Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Chin music


As promised, here's another musical idiom to herald the upcoming release of the seventh book in my Silver Rush series, MORTAL MUSIC:

 Chin music.

I'll confess, this is a new one to me. Not that it's "new." In fact, it apparently first appeared almost two centuries ago...

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
According to American Slang, Second Edition, edited by Robert L. Chapman Ph.D., chin music has several definitions, depending on the context. It can mean:
  1. talk, especially inconsequential chatter or chitchat (first appeared in 1830s)
  2. various kinds of raucous shouting at a baseball game, from the crowd, from the players to each other, from the players or manager to the umpires, etc. (by 1880s)
  3. a pitched ball that passes close to the batter's face; a beanball (by the 1980s)
I checked this one on Google's ngram, and sure enough, there it is, going waaaay back.



I dug a little deeper and found several 19th-century examples, including the one below from Potter's American Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine of History, Literature, Science and Art, Volumes 10–11 (1878).

Chin music would fit right in with my Silver Rush series. So is this idiom new to you as well? Or is it just me?
A chin-music ensemble? (Cue the accompanist, entering the room.)
By Eugene de Blaas - Art Renewal Center, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7753932





4 comments:

Liz V. said...

New to me too, Ann. Being somewhat literal minded, I thought the accompanist should have a violin. 😏

Ann Parker said...

Hi Liz!
Now THAT would have been perfect! :-D

almadenmike said...

I'd thought it was used much earlier than the 80s in old Westerns, referring to a warning shot, similar to the baseball usage, but with a gun shot/bullet whistling by the indended's face. "Did you hear that chin music, podna?

Ann Parker said...

Hello AlmadenMike,
I like your definition of chin music! I wouldn't be surprised if it was used in some old Westerns. It has that "sound," doesn't it!