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| The English word '']'' dates to the 13th century and derives from the ] ''''. By the 1570s, it was in use in reference to someone or something honest or fair.<ref name=OEtymD/><ref name=OEDadj2/> This positive sense is preserved in phrases such as "]", meaning something done in an honest and straightforward manner,<ref>{{Cite OED|fair and square, ''adv.'' and ''adj.''}}</ref> and "]", meaning an outcome equitable to all sides.<ref>{{Cite OED|deal, ''n.2'' 2. c.}}</ref> A ] variant on the phrase, "fairs pears", bears the same meaning and was first traced by Cecil Sharp in 1903 when visiting his friend (and lyrics editor) ] in Hambridge, South Somerset. <ref>Sharp, C and Marson, C ''Folk Songs from Somerset vols 1-3'' 1904-1906 Simpkin</ref> | The English word '']'' dates to the 13th century and derives from the ] ''''. By the 1570s, it was in use in reference to someone or something honest or fair.<ref name=OEtymD/><ref name=OEDadj2/> This positive sense is preserved in phrases such as "]", meaning something done in an honest and straightforward manner,<ref>{{Cite OED|fair and square, ''adv.'' and ''adj.''}}</ref> and "]", meaning an outcome equitable to all sides.<ref>{{Cite OED|deal, ''n.2'' 2. c.}}</ref> A ] variant on the phrase, "fairs pears", bears the same meaning and was first traced by Cecil Sharp in 1903 when visiting his friend (and lyrics editor) ] in Hambridge, South Somerset. <ref>Sharp, C and Marson, C ''Folk Songs from Somerset vols 1-3'' 1904-1906 Simpkin</ref> | ||
| The sense of ''square'' as a derogatory reference to someone conventional or old-fashioned dates to the ] scene of the 1940s; the first known reference is from 1944. There it applied to someone who failed to appreciate the medium of jazz, or more broadly, someone whose tastes were out of date and out of touch. |
The sense of ''square'' as a derogatory reference to someone conventional or old-fashioned dates to the ] scene of the 1940s; the first known reference is from 1944. There it applied to someone who failed to appreciate the medium of jazz, or more broadly, someone whose tastes were out of date and out of touch. | ||
| A common phrase "Be There, or Be Square." implies that a 'Square' is the opposite of someone who is a 'Round'. A play on words, a square is someone who is never around, regularly stays home, and avoids social gatherings. Especially unchaperoned gatherings where illegal activities might take place, for fear of getting in trouble. | |||
| Implying if you are not around (a "round") you are squareIt may derive from the rigid motion of a ]'s hands in a conventional, four-beat rhythm.<ref name=OEtymD/> It is used as both an adjective and a noun.<ref name=OEDadj/><ref name=OEDnoun/> A square contrasted with someone who was '']'', or in the know.<ref name=OEDadj/> | |||
| The cub scout promise included the pledge "to be square" from the 1950s to the 1970s. In contemporary language, U.S. branches of the military refer to "squared away" to describe things that are ordered. | The cub scout promise included the pledge "to be square" from the 1950s to the 1970s. In contemporary language, U.S. branches of the military refer to "squared away" to describe things that are ordered. | ||
Revision as of 19:46, 25 April 2024
Slang termSquare is slang for a person who is conventional and old-fashioned, similar to a fuddy-duddy. This sense of the word "square" originated with the American jazz community in the 1940s in reference to people out of touch with musical trends. Older senses of the term square, referring positively to someone or something honest and upstanding, date back to the 16th century.
History
The English word square dates to the 13th century and derives from the Old French esquarre. By the 1570s, it was in use in reference to someone or something honest or fair. This positive sense is preserved in phrases such as "fair and square", meaning something done in an honest and straightforward manner, and "square deal", meaning an outcome equitable to all sides. A West Country variant on the phrase, "fairs pears", bears the same meaning and was first traced by Cecil Sharp in 1903 when visiting his friend (and lyrics editor) Charles Marson in Hambridge, South Somerset.
The sense of square as a derogatory reference to someone conventional or old-fashioned dates to the jazz scene of the 1940s; the first known reference is from 1944. There it applied to someone who failed to appreciate the medium of jazz, or more broadly, someone whose tastes were out of date and out of touch.
A common phrase "Be There, or Be Square." implies that a 'Square' is the opposite of someone who is a 'Round'. A play on words, a square is someone who is never around, regularly stays home, and avoids social gatherings. Especially unchaperoned gatherings where illegal activities might take place, for fear of getting in trouble.
Implying if you are not around (a "round") you are squareIt may derive from the rigid motion of a conductor's hands in a conventional, four-beat rhythm. It is used as both an adjective and a noun. A square contrasted with someone who was hip, or in the know.
The cub scout promise included the pledge "to be square" from the 1950s to the 1970s. In contemporary language, U.S. branches of the military refer to "squared away" to describe things that are ordered.
See also
References
- ^ "square, adj., d.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "square, n., 16 a.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ Harper, Douglas. "square". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ "square, adj., c.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- "fair and square, adv. and adj.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- "deal, n.2 2. c.". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- Sharp, C and Marson, C Folk Songs from Somerset vols 1-3 1904-1906 Simpkin
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