LOL With the OED! / Pitchfork Reviews: The Weeknd / Das Racist and Ebony Tusks

Sure, you've heard a lot of jokes already about the Oxford English Dictionary adding on-line/texting acronyms such as "LOL" and "OMG" to its listings, but have you actually taken the time to look up the OED entries and trace the origins of the terms?

The first usage of "OMG" is traced to 1917:

1917 J. A. F. Fisher Let. 9 Sept. in Memories (1919) v. 78, I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis—O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)—Shower it on the Admiralty!

Chip: "I thought for sure 'OMG' would have been invented by a sorostitute on a cellphone."

And here are some later usages:

1997 C. Parker Joy of Cybersex 183 OMG Oh my God!

2006 Elle Girl Mar. 134/4 Is this ridiculous to anyone else? Are we dreaming? OMG, What is going on?

The OED justifies the inclusion of such terms by explaining that "there often seems to be a bit more than simple abbreviation going on."

Richard: "I'm pretty sure it's just abbreviation and laziness."

We're pleased, however, by the OED's inclusion of the phrase "muffin top," defined as "a protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers."

Chip: "Muffin tops often give me a boner."

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Any band with a prominent missing vowel is sure to be embraced by the blogosphere, and Pitchfork gives The Weeknd's debut an impressive 8.5:

"Less than two months ago, few of us had ever heard of the Weeknd. Then, as soon as the creepy R&B tracks from this free mixtape began to circulate, the hype engine revved up. There was the Drake cosign, the album art that looked like Spiritualized crossed with Tumblr art-porn, the missing vowel, the stylish samples, and the project's creators hiding in the shadows."

Richard: "They had me at art-porn."

Of the opening track, "High For This," Pitchfork writes that lead singer "Tesfaye handholds a partner through some strange sex act, singing, "Trust me, girl, you wanna be high for this."

Chip: "I will listen to this record for however long it takes me to figure out what 'strange sex act' is being performed. And then I'll toss it aside."




















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Over at Channel 6, Chewyfally offers more press for Wednesday night's long-anticipated Das Racist show at the Granada, with openers Ebony Tusks, Stik Figa, Greg Enemy, and all sorts of shenanigans from the Team Bear club crew:

"Team Bear Club, along with oh!mr. and Sneakhype, are pulling out all stops for Wednesday's show. Concert-goers will get treated to some of the most energetic hip hop performers Lawrence has to offer, and Ebony Tusks' set will include a surprise performance. "Bear Club is definitely going to be in full force," says Hillard [of Ebony Tusks]. "It's just the way it always is when we all get together. We're just hoping everybody else is as entertained as we are."

Scenesters, it's time to start spreading wild rumors about the nature of the surprise performance. Janelle Monae, maybe?

Read Chewyfally's full piece here:

http://6lawrence.com/entertainment/entertainment-stories/the-dream-is-alive-ebony-tusks-local-hip-hop-acts-to-open-for-da/