place little credence in this source.
>
> Gig is truly a hard-working word. The earliest meaning of gig is Sumerian, in
> which it means black or dark. If you go back just a few hundred years, it
> refers to the vagina AND the asshole. Later in history, definitions include:
> something that whirls or is whirled; a 3-digit selection in a numbers game; a
> person of odd or grotesque appearance; a long light ship; a rowboat designed
> for speed rather than for work; a light two-wheeled one-horse carriage; a
> pronged spear for catching fish; a military demerit.and that's just the
> nouns!
>
> The etymology for this slew of meanings varies, but the specific meaning about
> which Peter queried seems to have no identified derivation. Sorry Pete, I
guess
> I blew this gig. No, not THAT kind of gig! What a mind!
>
> -------------------
>
> Ted Spencer, NYC
>
> "No amount of classical training will ever teach you what's so cool about
> "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell And The Drells" -author unknown

[Tracy Wintermute]

On 25 Nov 2003 15:54:12 GMT, (Ted Spencer) wrote:


>refers to the vagina AND the asshole.


Well, that makes sense with respect to the gigs I had many years ago:
You spent all night trying to impress the former, and in the end got
paid by the latter.


====================
Tracy Wintermute

Rushcreek Ranch
====================