How come no one uses the term "Short" anymore?? Heres a semi cool commerical where its used( second half) & a nice old ride in the 1st part. Just like the beachboys sang" two cool shorts standing side by side" JimV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLw8frFxQZY
Down here SHORT is a collective word for and electrial problem, same as rum is said for any drink with booze in it. If the light don't work, its got a short. Replace the bulb and you fixed the short. Iceman
we used 'short' to mean a car - we got it from magazines that featured the latest CA rolling stock. Who knows where it came from. Lots of terms fall out of favor over time, or acquire new meaning. If you told a 1920s flapper that there was a "Gay Pride Parade" next week, she'd be delighted, but not for the same reason as now. When geezers (at least in my circle) get together to shoot the breeze and swap lies, the term is still used: "Joe's buildin' a new short", and everybody gets it.
I actually haven't heard the term for ages, I always thought it had to do with a hammerd coupe. now hammered is a word that has certainly changed in meaning as well. The gay thing is funny, when I was in highschool the town I lived in had a gay 90s festival with barber shop quartets and a parade etc. I heard it is now just called the town fesitval.
It's not politically correct to say short. It's proper to say "vertically challenged" now and that does not work for describing cars I guess.
Yea it meant that you are in the danger zone, FNGs and short timers were always the ones who got hit. At least that's what I remember.
I remember hearing the term with the Beach Boys song back in the 60's but in the rural South we just said cars or Hot Rods. I guess it just depended on wamt part of the country you resided. HRP
Short Timers got beau coup dinky dau nervous waiting for that day when they go di-di-mau bye-bye. Green field towel around neck good luck, till ass get out of country. Or, your term of incarceration was coming to an end. Can't remember "short" used in connection with slang involving cars. "Short on cash", "short on the rent" is what ya hear a lot in old 1930-50's Hollywood movies.
I think it was more of a Socal thing, I remember the Latinos using it in the Bay Area when I was real young. By the time I was in junior high it was used to make a distinction between a tall boy or short can of beer or malt liquer.
The Beach Boys also used that term in the song Cherry Cherry Coupe... "The wildest short around is my cherry, cherry coupe It's the sharpest thing in town and the envy of my group It's one of its kind and it really looks good Chopped nose and deck with louvers on the hood."
Two cool shorts standin side by side. I heard the term "short" just yesterday watching an old movie (for the cars). Movie from 1938 and the plot involved a car theft ring.
They used to say that in the Mission District as well when a hippy would get lost. I loved that part of town.
Well, it's still used, only now, apparently, is refers to one's female companion. I'll give you an example, as best I am able: "Yo, Shawty, like, I loves you cuz you my baby's mama!"
sorry...went to see the Roy Tann video and would up lost in YouTube for about an hour....Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, etc....even watched Setzer do Cochran/Vincent....amazing place if your mind wanders easily.
So now I know... I am in my 60s and never did know what the Beach Boys meant by that term. I have never heard it other than that one song. Must be a west coast thing.
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