Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Wordplay Wednesday™ July 13, 2016 – Copacetic



History and Slang – Repeat … Repeat 
You know the premise that history repeats itself (general summation). What does this say about us? That we’re not as clever and innovative as we think we are?

I get it in fashion – it’s cool to be kitschy in vintage styles – but when it comes to national and global issues, you would think we had learned a few things throughout millennia.
I’ve been saying since the beginning of the year that 2016 is a 50-year throwback, practically mirroring 1966 – and that is not a good thing. Racism, riots, war, national poverty – sound familiar? Yet, through all of that a half-century ago, were we as despondent as today?

Didn’t we have more hope, more leisure time, and more lighthearted terms to describe daily life? In spite of events on the national level, we gushed with cool, groovy, outstanding (said with att-i-tude), even bitchin’. But whatever happened to …

COPACETIC (kōʹpɘ setʹik) adj. – (Old Slang) good, excellent, fine, etc. [WW #68]

As far as words go, copacetic is a bit of an enigma in the dictionary world. Webster, in its infinite wisdom as in the above definition, doesn’t give it much respect, even relegating it to “Old Slang.” Wikipedia and Wiktionary don’t quite know what to do with it either; their definitions struggling for a clear origin.

Back in the late 1950s and throughout the ‘60s, copacetic was our go-to word when everything came together just right, and we needed a special term to express and impress. Somewhere along the decades it fell out of favor … along with our predominantly cheery attitudes.

If everything old is new again, let’s bring copacetic back into daily use – we need to feel its soothing, positive presence in our lives again.

Since we’re bringing back a 1960s’ word, let’s also harken back to 1965 when Hal David and Burt Bacharach knew what our country needed … and Jackie DeShannon gave it voice: “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” sweet love ...

No, not just for some, but for every one

Word of the Week: COPACETIC. Consider how you can help instill new hope in our country, in someone else’s life, in your life – while fitting it into your writings for the week.


                       


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