What a strange but unique name � The Jitterbug! Nearly all people attribute
Cab Calloway (1907-1994) as coining the term. However, he was not the one.
As you will see, Harry Alexander White (b.6/1/1898) who was also known as
"Father White" by his peers coined the term "Jitterbug." White was a
Trombonist, drummer and arranger on the "Keith Circuit" in 1914 as well as
working with Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Elmer Snowden, later White,
would work with the renowned Cab Calloway.
--- Calloway's trumpeter, Edwin Swayzee, overheard Mr. White using the term
"Jitterbug," which apparently was unheard of during this period. Swazee
wrote the song entitled "The Jitterbug" for Cab Calloway after hearing
White's use of the word. Calloway recorded the song in January 1934, which
made it a household name. Sooo � White coined it, Swazee used it, and
Calloway made it famous. Incidentally, the very first song written for the
movie "Wizard of Oz" (1938) was the song titled "Jitterbug" as well.
(July/1938 Keen Magazine.)
--- Jazz Lingo played an important part as well (Daddy-O, Icky, Reefer,
Hep-Cat, etc.) and was big during the Jazz era. Here are some of its stories:
1) One description is that it meant a man or women, suffering from
alcoholic or drug nerves.
2) Another story has the word associated to the English word "Bugger or
Bugging" (Sexual Act,) and was used to characterize someone with Syphilis.
3) Another is of racial nonsense (resembling the preceding) was used to
characterize a man or woman, who was sexually active with a dissimilar race
(Black and White,) or who had the "Jitters from Drugs, Alcohol or Syphilis
and was bugging them � a Jitterbugger!
4) Some of the stories were comical, such as; the dancers looked like
jitterbugs - (?) because they bounced.
So, whatever the original intent of the word may have been, it is now, to
be known as a dance.
MORE ON...
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3jtrbg.htm
