When did "sick" start meaning "good"?

[HankQuinlan]

A record review in Rolling Stone promised an album with "sick beats." Do I want to listen to music that makes me feel queasy?

A post here wants opinions about a "sick vehicle". Wouldn't I want to wait until it got better?

Is "sick and twisted" a good thing now?

Is this something trendy from rap music? Just curious.

 

[Stew]

Hank this occurred long after old farts like you and me ceased to be cool. Not being cruel just telling it like it is

Stew

 

[the toad]

Is "sick and twisted" a good thing now?

Welcome to society, Hank. Have you been in jail or just isolated from society for the past number of decades?

 

[Mona_Ramone]

Like all things in the Universe, the definitions of words evolve over time. There's many reasons why this likely happens. The world involves much cultural mixing and this results in different interpretations and uses of words especially if they're used in slang. Just open a dictionary and you'll see how many words have multiple meanings. That didn't happen suddenly. It occurred over time.

For example, a thousand years ago, the word "Silly" meant that you were very happy. Then it evolved into meaning you were "innocent" and now it's referred to being "foolish".

Just a few years ago, "gay" meant that you were happy. Now its mainly used to refer to homosexuals.

Let's look at the word "Nice". Originally it was used as a really bad insult. Then it evolved into meaning something that was "Strange" and now its used to refer to things that are "Pleasing" to us.

So, to answer you're question, yes...rap culture does impact the usage and interpretation of words, but so do the other cultures out there.


Topper

*falls in love*

 

[Oldfart]

So does "sick" now mean the cat's pyjamas?

 

[cancowboy2001]

When 'wicked' stopped meaning 'good'?

Is this something trendy from rap music? Just curious.

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/sick has a user entry from 1997 so 'sick' has been in use somewhere at least since then.
Urban Dictionary has user entries from 2003/2004.

So does "sick" now mean the cat's pyjamas?

No ... bee's knees.

 

[Oldfart]

Ah, Oldfart,

I can see you plan to bury us all.

No, really. I'm certain that you do plan to bury us all. I'm sure that I saw you earlier (with a shovel & a big squirming sack on your back with some boffo wingtip shoes sticking out of it) heading into the woods.

How does the saying go?
Friends help friends move, but good friends help friends dispose of bodies.

 

[belmontkingsize]

Like all things in the Universe, the definitions of words evolve over time. There's many reasons why this likely happens. The world involves much cultural mixing and this results in different interpretations and uses of words especially if they're used in slang. Just open a dictionary and you'll see how many words have multiple meanings. That didn't happen suddenly. It occurred over time.

For example, a thousand years ago, the word "Silly" meant that you were very happy. Then it evolved into meaning you were "innocent" and now it's used when somebody is acting "foolishly".

Just a few years ago, "gay" meant that you were happy. Now its mainly used to refer to homosexuals.

Let's take a look at the word "Nice". Originally it was used as a really bad insult. Then it evolved into meaning something that was "Strange" and now its used when something is "Pleasing" to us.

So, to answer you're question, yes...rap culture does impact the usage and interpretation of words, but so do the other cultures out there.


Topper

Nicely put

 

[InnocentBoy]

Sick=Good when people realized sick=day off school.

 

[HankQuinlan]

People started using "sick" to mean "cool" or "good" when I was in 6th grade...so late 95/early 96.

Ahh...so just the other day then (by my reckoning of time). No wonder I didn't get the memo...it's probably still in my inbox

lol (which I thought until very recently meant "laughing on line").....

 

[HankQuinlan]

when spelled "SIC"

its been this way for a while!

By my understanding, "sic" still means "thus" or "the mistakes in the quote that precedes this fancy latin expression were in the original and I am aware of them"

But then, like other words with more than one meaning, it's all in the context, I guess.

 

[HB40]

By my understanding, "sic" still means "thus" or "the mistakes in the quote that precedes this fancy latin expression were in the original and I am aware of them"

All I know is I can't say it out loud when my dog is around.

And just so I don't have any faux pas, when a girl says "you make me 'sick'." that still means a bad thing right?

 

[rossedm34]

Around the time FAT became PHAT.

 

[smackyo]

its been used for at as "good" for at least 12 years now or so.

 

[worldshaker]

The word "sick" is just another way for us lame, white people to try to be as cool as blacks. And in doing so, we sound even lamer than ever.

Stop that!

 

[streetskid]

It happens when kids start watching too much MTV. I tried watching the MTV Movie awards once, but I was too offended to watch on.

 

[JustJess]

sick moves

I was watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada and they kept saying, those moves are sick man...etc etc etc...

I find it amusing that sick means cool and awesome with an extra intensity.

Perhaps the younger generation should spend more time reading books and gaining vocabulary rather than playing 'sick' video games.

Jess