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Square (slang)

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	Square used as slang may mean many things when referring to a person, or it may refer to a cigarette Cigarette A cigarette is a product consumed through smoking and manufactured out of curing and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other List of additives in cigarettes, then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder .... . The term "square", in referring to a person, originally meant someone who was honest, traditional, and loyal. An agreement that is equitable on all sides is a "square deal". The evolution of American culture transformed the term from a compliment to an insult to an obsolete term. In the parlance of jazz Jazz Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions.... , a square was a person who failed to appreciate the medium, hence (more broadly) someone who was out of date or out of touch. In the counterculture Counterculture Counterculture is a Sociology term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition.... movements that started in the 1940s and took momentum in the 1960s a "square" referred to someone who clung to repressive, traditional, stereotypical, one-sided, or "in the box Thinking outside the box Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel, creative and smart thinking.... " ways of thinking. The term was used by hipster Hipster (1940s subculture) Hipster, as used in the 1940s, referred to aficionados of jazz, in particular modern jazz, which became popular in the early '40s. The hipster adopted the lifestyle of the jazz musician, including some or all of the following: manner of dress, slang terminology, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed... s in the 40s, beatnik Beatnik Beatniks were part of a sociocultural movement in the 1950s and early 1960s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle in the wake of WWII.... s in the 50s, hippie Hippie The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster , and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.... s in the 60s, yippies in the 70s, and other individuals who took part in the movements which emerged to contest the more conservative Conservatism Conservatism is a political and social term whose meaning has changed in different countries and time periods, but which usually indicates support for the status quo or the status quo ante.... national, political, religious, philosophical, musical and social trends. It was in this context that Sly and the Family Stone's trumpet player Cynthia Robinson Cynthia Robinson Cynthia Robinson is an African-American musician, best known for being the trumpeter in the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone.... yelled out in the hit "Dance to the Music Dance to the Music (song) "Dance to the Music" is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul music/rock music/funk music band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic Records/CBS Records label.... ": "All the squares go home!" If the counterculture was a shift from conservatism to liberalism, then square was what liberal people called a conservative people and things. While the term waned in popularity by the 1980s, it remained in the public consciousness, particulary of the American baby boom generation, enough that its broad meaning (of a person who respects traditional principles) is exemplified in Huey Lewis Huey Lewis Huey Lewis is an United States musician, songwriter and occasional actor.He sings lead vocals and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs.... 's 1986 hit Hip To Be Square. In modern usage it can be used to describe a person who leads a lawful existence, particularly in regard to employment. The term found its way into various parts of popular culture. Perhaps the most obvious recurring reference today would be this line from "Jailhouse Rock Jailhouse Rock (song) "Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was first released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock .... ", a song most famously sung by Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was an United Statesn singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "List of honorific titles in popular music" or "The King".... : The warden said hey buddy don't you be no square If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair One of the earliest records with the usage of the term can be found in the 1946 recording by Harry Gibson Harry Gibson Harry "The Hipster" Gibson was a jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter.Gibson played New York style Stride piano and boogie woogie while singing in an unrestrained, wild style.... "What's his Story?," which includes the stanza: At the gate stands a sinning fool Shouting "Lordy Lordy" Saint Peter said "You square, Your place is way down there" And the square said, "What's his story?" Or an earlier song by the same artist, from 1944, called "Stop That Dancing Up There," which includes: The people downstairs Say I'm an aweful square When I shout, "Stop that dancing up there." Positive connotations Square can mean good and honest, a sense preserved in the phrases "fair and square", "a square deal" and "a square meal"; or upstanding, as in "squaring up" (to an antagonist). As a symbol of rectitude, the square, or set-square, is one of the principal allegorical symbols in Freemasonry. The term was used in the American Cub Scout Cub Scouts (Boy Scouts of America) Cub Scouting is part of the Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America , available to some boys from first through fifth-grade, or 7?10 years of age and their families.... Promise until 1971. The chorus of the George M. Cohan George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan , known publicly as George M. Cohan, was an United States entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, Film director, and Theatrical producer.... song "Mary's a Grand Old Name" concludes with these lines: And there is something there / That sounds so square / It's a grand old name. L7 L7 is also a derivative term for square. This derives from a gesture in which the square shape is made by putting together an "L" made with the left thumb and index finger and a "7" made with the right thumb and index finger. Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs included this line in their biggest hit "Wooly Bully Wooly Bully "Wooly Bully" is a song based on the 12 bar blues progression, made famous by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1965. It was first recorded as "Hully Gully Now" by Big Bo and the Arrows in 1962.... ": Let’s not be L7, come and learn to dance. Wings Wings (band) Wings was a rock music group formed in August 1971 by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. The group was the only "permanent" group that any of the former members of the Beatles joined after their break-up.... included this line in the song "C Moon C Moon "C Moon" was an early faux ska tune by the band Wings , complete with a missed-cue intro that was kept in the released version. With the ban of its A-side, "Hi Hi Hi" in the UK, "C Moon" gained top play from radio disc jockeys.... ": It will be L7 and I'd never get to heaven See also Hip (slang) Hip (slang) Hip is a slang term meaning fashionably current and in the now. Hip is the opposite of square or prude.Hip, like Cool , does not refer to one specific quality.... The Man The Man "The Man" is a slang phrase that refers to the government, leaders of large corporations, and other authority figures in general, rather than a specific person.... The Establishment The Establishment *The Establishment* is a term used to refer to the traditional ruling class elite and the structures of society that they control. The term can be used to describe specific entrenched elite structures in specific institutions, but is usually informal in application....