Sunday, August 31, 2008
Nice Diggs, innit?!
Something completely unique to Wyoming happened to me. The credit union I worked for got a new (badly needed) main office building in Lander. I only worked there for 2 days, but in those 2 days, at least 1 in 3 people walked in and said "Nice Diggs!". What the crap does that mean??!!?!?! I had never ever heard that saying?! What does it mean?! Is it some inbred saying from my hometown, or does it have some cool meaning? I'm guessing it's just some hick Wyoming saying. I couldn't believe the variety of people that said it though. Old ladies with too much jewelry, Natives, soccer moms, even the Sheriff!! I was wondering if you all had any insight into this saying, or any other sayings that you never want to hear ever again.
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10 comments:
"Nice digs" is a very common expression you can use when referring to someone's home or business. It is not hick, I think it has more hip-hoppy origins, but it has fallen out of fashion for some time now. This is how you heard such a variety of people using it. It has now, finally died to the point that it has hit Wyoming and fallen under the radar of old people and soccer moms that think they are hip by saying it. Other things that you may compare this situation to are "the macarena (sp?)" and "bling" which actually refers to DIAMONDS only, this is a misconception with many of these people (they think it means any form of jewelry), but I digress.
"Digs" was in fashion somewhere in between "pad" and "crib".
Tacking the term "innit" to it is a geographical misfortune only.
Hope that helps.
Just so we are clear, I never want to hear the term bling again (in reference to diamonds OR jewelery), and I NEVER want to see the macarena performed again under any circumstance.
I will probably come up with a few more, but I am tired.
I will post them when they come to me.
Wait! One more "get jiggy with it"!
You would think "digs" has a hip-hop origin, but you are wrong. Being a word origin nerd, I checked one of my favorite websites, wordorigins.org, and here is what it said.
The word digs means place of abode or lodging, as in “he has moved into new digs.” But why digs?
The word was originally diggings, dating to the first half of the 19th century. The word is glossed in the 1834 Dictionary of American English. And there is this from Joseph C. Neal’s 1838 Charcoal Sketches:
I reckon it’s about time we should go to our diggings.
And from Dickens’s 1844 The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit:
She won’t be taken with a cold chill when she realises what is being done in these diggings?
The clipped form, digs, makes its appearance by the end of the century. From the 11 May 1893 issue of Stage:
“Being in the know” regarding the best “digs” can only be attained by experience.
But why diggings? It could be a reference to burrow. Or it could be an extension of miner’s use to mean a place of excavation, and by extension the place where the miner lives and works. Use of diggings to mean a place of excavation dates to the 16th century. From John Leland’s 1538 The Itinerary:
On the South side of Welleden...ys a goodly quarre of Stone, wher appere great Diggyns.
I forgot to mention other sayings I never want to hear again.
Using the word "pimp" to describe fixing something up. I'm totally with Emily on the whole "bling" thing as well. And the macarena! I cannot tell you how much I hate that, and hated it since the first day I witnessed it! Many years ago I was at a friends house, and her sister and sister's 7 year old daughter were there too. I had never heard of the macarena at the time. And that 7 year old girl, who really annoyed me anyway, would not stop doing the macarena right in front of me. I was sitting on the couch and this little girl was directly in front of me almost stepping on my toes doing that stupid dance. And I did not know how to respond, I didn't have a clue what she was doing. Sorry about the rant. Em mentioning that conjured up that memory.
Na na na na na na! (Get jiggy wid it) Wow, Sue, you are a wordorigins.com supernerd. That was the best nerd comment left ever. I promise to never dance the macarena in front of either of you, or talk about my pimped out bling. I've never heard anyone that was serious talk about their pad or crib or bling or pimping something. The overused things here are
Creek pronounced Crick (2 e's people!!)
Chay, innit?! (I don't know what that means)
I can't think of any more right now, but I will. Mainly, people just mis-pronounce everything and drop plurals when they should be used.
Time to start doing my homework...
B
One time in a Mapleton ward, our Sac Meeting program had an announcement and they actually spelled "creek" "crick". It was horrifying yet oh so funny.
Well, who ever knew so much about the word "digs"? I am bookmarking that website Sue, I am a word nerd enough to probably be going there now 4-5 times a week.
I am proud to declare that I never learned how to do the Macarena. Or the Electric Slide, or any form of line dancing.
first time to read the blog of M&B. Some funny stuff but not enough of the word "sodies" for me. I was going to tell you about the word digs, ol' wordmiester Sue beat me to it. I knew it was from diggings and refered to a dwelling place made of mud and straw or adobie type dwelling. Even I, a import from California have used the word on ocasion.
Yay Dad! Blog posting, I'm so glad.
Sodies.
Sodies. hee hee. Yay dad! Still laughing at the message you left me today on myspace! I've heard dad use the word digs before. And yes, I am truly a word nerd. I hope you guys don't think I typed all that. Copy and paste rules!
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