Find out the origins of the word “Chump” in the blues, as sang by Blind Blake!
Search Results: Language of the Blues (341)
Find out the origins of the famous “Chitlin Circuit”!
In this week’s edition, find out where the famous blues term “Chitlin” (as in “Chitlin’ Circuit” and the famous southern food) came from!
A chinch is an insect known to farmers in the American South as a big pest! Find out how Chinches have bled into the blues!
Few people realize that African slaves imported into the U.S. have had a strong influence on American English.
Discover the ancient african origins of the word, as well as Buddy Guy’s incredible Chicago Blues contribution to it’s meaning.
Everyone from Leadbelly to the Grateful Dead has performed “C.C. Rider,” but the question remains: Who was C.C. Rider?
Blues and jazz musicians use “cat” to refer to other musicians they respect. Scholars suspect this use of cat stems from this interesting origin…
Many delta blues men sang about the mean ol’ captain, including Son House and Robert Johnson. Now find out what “Captain” REALLY means.
During Prohibition, alcoholics who couldn’t get their hands on moonshine resorted to some truly dangerous methods to satisfy their cravings…