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I've heard this term so often in my travels in England, in writing as well. I know it means "sassy", but wonder how it came to be used this way.
We Americans, of course, refer to "cheeks" as two specific parts of the body. Or as, in the case of the lower anatomy, our butts.
Here again, the British use the term "bum". To an American, a "bum" is a "shirker of responsibility".
Now I'm even wondering where "sassy" originated.
"Adversity is the whetstone of creativity"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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We Americans, of course, refer to "cheeks" as two specific parts of the body. Or as, in the case of the lower anatomy,
This gives a whole new sense to the lyric "dancin' cheek to cheek."
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Carpal Tunnel
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cheek in this sense is attested as both a verb and a noun from 1840:
n., colloq. a. Insolence in speaking to any one; ‘jaw’. Phr. to give cheek: = cheek v.
v., colloq. To address ‘cheekily’ or saucily; to speak with cool impudence to, confront audaciously. to cheek it: to face it out, ‘carry it through’.
cheeks, as in buttocks, also seems to have originated in Britain around 1600.
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This reminded me of the old song back in the late 50s or early 60s by the Kingston Trio...some words in the lyrics were "back-to-back and belly-to-belly" but I'll be darned if I can remember the rest!
Can someone explain to me how you change the color and highlight a post you are referring to here? I've not used a forum with this format before. Thanks!
"Adversity is the whetstone of creativity"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Note: you can change the subject title, as I just did, even when you click on "Reply to this post".
TO ALL NEWCOMERS--I recommend that you first click on and read the FAQ at the top of your screens. It will be worth your while, if you plan to stick around.
Second--when you're making a post, scroll up a bit and click on Markup in Your Post.
The Markup business was Greek to me at first, but if I can figure it out, anybody can. Thanks, Tsuwm, for all your help.
Still not clear? Feel free to ask--me or 'most anybody.
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Carpal Tunnel
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The song to which Chickie refers is "Zombie Jamboree" which was written by C.E. Mauge, Jr.
The lyrics, in material part, are:
SPOKEN: Right now, as a point of information, something we didn't know until recently. Every year, in Trinidad, they have what is know as a "calypsonian carnival" in which the various native groups down there vie with one another, uh,
musically, in order to find out who's the best extemporaneous composer of them all. And in the year 1955, Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators took the title
with this next song, based on a theme by Goethe involving the dance of the dead. Well, uh, Invader could only draw from experience so he called it, of course, "Zombie Jamboree, the Song That Killed Calypso."
SUNG: Well, now
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
Now hear me callin'
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
Zombie Jamboree took place in a New York cemetery (Where?)
Zombie Jamboree took place in Long Island cemetery
Zombies from all parts of the island (Where?)
Some of them are great Calypsonians
Hey, since the season was Carnivale
They got together in Bacchanal
Whatcha doin'?
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
One female zombie wouldn't behave
She say she want me for a slave
In the one hand she's holding a quart of wine (Whoa)
In the other she's pointin' that she'll be mine
Now believe me folks, yes I had to run (Why?)
Husband of a zombie ain't no fun (No nice!)
I says "Oh, no my turtle dove"
"That old bag of bones I cannot love"
Whatcha doin'?
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
What a good game!
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
Right then and there she raise a feet.
"I'm a-going to get you now, my sweet"
"I'm gonna make you call me Sweetie Pie"
I says "Oh, no, get back-you lie"
I may be lyin' but you will see (What?)
After you kiss this dead zomb-ie (Blecccch!!!)
No, I've never seen such a horror in me life
Can you imagine me with a zombie wife? (Yes!)
Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
SPOKEN: You're all alone, you know.
SUNG: Back to back, belly to belly
Well I don't give a damn
'cause it doesn't matter really
Back to back, belly to belly
At the Zombie Jamboree
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old hand
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Rockapella recorded a contemporary version of the song, which is a part of the soundtrack to Spike Lee's "Do It Acapella" documentary... the lyrics are slightly different in their version ~ to wit:
It was a zombie jamboree
Took place in the New York cemetery
Oh, it was a zombie jamboree
Took place in the New York cemetery.
Zombies from all parts of the island
Some of them are great Calypsonians
Since the season was carnival
They got together in bacchanal.
And they were singing:
Chorus
Back to back, mon, belly to belly
I don't give a damn 'cause I'm stone dead already
Oh, back to back, belly to belly
It's a zombie jamboree.
One female zombie she wouldn't behave
See how's she's dancing out of the grave
In one hand she's holding a quart of rum
The other hand is knocking a conga drum.
You know the lead singer starts to make his rhyme
While the other zombie is rockin' in time
One bystander, he had this to say:
"It was a trip to see the zombies break away."
SHAH! And they were singing:
(Repeat chorus twice)
Back to back! Everyone we sing back to back
And belly to belly then back to back
One two three four
Hey, what a zombie jamboree
From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty
Uptown, downtown zombie jamboree
Whoa whoa whoa, yeah yeah
There's a high-wire zombie 'tween the World Trades
A King Kong zombie on the Empire State
But the biggest zombies Tokyo to Rome
The zombies who call the city home.
(Repeat chorus to fade)
It was also a cut on their own album, Primer... and a staple at concerts. *Always* a crowd-pleaser.  And cheeky by any definition. [proud of self for bringing the original topic back emoticon]
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All we needed was a "bouncing ball" for a sing-along! :-)
"Adversity is the whetstone of creativity"
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