hip

The state of being in-the-know, including, but not limited to, being stylish or fashionable. It is sometimes claimed to have replaced its predecessor, "hep," with the 1946 popular song, "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," first recorded by Nat Cole, and the Rolling Stones (and many others) after that. According to the songwriter, he changed "hep" to "hip" for the sake of a rhyme (see example).

. . . get hip / To this kindly tip / And take that California trip,/ Get your kicks on Route 66.

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rebop

1. An early version of the term "bebop," i.e., a modern jazz style popularized by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and others. The term continued to be popular in England into the 1970s, and is sometimes combined with "bebop" to produce scat-sounding jive talk--e.g. "Bepob with the Rebop."

2. Cab Calloway uses it generally for joyous, intoxicating music, with a hint (as so often in Cab's hep talk) of drugs (see example).

Cab Calloway lyrics, from "Hi De Ho Man" (1947): "How'd you like to blow your top?/Dig yourself some fine rebop?/ Hi de hi, he de he,/ It's the Hi de ho man, that's me!"

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