20th September 2007

Rave.

So I was thinking about the word 'rave'. Where did it come from? Why does it mean what it does? Who coined it? When did rave turn from whatever it was to neon, glowsticks and ecstasy? Or was it always neon, glowsticks and ecstasy?

The first memory of the word that I have, is when my dad took me to see 'Buddy', the musical about Buddy Holly - you may laugh! But I love rock'n'roll. I mean, original stuff (but I do like rock'n'roll in the Zeppelin sense too, don't get me wrong), but there is something so groundbreaking and exciting about Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and many others. Anyway, I remember the song 'Rave On' by Buddy Holly really making an impact on me, and seeing the cool, cool, cool dancing, men in sharp suits and patent leather shoes, women in polka dot skirts, riding up around their knees - GOD I just loved it.

Anyway. So, there is Buddy, using the word in 1958.

Wikipedia, the source of all possible bollocks, says, "The slang expressiong 'rave' was originally used by people of Carribean descent in London during the 1960s to describe a party."

The Oxford Dictionary says the origin is "originally in the sense show signs of madness: probably from Old French raver."

Raver? Hmm. Let me see..... Ah, I see, "Middle English raven, from Old North French raver, variant of resver, to dream, wander, rave."

Interesting, so I guess it's always been there. Oh well, that's my question answered then.

I have also recently learnt how the term 'Dutch courage' came to be, but as I'm sure you're all reeling from the mind blowing facts you've just read, I'll save that for another time.

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