From: Ric Johnson Subject: "Bitchen" Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 10:01:07 -0700 Can anyone help me with the origin of the adjective "bitchen." It's certainly California surfer term, but it was also used extensively by Clint Howard's character in "American Graffiti" (Keep in mind George Lucas, the screenwriter, was from the California beach somewhere.) I don't even know where to find it's first usage or documented support for the notion that it's not a swear word. The suffix "-en" implies to me "having been made to have the qualities of," like "golden", "frozen", "wolven", and "cloven". As opposed to a misspelling of "bitichin'" or "bitching." Is it a negative-to-positive slang conversion like "bad" or "gnarly."? Help, help, help. Ric - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Michael Iles I would write it _bitchin'_ and I think that it's just a contraction of 'bitching'. Taken literally, bitching would mean complaining, but in common use I think it's just another smokin', jammin', rockin' intensifier. Mike. -- Michael Iles, thuja@internauts.ca / http://www.internauts.ca/~thuja/ for PGP key / Think globally, Ceci n'est pas une .sig / drink locally. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: njkahn@no-spam.mindspring.com (Mimi Kahn) FWIW, George Lucas is from Modesto, which is inland, in the San Joaquin Valley. Mimi http://www.hooked.net/~njkahn - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Ric Johnson Michael Iles wrote: > Ric Johnson wrote: > > Can anyone help me with the origin of the adjective "bitchen." > > I would write it _bitchin'_ and I think that it's just a contraction > of > 'bitching'. Taken literally, bitching would mean complaining, but in > common use I think it's just another smokin', jammin', rockin' > intensifier. I've seen it written both ways. In general "bitchin'" is used in reference to complaining whilst "bitchen" is used *exclusively* as an intensifier (nice word!). I feel that "bitchin'" is an offensive term, but "bitchen" should not be considered so. What I need is documentation. Suggestions anyone? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Ric Johnson > >["bitchen"] was also used extensively by Clint Howard's > >character in "American Graffiti" (Keep in mind George Lucas, the > >screenwriter, was from the California beach somewhere.) > > FWIW, George Lucas is from Modesto, which is inland, in the San > Joaquin Valley. My mistake. Never been west of Tucson. One wonders, though, how Lucas spelled it in his script... Ric http://bitchen.mixi.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: casseres@apple.com (David Cásseres) Bitchin (that's the usual spelling) goes back at least to the mid-50's, which is when I first heard it. I don't see how you can be certain it comes from California surfers, when it's that old. -- Cheers, David - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: kimfore@aol.com (KimFore) I always heard it, growing up in Southern California in the sixties, as a positive, somewhat akin to "cool" or "great." As in, "that was a bitchin party," or simply, "bitchin!" Kim in California, whose boss thinks she's working... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: max_crittenden@qm.irs.com (Max Crittenden) In article <5ynuzAwZqAgU092yn@crl.com>, eighner@crl.com (Lars Eighner) wrote: > Ric Johnson broadcast on alt.usage.english: > |Can anyone help me with the origin of the adjective "bitchen." [snip] > Where you got the corrupted spelling, I don't know. I don't see the > country suffix on your e-mail address, so I don't know what country > you might be in to have seen such a spelling. I believe I've seen "bitchen" in print in the United States, possibly as often as "bitchin'" or "bitchin". [snip] > |The suffix "-en" implies to me "having been made to have the qualities > |of," like "golden", "frozen", "wolven", and "cloven". I suppose I may have inferred the spelling "bitchen", using Ric's reasoning, upon first hearing the word spoken circa 1965. FWIW, I was a 12-year-old Californian at the time. Even if the word does come from "bitching", the "-en" ending provides a useful differentiation. I automatically read "bitchin'" as "complaining", and I get irritated when I have to stop and reinterpret it as a positive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Max Crittenden Menlo Park, California To reply by e-mail, unscramble the letters of my employer's name in my address. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: "O&W" Am I correct in thinking that the teenagers in the Blackie Ryan novels use that term extensively? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: David Casseres To: "Ric Johnson" >I can't be certain, a supposition on my part. Can you tell me where you >were when you first heard it? What's the earliest you've seen it in print? >Is Blackie Ryan my best bet? I first heard it in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from another American who had recently arrived from the States. I may have seen it in print in the novel Gidget, around 1957; can't really remember. Gidget was about California surfers, all right, but by that time the word was current among all American teenagers. Who's Blackie Ryan? Cheers, David - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: Re: Bitchen Reply to: RE>Bitchen Ric, you wrote: > ... that won't stop me from > using my home page to advocate the modified spelling as a meaning > indicator. (If R.W. Tennov can coin "limerence"-- one of my favorite words) > then I'll do what I can for "bitchen." You have my full support. But judging from the other responses in a.u.e., it sounds like an uphill battle. > Do you have any personal knowledge of it's use in Blackie Ryan novels? > I'm not very acquainted with Blackie Ryan in general. Never heard of Blackie Ryan. Nor, I'm ashamed to admit, R.W. Tennov. Best of luck, Max