Curious as to the derivation of "jones" as in my co-worker's frequent admission that she "has a jones for shoes" -- is this drug argot from the excuses given for surreptitious meetings ("I'm going to see Mr. Jones.")?
Any help appreciated.
Welcome, jgear!
Yes, it is drug argot in its derivation - apparently from the jag of withdrawl from heroin originally. A previous discussion is not so much illuminating as ruminating…
http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=30179I also half-recall a more exact answer somewhere, but am afraid I cannot find it now.
This from the Word Origins site:
Jones
The exact origin of this word meaning an overwhelming yen or craving is unknown. It first appears in Black English in the early 1960s. The original sense is of a heroin addiction. Gradually, the meaning widened to include any desire.
I have not heard this word in a while - some years, at least. I did not hear the word as a pure noun, but more like a gerund or infinitive, as in "to jones" or "jonesing." But when I heard it , it seemed to have a different meaning. "Jonesing" seemed to mean trying to get something without paying for it, or get more than your fair share of it - begging, borrowing with no intention of paying back, finding "lost" or "misplaced" money, "liberating" money and property that were not locked down.
Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces
Written by Richard A. "Cheech" Marin and Thomas Chong
- parody of "Love Jones" by Brighter Side Of Darkness
- as recorded by Cheech & Chong on their 1973 album "Los Cochinos"
- all-star band included George Harrison, Carole King, Billy Preston and Tom Scott, with Darlene Love and Michelle Phillips (The Mamas & The Papas) as cheerleaders.
- single peaked at #15 in 1973
Barry White & Chris Rock did a vesion of the bouncy classic for the cartoon movie Spacejam
“Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones
Got a Basketball Jones, oh baby, oo-oo-ooo
Yes, I am the victim of a Basketball Jones
Ever since I was a little baby, I always be dribblin'
In fac', I was de baddest dribbler in the whole neighborhood
Then one day, my mama bought me a basketball
And I loved that basketball
I took that basketball with me everywhere I went
That basketball was like a basketball to me
I even put that basketball underneath my pillow
Maybe that's why I can't sleep at night
I need help, ladies and gentlemens
I need someone to stand beside me
I need, I need someone to set a pick for me at the free-throw line of life
Someone I can pass to
Someone to hit the open man on the give-and-go
And not end up in the popcorn machine
So cheerleaders, help me out
{cheerleaders sing repeatedly...}
(Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones)
(I got a Basketball Jones, oh baby, oo-oo-ooo)
{while Tyrone Shoelaces sings/speaks...}
Oh, that sounds so sweet
Sing it out
C'mon Coach Booty, Red Blazer, sing along with me
That be bad, honky
Yeah
I want everybody in the whole stadium to stand up and sing with us
Oh yeah, sing it out like you're proud
All right, everybody watchin' coast-to-coast, sing along with us
Bill Russell, sing along with us
Chick Hearn, sing along with us
Chris Schenkel, don't sing nothin'
Oh, it feels so good
Gimme the ball
I'll go one-on-one against the world, left-handed
I could stuff it from center court with my toes
I could jump on top of the backboard, take off a quarter, leave fifteen cents change I
could, I could dribble behind my back I got more moves than Ex-Lax I'm bad I could
dribble with my tongue Here I go down court, try to stop me You can't stop me 'cause I
got a Basketball Jones Here I come That's my hook shot with my eyebrow Yeah, I could
dunk it with my nose I'm, I'm bad as King Kong, gimme the ball I'm hot, I'm hot as...,
I'm hot as..., I'm hot as... uh Uh, uh, uh, uh
Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones...”
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The Spencer looks nice. I missed these, thanks,
and when I get out -
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Always thought it was OJ (Old Jive) from around 1967.
So, when the artist sung "me and mistress Jones we´ve got a think going on" he was talking about drugs, and not about adultery. Was he?
Hola Jose
Bienvenido
(does that mean welcome? I'm a little rusty)
Yeah! Great. Bienvenido really means welcome. Thank you for your support, and accept my apologies, as I am more fluent in latin than in english. See you all!
Until my Spanish is better than your English you'll have no reason to apologise.
Y quizás querría saber que Zed es una chica.
Aramis, shouldn't that be chiquita? ("girlie")
Soy demasiado mujer para me llama chiquita.
edited for spelling which isn't my strong suit in any language.
¡Claro que sí, Anna! La verdad nos dice [o dices si puedo].
Maybe I should switch to Zedita to reduce confusion.
erk, How to annoy the people you share an office with. I'm on lunch break and just dropped a piece of spaghetti down inside the keyboard. Complete with cream sauce.
does anyone have any ideas on what basketball jones acctually means?
hi Lil jim.. but, huh? did none of the previous mean anything? Maverick's post in particular? (an overwhelming yen or craving)
-joe (I've got a word jones) friday
Hi Lil jimmy
The Maverick post tsuwm mentioned is waaay up near the top in blue. Hmm, are you supposed to snort or inject the basketball. You'd need either a big nose or a big needle.