[Dixielandjazz] Gig Redux

[Steve Barbone]

These opinion about the origin are in cyber space also.  And "gig' was
discussed on the "Trombone Page" a few months ago. Information (in addition
to gigi or giggy as referring to female anatomy) is also available by google
searching for: <"gig" origins>.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

#1

"Gig," on the other hand, has remained in fairly constant use since it first
appeared in its slang sense among jazz musicians in the mid-1920's. Meaning,
as you say, a musician's "date" or engagement to play, "gig" is actually
both a noun and a verb, though it's more common to hear a musician speak of
"playing a gig" than "gigging." Though a "steady gig" is prized in the
notoriously unpredictable life of a musician, the word itself carries
overtones of the short-term "one-night stand." Reflecting its roots in jazz,
"gig" is almost exclusively used by jazz, pop or rock musicians -- cellists
play recitals or engagements, not "gigs."

"Most dictionaries say that the origin of "gig" in this sense is unknown,
but it really doesn't seem that great a mystery. Appearing in English in the
15th century, "gig" meant something that spins, as in "whirligig."
Subsequent meanings included "joke," "merriment" and (aha!) "dance." Since
playing at parties and dances is every musician's meal ticket early in their
career, it's easy to see how "gig" became generalized to mean any paying
job."

#2

Gig is an interesting word with a variety of etymologically unrelated
senses.

The oldest sense is that of a top or other whirling object. It dates to c.
1440. The origin is unknown. The sense of top is the source of some other
senses, such as a giddy or flighty person, fun, merriment, and a whim.

The sense of a light, two-wheeled carriage dates to 1791. This sense is a
transference from the earlier sense. The motion of the carriage and its
tendency to upset are not unlike that of a top. Also related is the sense of
gig meaning a ship's boat. This nautical sense dates to 1790.

Gig can also mean a spear or harpoon, and it is a verb meaning to spear or
stab, as in Gig'em Aggies. This sense originally comes from the Spanish word
for harpoon, fisga. The Spanish word appears in English in 1565 as fisgig.
An alternate spelling is fizgig and the word is also folk-etymologized as
fishgig, a harpoon for stabbing fish. The clipped form gig appears in 1722.

This brings us to the most common sense, that of a musician's engagement or
job. The musical sense dates to 1926 and first arose as jazz slang in the
US. But the origin is not in music. The use of gig to mean a non-musical job
or occupation dates to 1908, and the sense of a business affair or event is
a year older than that. The origin is unknown, but it may come from the
slang term gag. This dates to 1890 and means business method, practice, or
behavior. All these sense are American slang usages.

These last senses may be from, or be influenced by, an obsolete sense of
gig. This sense of gig is a type of bet in a numbers game. It dates to 1847
and is an arbitrary use of the sense of gig as a carriage (a horse is
another type of bet).