Blues
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Blues
Reading CS Lewis's letters, I find him using an expression like "when I get the blues" back in 1921-2. Of course that was when jazz and blues were developing in the US, esp in New Orleans, Mamphis, Chicago, and New York. Led me to wonder about the cultural derivation of the term. Also why they picked that color. To me, black or gray or brown would be more the way I would likely describe myself if feeling low. Blue is a more romantic color, dominating as couples sit or walk under the moon. Anyone have any cultural etymology to contribute?
pl
- call_copse
- Senior Lexiterian
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- Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:42 am
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Re: Blues
I believe there was a common expression 'blue devils' meaning a fit of melancholia from the 18th Century onwards. Perhaps abbreviation?
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/blue+devils
That's all I can find quickly, there seem to be lots of sports teams etc referred by Google.
Also you have the skin colour when cold / bruised, could that be relevant?
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/blue+devils
That's all I can find quickly, there seem to be lots of sports teams etc referred by Google.
Also you have the skin colour when cold / bruised, could that be relevant?
Iain
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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- Location: Finger Lakes, NY
Re: Blues
It goes way, way back:
as a music form featuring flatted thirds and sevenths, possibly c. 1895 (though officially 1912, in W.C. Handy's "Memphis Blues"); meaning "depression, low spirits" goes back to 1741, from adjectival blue "low-spirited," late 14c.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 3333
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:41 pm
- Location: RUSTON, LA
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