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OK. Agree or disagree.
'Cool' is merely an onomatopoeism for awe and reverence.
The Word Previously Known As 'Coo!' in The Dandy, Billy Bunter, and every kids comic I can remember.
It's like Mmm. Or Wow! As universal as a nodded head for yes ... (exceptions here ............)
It has taken on a life of its own beyond its cradle origins, but if you want to know what it really means, just listen to yourself the next time you are passed on the motorway by that Bugatti you've always fantasised about.
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'Cool'
OK. Agree or disagree.
'Cool' is merely an onomatopoeism for awe and reverence.
The Word Previously Known As 'Coo!' in The Dandy, Billy Bunter, and every kids comic I can remember.
It's like Mmm. Or Wow! As universal as a nodded head for yes ... (exceptions here ............)
It has taken on a life of its own beyond its cradle origins, but if you want to know what it really means, just listen to yourself the next time you are passed on the motorway by that Bugatti you've always fantasised about.
Re: 'Cool'
And does anyone know the origin, usability, etc., of "Cool bananas".
Re: 'Cool'
disagree!
>
> 'Cool' is merely an onomatopoeism for awe and
> reverence.
It is surely more likely that it is part of youth culture's style of understatement: excitement in behaviour and language is unhip. Anyway, "Cor!" is the onomatopaeic utterance when passed by that Bugatti.
Re: 'Cool'
> disagree!
> >
> > 'Cool' is merely an onomatopoeism for awe and
> > reverence.
> It is surely more likely that it is part of youth
> culture's style of understatement: excitement in
> behaviour and language is unhip. Anyway, "Cor!" is
> the onomatopaeic utterance when passed by that
> Bugatti.
Part of the vocabulary of specialised groups, not just 'yoof', but only after being an onomatopoeism.
Every baby does it.
What's your derivation?
Re: 'Cool'
It's an interesting word but I don't think it's onomatopaeic.
I say it's interesting because in different languages it stays the same. Denglisch and franglais maybe?
Onomatopaeic words dont stay the same in different languages though; Cats say "Schnurrr" in Germany and people "Baaaaaaaa" when thinking in France.
(Also relating to the word "Cool" I believe a South African alternative is the word "Lekker" most likely from Afrikaans, in which the word means yummy.
In Denmark the word "Lækker" which also means yummy is also, and most commonly used, to mean "hot". As in, "he/she is hot!" (good-looking, sexy etc.)
So we have a similar word meaning Hot and Cool. I found it interesting anyway!)
Re: 'Cool'
> It's an interesting word but I don't think it's
> onomatopaeic.
>
> I say it's interesting because in different languages
> it stays the same. Denglisch and franglais maybe?
>
> Onomatopaeic words dont stay the same in different
> languages though; Cats say "Schnurrr" in Germany and
> people "Baaaaaaaa" when thinking in France.
>
> (Also relating to the word "Cool" I believe a South
> African alternative is the word "Lekker" most likely
> from Afrikaans, in which the word means yummy.
>
> In Denmark the word "Lækker" which also means yummy
> is also, and most commonly used, to mean "hot". As
> in, "he/she is hot!" (good-looking, sexy etc.)
>
> So we have a similar word meaning Hot and Cool. I
> found it interesting anyway!)
It's a hypothesis.
I hear that this week's 'Goobledegook and whatsit' on the BBC will have Courteny Pine going to America to research 'Cool'.
We will hear, I hope, how jazz is sometimes divided as either 'hot' (say, Louis Armstrong) or 'cool' - Miles Davis, definitely. But that it is not merely a matter if period or movement, but of musical temperament. To be able to distinguish a 'hot' player from a 'cool' player is to be cool indeed, or do we merely mean 'discriminating'?
But this is to focus on one origin and usage of the word. My suggestion is that is it a much more primal word than a merely cultural construction. However useful and flexible that word might be, it cannot escape its nursery origins.
Please insert conditional clauses and modifers to taste.