[Dixielandjazz] "Yardbird" ??? Nickname origin??

[Thompson]

Don't you think that when one jazz musician gives another a nickname, he
doesn't necessarily stop and think of the origin of that word?  It is
just what fits at that moment.....something that happened to make the
connection.

Rebecca

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-admin@ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-admin@ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of David
Livingston
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 7:58 PM
To: Normseldes@aol.com; dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] "Yardbird" ???


I did a google search on "Yardbird." It seems there
were several different meanings for "Yardbird" but
here is what I found at site called "ETYMOLOGY" and I
think the first definition is more likely to apply to
a musician. ;)

"Yardbird 'convict' is 1956, from the notion of prison
yards; earlier it meant 'basic trainee' (World War II
armed forces slang)."


--- Normseldes@aol.com wrote:
> Maybe I am older than anybody on the list (Steve,
> you know I am) as I
> enlisted in the Regular US Army one year before
> Pearl Harbor for 3 years 
> rather than wait to be drafted for one year.
> Spending my first two years with 
> old army guys, the expression "yardbird"was given to
> any buck private. We 
> made $21.00 per month for 3 months and then $30.00
> per month until reveiving 
> some sort of promotion. It had nothing to do with
> OKOM or musicians.
>   
> Glad to be back on the list.     Norman Seldes in
> Pennsylvania         
> Normseldes@aol.com.

=====
David Livingston
------------------------------
Dixieland Gumbo -- Today's hot bands playing OKOM!
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