Dawn Turner Trice, in a Chicago Tribune article, wonders if an unsavory word can take on a more savory meaning...such as the word pimp. I don't know...she thinks not. It seems a scholarship has been named P.I.M.P. or positive, intellectual, motivated person in an attempt to turn this meaning around. Do you think that's possible? Any examples of words where the meaning was unsavory, but now isn't? I can think of words that have gone the other way.
As for the word pimp, Trice's OED says that the word is from the 16th century and that the origin is unknown. My online OED cites it as first being used in 1607, and etymology online says it might come from the French word, pimper, "to dress elegantly." Does anyone know any more about that word?
There's a show on MTV called Pimp my Ride which appears to concern itself with customising motor cars. The word "pimp" in this instance appears to be similar in meaning to the slang phrase used here "tart up", which means "dress smartly", "cause to look good". "Tart up" is sometimes used derogatorily, meaning "to dress in a cheap and provocative way", but not always. There is an obvious similarity here.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Oh, Arnie.. my kids and I watch Pimp My Ride.. and laugh and laugh... MTV is certainly "tarting up" the automobile... for what purposes? We can only surmise.
Etymology online has "pimp" possibly originating from the French word meaning "to dress elegantly." However, the OED online has a very different discussion about the word "pimping." That etymology the OED also calls unknown, but here is its possible origins:
"Of uncertain origin; dialectally pimpy is found in same sense. Cf. PIMP n.2, and Cornish dial. pimpey weak watery cider; also Du. pimpel weak little man, Ger. pimpelig effeminate, sickly, puling, which imply a stem pimp.]"
"Weak" seems to be the basis of "pimping."This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,
My dictionary dates 'pimp' from 1607 but notes that it has an obscure origin and defines it as 'A pander, procurer'. There seems to be a clear link here to the pimps we think of today and sordid nature we associate with that profession seems to be backed up with the 1687 definition of 'pimping', which is 'Small, petty, mean; in poor health or condition, sickly.'
The OED Online likewise says "origin obscure," and the first citation as a noun is from 1607 (1636 as a verb). The interesting thing under the discussion of the etymology is in the last line: "But these leave much to be explained in the history of the word before 1600." So the word apparently predates 1600, but by how much?
Here are their definitions of pimp. Note that some aren't related to sex.
quote:
pimp, n.1
a. One who provides means and opportunities for unlawful sexual intercourse; a pander, procurer.
b. transf. and fig. One who ministers to anything evil, esp. to base appetites or vices.
c. In various other uses: (a) Austral. and N.Z. slang, an informer, a tell-tale; (b) Welsh dial., one who spies on lovers, a peeping Tom; (c) U.S. slang, a male prostitute.
d. attrib. and Comb., as pimp-errant, -master, -tenure; pimp-like adj.; {dag}pimp-whisk, -whiskin (-ing) obs. slang = PIMP.
pimp, n.2
A name in London and the southern counties for a small faggot or bundle of firewood. (quotes from 1742 to 1889)
pimp, v.
1. a. intr. To act as pimp or pander; to pander.
b. fig. or in generalized sense.
c. to pimp on: to scrounge off; to take advantage of. U.S. slang.
2. trans. To bring together as a pimp. nonce-use.
3. intr. To tell tales; to inform on someone. Austral. and N.Z. slang.
So the word apparently predates 1600, but by how much?
Remember that words generally appear in speech well before their first appearance in writing. The 1607 citation is the earliest use in print known to the OED's compilers, but there could easily be an earlier use that has been lost to us.
It's interesting that the "Pimp my Ride" use I mentioned earlier doesn't appear in the OED. Perhaps it's too recent American slang?
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
upeach, the syntax of your question indicates that you are learning English. Properly asked, the question is "What does 'pimp my mind' mean?"
I have been using the English language for more than seventy years and have never seen or heard that expression until you brought it up. I've certainly never uttered it or written it. My advice is to forget it and to concentrate on more important things, like how to ask a question.
I agree with jerry; Pimp my mind is a phrase I've never heard either. It is of course possible that it is some new slang term that us old fogeys have not heard yet.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Originally posted by upeach: Thanks for your advice, actually I'm learning English as my second language.
Welcome to our little community.
I hope you enjoy being part of our language site.
You'll find that not only do we have a lot of people with incredible language skills we also have people (like me) who have slightly (compared to, say, hic or aput or hab) lesser language skills but who do it for a living. You are learning English as a Second Language and I teach it.
You can bring any of your questions about the language to us and we'll be happy to answer them.
Welcome aboard.
P.S.just from professional curiosity, what is your first language?
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
The phrase "pimp my mind" only gets 11 hits using Google. Two of those are titles of pages on deviantart (an amateur artist site) and two are on German sites. It seems this isn't a common phrase. It certainly isn't one that I have ever heard. Sorry we can't help more here but this is not a common phrase in countries where English is the first language.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
I am curious as to your first language, too...and as to what your name means.
Pimp my mind is not a phrase I've heard of, either.
You'll find that not only do we have a lot of people with incredible language skills we also have people (like me) who have slightly (compared to, say, hic or aput or hab) lesser language skills but who do it for a living.
Ummm...don't let Bob fool you. He most definitely has incredible language skills!
From the ways I've heard "pimp" used, I would say it means either to fix it up or expand it's capabilities, or to sell it out, perhaps to give in to some concept or idea you would normally not support.
My feelings veer more towards the "expansion" thought.
******* "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. ~Dalai Lama
Pretty much, yes. Tarting up can be applied to all sorts - putting on a swipe of mascara can be tarting oneself up, putting go-faster stripes and a stupid spoiler on your car would be tarting the car up... My father has a brilliant phrase which I've never heard anywhere else - to poodle-fake, which means, roughly, to tart up, but only superficially. Tidying up the living room before guests arrive, but not bothering with the rest of the house, for example...
I wonder...I think we now have more British posters here than Americans! How wonderful!
That is another American/British difference. If I were to tell my husband I was going to "tart up" (applying mascara), he'd expect me to go and eat some tarts!
(compared to, say, hic or aput or hab) lesser language skills but who do it for a living. You are learning English as a Second Language and I teach it.
