Friends of Dave #153: Jive Turkey

Nov 30, 2019

The origin story of this Thanksgiving putdown is....well, it's complicated.

Hope you are enjoying your long Thanksgiving weekend and you got that nap we discussed last week.

Again, this week should be downtime and family time, so I am not going to do a lot here. Feel free to move on down to the links if you want (FYI, this week's Last Word is a keeper).

But for those of you who, like me, often find themselves vexed by life's great mysteries like "do goldfish sleep?" or "is the 'five second rule' valid?" or "why is it so important to know 'who let the dogs out?'" or "has a human ever sneezed without closing their eyes?" I have another one for you....

What is the origin of the term "jive turkey"? Shockingly, if you have ever searched for this you will concur that there is no Wikipedia entry for it (though there is a Wiktionary entry, however, where you can hear a guy in an Australian accent pronounce it) , so I actually had to do more digging than I expected....I found lots of conjecture, but, alas, there is no clear, straight answer. One thing is certain: contrary to popular belief, George Jefferson was not likely the originator (I couldn't even find video of him delivering the insult).

From what I could find on Urban Dictionary, it actually may have started as the name of a German quick dance step in the 1930s -- which is not surprising as there was a popular dance called "the jive" back then. Interestingly, the word 'turkey' may have become more commonly used as an insult in the 1920s as well.

There have been a number of songs over the years that have used it in their lyrics, but easily the most popular was one entitled "Jive Turkey" released by the Ohio Players in 1974. PSA: the heavy funk beat and lyrics will be in your head for the rest of the weekend if you click on it, so proceed with caution....and it could easily become the entrance music of choice for your Thanksgiving dinner in future years....thank me later....

So I'm going to go with the term started in the 1930's, hit mainstream in 1974, and was popularized on TV and movies through the 70's and 80's. And now there is no shortage of sites where you can buy T-shirts with the phrase on it.....

There you have it. More than you (or I) bargained for on the topic, but now you know. All quick reads this week, by the way. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

XOXO

Dave

Some Final Thanksgiving Related Thoughts...

Radical Gratitude: Unleashing Appreciation Beyond Thanksgiving

So why not let this Thanksgiving be the beginning of 30 straight Thanksgivings? Just as an experiment… see how it feels to recognize what you’re grateful for on a daily basis.

Why Millennials Don't Buy Black Friday

Millennials are killing the one-day holiday shopping event. It won’t be this year or the next, but it’s coming....

The tragic data behind Black Friday deaths and injuries

Since 2006, 11 people have died and more than 100 have been injured in Black Friday-related incidents.This shows what’s behind these numbers.

One For Your Day Job...

4 Ways Marketing Can Contribute to Company Culture Learn how marketing is at the forefront of your brand and company culture, and 4 actionable ways that marketing can contribute to company culture.