'Kemp' as refering to a type of car, was not used in my area of the East Coast in the late 1950's / early 60's. I believe it was type of custom but I'm not sure. Was it a West Coast thing? And what did it mean? This question is prompted by my hearing it used in the movie 'High School Confidential' last week - and that movie could start a whole different discussion......
From the KKOA site: What is a Kemp? It's a slang word used by teenagers in the late 50's, and early 60's to indicate a car or a truck. When you say Kustom Kemp, it means kustomized car or truck. So a kustom kemp can be any make, model or year vehicle, from 1903 to current year. The word "kemp" gained national recognition on a famous TV show called 77 Sunset Strip, where Ed Kookie Byrnes used it often, and in the little 25-cent Rod and Custom magazines
Thanks 'Gator' - I guess we were just too far out in the farm country to 'get it'...............and I did watch '77 Sunset Strip', at least once!! , but was never a regular viewer.
ive gone through hundreds of pocket mags and only saw it used a few times not that popular as far as I could tell.
I first saw the word used in quotes by one of the little pages magazines (Rod & Custom I think) in the late 50s used on a mild custom 52-54 Ford. According to the writer it was a term coined by young college students. I didn't like it then and I don't even now.
It was used but not very popular, like everyone has said. I think the national organization that uses it, did so, because Barris wouldn't let them use "Kustoms of America" or KOA, as a name for the club. He owned the name. So they went out and tried to find some term that was used to describe a custom car, that began with a "K". Not many out there! Kemp was used in Rod and Custom's stories a few times, by beatnik-type, cool talking cartoon characters. Thus, Kustom Kemps of America (KKOA) was named!
My buddy has an old Kustom Kemps of Ohio club plaque on his 50 Merc. He said there was or is an Ohio chapter....can't remember. I'll have to ask him more about the history.
I've heard of the Kustom Kemps of America but not of Ohio. Here's their plaque ..... And here's another club that used the word Kemps on their plaque .....
It may be one of the several hotrod centric slang words coined by Gray Baskerville. Along with... the word "reet" comes to mind.. I think he wrote that one...I always thought that one was short for "real neat" Kemp? Slang for just the opposite of "unkempt." Sorta like George Carlin's "chalant." If there's a word like "nonchalant" there must be "chalant" So if there's "unkempt" which may describe a dirty old jalopy, "kemp(t)" would be the really "Klean Machine"
"Reet" stems from the zoot-suit era of the early '40s. "Aw-reet" was slang for "all right" and was later shortened to just "reet." That's where Baskerville got it. So why the word "kemp"? What is the root word or original word that kemp was derived from? Right became reet so what word gave birth to kemp?
contemporary? thats a stretch but I'll throw it in. It's always been my best uninformed guess. Dude was coined as a conjunction of words used to refer to a rude dud character. A man of poor cheer with a high self worth and of little substance. An unimpressive high brand on a low steer quite possibly an earlier incarnation of the gold chainer
Here we go...Kemps or kemp is a card game played with 4 cards. Maybe kemp was an early reference to 4doors???? from wiki: The object of Kemps is for one member of a team to accumulate all four cards of a single rank in his hand and to have his partner recognize that fact aloud by yelling "Kemps!" before another team realizes that his team has four of a kind. The winning team, after each hand, receives a letter (beginning with K, then E, M and so on). The first team to spell K-E-M-P-S wins. However, with other variations of the game, a target number of wins may be predetermined. Prior to the game, partners confer to create a signal to indicate when four cards of a rank have been accumulated. When one partner accumulates four of a kind during game play, he or she makes the signal and his partner says Kemps. Partners sit diagonal each other, with the playing surface in the middle. Each player is dealt four cards to begin the game. Four cards are turned face up on the central playing surface. All players may swap one of their cards for one of the central cards at any time. If it appears that no further swaps are desired, a player will verify this, clear the central four cards, and then turn up four new central cards. Cards that have been cleared may not be retrieved, so their ranks cannot be collected in full to complete the game objective. The game is ended in one of two ways. If a team calls Kemps, the opposing team checks to see if the partner who did not make the call has four of a kind. If the call was valid and the partner does in fact have four cards of a rank, the calling team wins. If the call was invalid, the calling team loses. In a two-team game, the other team wins in the case of an invalid call. Otherwise, no team is declared a winner. Variations of the game include a winning hand that is a run of four ascending cards of the same suit rather than four of a kind.
Definitely used in the Detroit area in the fifties. Cool Machine, like a ginchey kemp, man. Can you dig?
The official original meaning was Kansas Example of Metal Punishment. Coined by a an R&C photographer a very long time ago.
Is that it? Do we have a winner? Kemp: Kansas Example of Metal Punishment Another void in my knowledge banks filled.
This is what I'd always assumed it meant. kempt: neatly kept Pronunciation: \ˈkem(p)t\ Function: adjective Etymology: back-formation from unkempt Date: 1929
I don't think so. I like the kemp as in opposite of unkempt better. Plus, it was used in my area before R&C existed.
I know this is question doesn't relate to the slang term kemp but what about the term short? I have heard that this was slang for ride as in my short ( my ride ).
I can remember my two older brothers using the term but exactly what year I am not sure of, I know I was very young, and thought that was a pretty stupid thing to name A car, I didn't realize it was a blanket term till I got a little older. I grew up in the midwest and heard the term often so I guess it just depends on what part of the country you lived in. I was born and raised right here in wichita. Home town also for Jerry Titus and Daryl Starbird. I am not exactly sure where the Ks came from. Because we are Kemps we named our car with Ks as well.
Wasn't too excited about moving to Virginia Beach till I found out the area I moved to is called Kempsville! Now if i could only get my car here some time soon!
There are Club representatives all over the country. When you see a KKOA red shirt at any KKOA show, those are the area representatives. I don't think there are any "chapters" per sae, but there are plenty of red shirts at the Spectacular show which draws cars from everywhere. I am not all that up on exactly how those "representative" operate, but I do know that Bill Moore is an area "General" for the Club, there are many of them as well, from different parts of the country. Carrie
Here is a pic of the Kustom kemps of Ohio Club plaque on my buddy's 50' Merc. He says he got the plaque from a buddy who got it from a swap meet. It's supposedly from the 60's. Anyone know the history or can verify if it's real? I forgot to check the back for any inscriptions.
Forgot to mention, for some reason he painted those gay butterflies on the plaque. They are not original.
This is got to be the lamest word to ever use to reference a custom. The oldtimers I hang out with say that" Kemp" was never used. I think it makes no sense at all. Please explain this to me.
anyone know muike duffy out of new york he runs the car club kustom kemps or is a high up member ..he owns or owned a green 50 mec coupe with ghost flames white interior slammed...corvette front frame clip an a whole wack of kustom mod's
I heard from an ol timer out west some time ago, that the original Kustoms were mostly done in lead...IE Lead Sleds... therefore making them weigh a shitload which in turn caused them to get shitty mileage and some dude said "shit them Kustoms sure do use up a lotta petrol", and after it got around a little bit somebody else was heard sayin it like this," Kustoms Eat More Petrol"....yep you guessed it somebody else smarter'n bof dem guys just started sayin Kemp!! So when ya got a Kustom(lead sled) you got yourself one dem Kustom Kemps...a Kustom that is soo heavy it worse mileage than original!!! Man it sure is late!!!!!
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