I was exploring a fascinating site: Atlanta Time Machine, when I came upon a series for the Imperial Hotel, and the various night club acts it had hosted over the years. what I'm wondering about is the use of the apostrophe in Topless 'A Go-Go? what's being abbreviated here? (besides the clothing...) you'll also see it here: Whisk 'A Go-Go.
just curious.
it's a great site, by the way. an interesting study in "progress", though a lot of the city looks better now, than 50 years ago.

Etaoin

The apostrophe in "whisk" stands for "ey".
The apostrophe after "topless" stands for "bottomless".

You missed the sixties didn't you?

heh.

except the apostrophe isn't on Whisk...

O'really? Then perhaps you can ask mister google or some of your other authoritative friends.

Good luck.

I wonder if this particular apostrophe started out in life as a grave accent representing a la (sorry I can't do accents on this machine).

> grave accent

that sounds like a possibility. the whole ooh la la thing.

> O'really

do they do topless Go-Go in Ireland?

I suspect someone in the page-making process decided the A looked kind of naked all by its lonesome and just needed an apostrophe somewhere.

> lonesome

I wondered about that, too.

so what about Go-Go? where did that come from?

From the deep swamp of memory bubbles up the thought that this might be a French expression, hence the accent grave over the a. But I don't know what the go-go part would be. Have we tried to go-go to goo-google?

Edit: Thanks for the site, eta! I grew up in Hotlanta.

> have we tried

I haven't, expecting that I would get mostly what I don't really want...

there are some great pictures, and so much history there, it must be really interesting to know the places from real life.

>the go-go part

what?! no one remembers go-go dancers? Nancy Sinatra in go-go boots.. These Boots Were Made for Walkin'

no, I remember go-go boots, I'm just wondering where the term comes from? you know, like linguistically like...

Well, chums, some say that go-go derived from the early 1960's slang expression "go" meaning popular, fashionable. Others that it derived from another slang expression meaning filled with power, energetic and vivacious. Still others think it sprang from the French phrase " à gogo" meaning abundant, plenty. Me, I think it had to do with Nancy Sinatra's boots.

well, thanks all. got me a OneLookin'...

from Encarta:

Quote:

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à gogo

à go·go


adjective
Definitions:

1. bustling: in a whirl of activity
The club was completely à gogo by nine in the evening.

2. galore: as much as anybody could want
caviar à gogo

[Mid-20th century. < French, "joyfully" < en gogues (see agog) by repeating the go-]

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I'm agog...