Since I saw several of you doing the hoochy koochy Wednesdaynight at the ball, it sparked my interest in the background of the word.
An “erotic suggestive women’s dance involving a lot of hip grinding”, it
is usually associated, without evidence, with the Chicago World’s Fair
of 1893 and the belly dancer, Little Egypt, who may or may not have
actually been there. The word itself is attested from 1890 as the stage
name of minstrel singer Hoochy Coochy Rice. So, for what it’s worth,
there you have it!
And as an interesting little aside, did you know that the extreme
southern region of Illinois is sometimes referred to as Little Egypt?
Due to the similarity of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio
Rivers with that of Egypt’s Nile delta, the region acquired the
nickname around 1818 when a large tract of land was purchased at
the confluence of the rivers and its developers named it Cairo.
Thousands of emotions well up inside me through out
the day. They are released when I dance.
~ Abraham Lincoln
hi...this is an introduction and invitation to my blog and if you would like to make a counter visit I would like to stop by again regularly to comment since I feel your blog is very interesting and worth my time (you are bound to discover why on getting to my blog) ...hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteWith my very best wishes
One can only do so many waltzes, and then ya just gotta dance!
ReplyDeleteNice post, beautiful picture and excellent history!
hi...please accept my compliments. This is an introduction and invitation to my blog and if you would like to make a counter visit I would like to stop by again regularly to comment. Do you like books and have you read any books by Salman Rushdie? I feel your blog is very interesting and worth my time...hope to see you soon.
ReplyDeleteWith my very best wishes
Yes Willow : a pretty girl !
ReplyDeleteThank for the explain and the geographic (and hitoric) lesson...
See You later.
I love reading willow's weekly word, i find it very educational. 'Little Egypt' is very pretty isn't she. Thank you for my history lesson :-) x
ReplyDeletelooks like it's been a big week at Willow Manor...maybe I should have looked up for a moment rather than focussing so much on picking those lentils out of the ashes ;)
ReplyDeletewish I'd known of Mr Lincoln's thoughts on dance earlier...could have shared it with my students (all happily dancing in their handmade costumes)
I remember reading of Little Egypt recently...I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteThe weekly word, as usual, is interesting.
And the quote by Lincoln...how strange. Did he dance? I've never read anything about him liking to dance.
I loved this post! Fun, funny, interesting,and informative. You did a lot in your few paragraphs. Happy Sunday.
ReplyDeleteWillow, Very interesting. In southern Illinois it's called Karo (not Cairo). Anyone asking for directions to Cairo may find themselves with the wrong directions.
ReplyDeleteGreat post on Little Egypt, something new for me. Thanks, Willow.
ReplyDeletevery interesting. funny that someone actually used hoochy koochy as a stage name. love the abraham lincoln quote.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post about the origins of hoochy koochy. But the thing that really caught my eye was that Abraham Lincoln quote. I just can't wrap my imagination around the person and the quote. I'm left wondering what Lincoln looked like as he danced and released all his pent up feelings.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Abe did the hoochy Koochy? Have a wonderful week willow.
ReplyDeleteWell, the hoochy koochy dance must have really been a scandal back in the 1890's! tee-hee! Neat story! And I wish we had pictures of Mr. Lincoln dancing to relieving stress....wouldn't that be so fun!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what his favorite dance was! And hoochy koochy is just plain fun to say!
I always enjoy your word definitions and origins. Willow, you not only put on a wonderful party, but educate us as well. Around here they speak of women looking like "hoochy mamas". Not a compliment. :)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you just love to see old Abe cutting a rug?! I agree, it's hard to imagine it from the somber photos we have of him.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful blog. I love your header.
ReplyDeleteI always knew you were a dark horse...strutting your stuff like that in public withour even the excuse of a party!
ReplyDeleteYou never know what a person's like till they let their hair down, that goes for ol' Abe too.
I knew he liked choppin' wood and that let off a bit of steam, guess the dancin' did too.
Is it after drinking hooch that ya do the hoochy koochy or can ya do it any ol' time?
I just love reading your blog-- everything is so beautiful here.
ReplyDeleteThe ball sounded lovely, maybe I'll be able to attend the next one.
Hm.........sounds sensual.......
ReplyDeletefall greetings.....
I think we tend to look at historical presidents with modern context.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't too long ago that average people could go onto the White House lawns, find a bench and have their lunch.
Once upon a time presidents were men of the people - accessible and they did normal things with not much fuss.
Then stuff happened.
Hoochy koochy... why even saying that is satisfying. :)
ReplyDeleteLoving the quote from Abraham Lincoln, you just never know about a person!
Bill, and I'm sure he wasn't doing the twist, either! It was probably more like waltzing or the Virginia reel. From what I've read, he was a very charming man.
ReplyDeletelove the abe lincoln quote - who would have guessed abe liked to kick up his heels.
ReplyDeleteIs this really a Lincoln quote?
ReplyDeleteI'm a ballerina and had no idea he was a kindred spirit of mine...
What interesting tidbits! (Stopped over from Barbara Martin's blog.)
ReplyDeleteI just can't imagine Lincoln dancing.
ReplyDeleteThe tought is too scary for words (although I suppose he probably could manage walz and such things, but belly dancing?)
Ha! I was missing this secition so much. I love this word because it conveys warmth and intimacy, Have no idea why. The first time I heard it, however, I thought it was a euphemism for a nasty word. But, no, I was given a full explanation about the term's etymology that resembles pretty much what you have described so far.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Greetings from London.
I suppose Mr. Lincoln's stoic expression in all those photographs is because they had to sit so still in those days as the camera exposure's were so long. I love to think of him dancing!
ReplyDeleteHoochy Koochy in TO.
BPG, I read somewhere that Lincoln had very even white teeth and that he actually did smile a lot!
ReplyDeleteOh, I adore this post. I want the original of that photo.
ReplyDeleteI went to a belly dance camp years ago on Maui. When we weren't taking classes or seeing the sights, the more advanced dancers who had made a lifetime's study of the dance, would share all kinds of wonderful stories about us. I don't think I heard about Little Egpt, though!
I went to school in southern Illinois and the Egyptian theme was big at the school! Also odd little town names like Thebes, Metropolis, Cairo, and Karnak...
ReplyDeleteI seem to vaguely remember that story about Little Egypt at the Expo, too!
God, the things I learn coming here. I would never have imagined Abraham Lincoln dancing until now.
ReplyDelete??Who knew Abraham Lincoln was a dancer! (Not me, anyway!) I did know about the Little Egypt connection, but not the hoochy koochy.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine Honest Abe dancing! Ahhhh!
ReplyDeleteHe was so long and lanky! It would be a sight to behold. Mostly, I think, because none of us have imagined it!
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln DANCED?!?!? The things I learn :)
ReplyDelete"did you know that the extreme
ReplyDeletesouthern region of Illinois is sometimes referred to as Little Egypt? "
--Yes, amazingly, I do. now, no idea how I knew that but must have read it somewhere else!