Tiny Tim (b. Herbert Khaury, Apr. 12, 1925, New York, New York) novelty singer. His long, stringy hair, big nose, squeaky falsetto voice, and ukulele playing made him a favorite character of the era. He had several albums in 1968 and 1969 and was a regular on Laugh-In. His most popular song was “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips with Me.” In what other era could such a person be considered a celebrity? The hippie era was so accepting, encompassing, and tolerant that someone so eccentric could reach a place of prominence.

tip agreement. Example: “If you insist Dove soap makes the lightest bubbles, I’ll tip to it.” May have come from “I’ll tip my hat to that.”

“Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips with Me” from the 1968 novelty song by Tiny Tim. One of the silliest and most frivolous of all hippie-era offerings to our American culture. This phrase could be used like “smell the roses,” but nobody ever used it seriously; it was always said tongue-in-cheek.

tired ass or tired assed used to imply a pathetic, worthless person. Example: “Get your tired ass over here and clean up the tamari you spilled on the spool table.” Same as the more widely used sorry-ass or sorry-assed.

tired assed sleepy, tired. The ass is used merely as emphasis and does not literally mean that part of the body is tired.

Title VII a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in employment, public accommodations, publicly owned facilities, union membership, and federally funded programs. At the suggestion of Martha W. Griffiths, a Michigan Democrat, the word sex was added to Title VII, thus opening the door for future job security for women. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created as a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Using the EEOC and Title VII, the feminist movement achieved many advances for women during the 1960s and ’70s. (See: Civil Rights Events, Groups, and Leaders starting on this page and Women’s Movement Events, Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

tit man a guy who judges women by the size of their breasts. A man who likes women with large breasts.

tits or tits up something good. Examples: “That concert was the tits.” “That was a tits up guitar solo.” Not widely used on the West Coast, it is considered a British term.

tits and ass, T&A sarcasm relating to the male preoccupation with certain female attributes. Example: “Don’t let tits and ass get in the way of your marriage vows.” “That movie has a lot of T&A.”

TJ Tijuana, Mexico. A place to go to get drugs.

TLC tender loving care. The treatment most people hope for in their relationships. A term that came into widespread use in the emotion-filled hippie era and was adopted by the advertising industry in the greed-filled Reagan era.

tlitlitzin Aztec term meaning “sacred black ones”; street name for morning glory seeds held by Xochipillithe, divine patron of trance (a.k.a. the “flowery dream”). For this reason, Xochipillithe was known as the Prince of Flowers. Other plants held by him included psilocybin mushrooms (teonanacatl), salvia divinorum, datura (tlapatl or toloache), peyote (peyotl), and mixitl grain. (See: entheogen)

toads (See: psychoactive toads)

toast confronted, mistreated, defeated, or arrested. Similar usage to burned and comes from “burned toast,” defined as a bad thing. Examples: “You’re toast; you have no chance with her.” “When he ran the signal in his candy-apple car, I knew he was toast.”

toasted drunk or stoned on drugs.

today is the first day of the rest of your life take advantage of your life. You should feel lucky to be alive; you have the rest of your life to make something of yourself. A simplistically profound hippie phrase of the era. It holds true until and except for the day on which one dies.

to die for something very desirable and metaphorically worth dying for. Example: “That carob whole wheat cake was to die for.”

toe jam the damp, smelly mixture of dead skin and athlete’s foot fungus between the toes of a dirty body. Yuck!

Toffler, Alvin world-famous futurist and author of Future Shock (1970) and The Third Wave (1980). Future Shock held that the world is at the mercy of an unrelenting onslaught of technology that has careened out of control. It was a big influence on many science fiction writers of the time.

With The Third Wave, Toffler has turned that around and stated that actually, the computer revolution in general and the Internet in particular are creating a newer, happier society by breaking down old social barriers and creating a new economy. Toffler now has his own little futurist consulting service and has become somewhat of a guru to the likes of Newt Gingrich, who shares his anti-government ideals.

*together composed, confident. This is another example of the way in which the counterculture developed our language by shortening and simplifying it. The original phrase that this came from was “he has his shit together.” Example: “He’s a real together dude; watch how he catches that Frisbee.”

toke one puff of a marijuana cigarette. Same as drag.

toke up to smoke a marijuana cigarette.

tolerance ability to consume more drugs and/or alcohol before feeling an effect. Increased tolerance is a dangerous step on the road to addiction or overdose because it is often accompanied by a decrease in body awareness, common sense, and good judgment. Before the user knows it, they’re hooked, sick, or dead.

Tom or tom a Black man who wants to be White.

tomcat a person who goes out on the town seeking sexual gratification.

tomcat or tomcat around to go out on the town to drink, dance, and seek sex.

tongueage a French kiss. 2. cunnilingus. The suffix -age was added to some words in a sarcastic/humorous evolution of the hippie vocabulary.

Tonight Show, The the first real television talk show; it started in 1957 with Jack Paar as host. It was soon renamed The Jack Paar Show, and Paar continued until 1962, when Johnny Carson took it over as The Tonight Show. It was important to the counterculture primarily since it was one of the only venues where we could see spontaneous interviews with the music and cultural heroes of the era.

Tonkin Gulf Incident on the night of July 30–31, 1964, U.S. PT (patrol torpedo) boat raiders from Danang, South Vietnam, shelled two North Vietnamese islands, Hon Me and Hon Ngu, in the Gulf of Tonkin. On the afternoon of August 2, the U.S. Navy destroyer Maddox was on a routine reconnaissance patrol in the same area, gathering information about coastal defenses. Not far from Hon Me, three North Vietnamese PT boats came out from that island and attacked the Maddox. The attack was unsuccessful, with only one bullet from a heavy machine gun hitting the destroyer. This is often referred to as the “first attack.” The Maddox left the gulf after this attack, but returned on August 3, accompanied by another destroyer, the Turner Joy. There were more U.S. PT raids on the night of August 3–4, and some shelling of parts of the North Vietnamese mainland, although the destroyers did not participate. On the afternoon of August 4, the two destroyers headed out into the middle of the gulf. That night, they began seeing what appeared to be high-speed vessels on their radar. Believing that they were being attacked, they opened fire. Most sightings, however, appeared only on the radar of the Turner Joy, not on that of the Maddox. Some men serving on the destroyers contend that what appeared on the radar were only ghost images, while others feel that the attack was genuine. This is often referred to as the “second attack.” The following afternoon, aircraft from the two U.S. aircraft carriers Ticonderoga and Constellation carried out retaliatory airstrikes. The targets of this raid were mostly coastal patrol vessels, yet a large petroleum storage facility was also hit. This incident prompted Congress, on August 7, 1964, to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, giving President Johnson the power to employ “all necessary measures” in dealing with “aggression” in Vietnam.

Tonkin Gulf Resolution On August 7, 1964, the U.S. Congress passed, almost unanimously, the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, giving President Johnson a virtual blank check to employ “all necessary measures” in dealing with “aggression” in Vietnam. This was prompted by several “attacks” on U.S. vessels in the Tonkin Gulf off North Vietnam. The Johnson administration had been urging such a resolution from Congress, and the Tonkin Gulf Incident supplied a good excuse. Though many people speculate, it does not appear that the incident was manufactured to provide that excuse.

too intensifier a word that intensifies other words. Examples: “too much, too real.” It does not indicate an excess per se, but modifies the importance of something.

too much positive very good, excellent, or impressive. Example: “That performance was too much, man; I laughed ’til my face paint cracked.”

too much negative excessive, overwhelming. Example: “That performance was too much for my ears; I cried ’til my face paint ran.”

too much fun enjoying oneself, perhaps to the point of overindulgence. Most often used sarcastically since, to a hippie, there is no such thing as having too much fun.

too stupid to puke police term for STP.

tool the male sex organ. The man’s tool.

tool or tool around to drive around or travel in a more or less aimless manner for entertainment more than to reach a destination.

toot n. cocaine.

toot v. to inhale cocaine into one’s nose through a tube or straw.

toothpick a very thin marijuana cigarette.

top to do better than another person, to improve upon something. Examples: “You’ll have to piss a long way to top him.” “Pushing that orange wedge around the skating rink with his nose will be hard to top.” 2. to hurt or kill someone.

tops the tops of a marijuana plant; the flower bud, which carries the most THC resin and is the best smoke. 2. the top of the peyote cactus.

Tops a popular brand of cigarette rolling papers used by many marijuana smokers. Originally, Tops was a commercially sold “smoking kit” consisting of a small cloth sack filled with tobacco and a pack of rolling papers. When the marijuana culture emerged and the need for rolling papers outstripped the use of loose smoking tobacco, Tops and many other companies like Zig Zag started mass-producing just the rolling paper packages. It was obvious to the companies what was being smoked in their product, and even thought it was illegal, they looked the other way as they walked to the bank.

Torah the Hebrew bible. The first five books of the Old Testament, which are historically considered the Law that was revealed to Moses.

torch to set fire to something. 2. to light up a marijuana cigarette.

tore up demoralized. Example: “Frank was tore up when Sunshine left him for Judy, Bob, and Linda.”

torn it or that’s torn it all is lost, it’s over, it’s ruined. This implies that the integrity of a scheme or situation has been compromised. The threads that hold the situation together have come apart. Same usage as tears it.

torpedo a large marijuana joint. Obscure usage. A.k.a. bomber, zeppelin, bazooka.

torqued upset, mad. From bent out of shape. A.k.a. out of shape, out of sorts.

tossed to be hassled by the police looking for drugs. To have the contents of one’s pockets, car, or house searched for contraband.

totaled destroyed or damaged beyond use and repair. From “a total write-off.” Sometimes described excessive drug use. Examples: “The car was totaled when it hit the hippopotamus.” “He was totaled on LSD and thought he hit a hippopotamus with his car.”

totally intensifier or exclamation meant to indicate something all encompassing. Examples: “She’s totally crazy.” “This is so totally Valley Girl talk.” Generally considered a Valley talk term, but actually an earlier beat and hippie creation.

totem an animal regarded in primitive cultures as the representation of the soul of a deceased person. An animal fetish worn or possessed by someone as an emotional connection to the animal kingdom.

to the max all the way or all out. Max is short for maximum. Example: “Don’t go halfway, go to the max when buying a tie-dye shirt.”

touch love or sex. From the act of touching someone. Example: “I’m going downtown to get me some touch.”

touch bases with (someone) to call, call on, or keep in touch with someone. Derived from baseball jargon, yet often used with no direct correlation to the actual game. Example: “When you get a chance, you should touch bases with your girlfriend.”

touch junky someone who likes to be touched and loved.

touch therapy related to gestalt and group therapy. A term and process introduced to the American public in the early 1970s. It has some of the same elements as encounter group therapy and sensitivity training. Based on the theory that confrontation, physical contact, and interplay among unrelated people enables them to open up to positive change and self-realization. The process consists of gathering a group of people together and conducting physical games, performing massage, and encouraging tactile expression among the members. The objective is to break down emotional fears of touching others of both sexes, encouraging trust in unknown individuals, and breaking down inhibitions among strangers. (See: Esalen Institute)

touch (someone) up to borrow something from someone. Example: “I need to touch the bank up for a few.”

touchy-feely physical contact that is the expression of emotional outpouring or vice versa, a physical emotion expressed through affectionate contact. Physical desires, not necessarily sexually driven, yet influenced by brotherly love or compassion. A predecessor to the more satirical warm and fuzzy, which eventually became an advertising catchphrase of the 1980s and 90s.

touchy-feely sexual contact that is the cause or effect of emotional needs. Tactile enjoyment that is sexually oriented.

tough or that’s tough too bad. From the older term “tough luck.” Example: “You don’t like hummus? That’s tough! Her two food criteria are it must be good for you and it must taste strange.”

tough it out to stick with a challenge, to be strong and work something out.

tough shit too bad, tough luck.

tough titty too bad, tough luck.

tour guide a person who guides someone through an LSD or psychedelic “trip.” Someone who protects a person through their first LSD experience or through a particularly high dosage psychedelic trip. Those who understand psychedelics know that they should not be treated merely as frivolous recreation, but as an educational process. Same as travel agent. (See: psychedelic crisis)

toxic psychosis a psychological breakdown caused by drugs or toxic chemicals.

toy a sex partner not considered to be a serious relationship.

toys material possessions of an adult that are given more than reasonable attention due to the entertainment or status they provide. Cars, motorcycles, tools, electronic equipment, musical instruments, etc. Often, these items are used as sublimation, or to enhance one’s status or strengthen one’s feelings of self-worth.

toy with or toying with to deceive or treat with less than equal respect. To deal with someone or something in a detached, sarcastic, or insensitive manner. Example: “He was toying with her affections and her broccoli quiche.” By no means a term created during the hippie era; the phrase “toying with someone’s affections” has been used since the 15th century, yet the hippie era revitalized and expanded its use.

track a song on an album. You know, a vinyl record album, those things on which music was recorded before tapes and CDs. (See: LPs)

track or tracking to understand or follow what someone is saying or doing. Example: “I’m having a hard time tracking what you mean when you say you can’t track me.” From electronic tracking.

tracking to follow the progress of something. To pay attention. Example: “I don’t think you’re tracking my conversation.”

tracks or track marks needle marks on a drug addict’s arm.

Traffic a band formed in England in 1967. Most noted for its revolving members, including Steve Winwood (b. May 12, 1948, Birmingham, Eng.), voc., kybd., gtr.; Dave Mason (b. May 19, 1946, Worchester, Eng.), gtr., voc.; Jim Capaldi (b. Aug. 24, 1944, Evensham, Eng.), drums, voc.; Rick Grech (b. Nov. 1, 1946, Eng.), bass.

trailer park meth homemade meth-amphetamines. So called because of how cheap and easy it is to set up a lab.

trail mix a food snack consisting basically of peanuts and raisins, used by hikers for energy out on the trails. It can be created from whatever nuts or dried fruits are desired. It was mixed individually from bulk dried fruit and nut bins found at most health food stores and became a staple whenever a hippie was traveling anywhere. Similar to gorp.

train multiple continual orgasms, MCO. A phenomenon experienced by what would be considered a small number of fortunate women. They are most often clitorally created orgasms and are achieved through personal attention or when one’s partner is skilled and devoted. Due to physical and emotional limitations, most MCOs are achieved within lesbian relationships. Most reported occurrences of male MCO are fantasies or fabrications.

tranq street name for PCP.

transcendental mental innocence, detachment, peace of mind. Existence prior to experiences. A place of pure common sense within the mind. From the word transcend, meaning to go beyond, overcome, or block out.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) a form of meditation taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It is practiced in an effort to achieve a state of mental peace. Practitioners need no overt religious beliefs and are taught to meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. TM had a large following, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Donovan, Mia Farrow, and many American hippies.

transcending rising above or getting past the mental conflicts and daily worries of life.

transmutation or transmigration of the soul rebirth into a body belonging to a different species or vegetable form. Rebirth into the same species is called reincarnation. Like reincarnation, transmigration assumes the belief that souls survive death and are reborn into different bodies, passing through a series of lives. Reincarnation and transmigration are associated with karma. Some traditions believe humans are always reborn into new human bodies; others feel that the soul can travel into other animal or vegetable forms.

transport an ecstatic visionary experience or high spiritual moment of insight.

transportation any basic, old car a person can buy.

transvestite a person who dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex as a form of sexual expression or orientation. As opposed to a cross-dresser, who may not have homosexual tendencies, a transvestite is wearing the clothing in order to attract or entice a sexual response.

traps or trap set a full set of drums.

trash or trash talk Nonsense spoken in an effort to impress someone. 2. verbal seduction. Conversation used to seduce someone into sex. Similar to talking trash or talking shit.

trashed or trashed out wiped out, destroyed. Also, under the influence of a drug, drunk, or tired.

trash talk or trash street language or colloquial communication. Often, sarcasm directed at a friend. A throwaway conversation like discussing the weather. For example: “How’s it hangin? You look like someone cut it off. What’s the prob, your chick didn’t get home from my place ’till early A.M.?” Similar to talking trash or talking shit.

travel agent (See: tour guide)

tray a plate or tray on which to clean marijuana. Some very fine examples of this paraphernalia art form were created and used by the culture, including family heirloom silver trays and hand-crafted, laminated hardwood trays with separate dividers for seeds and stems. There was also the ugly, yard sale Melmac plate.

tree-hugger a radical environmentalist. Someone who loves trees. Someone willing to be chained to a tree to keep a logger from cutting it down. A term created by conservatives as a derogatory name for people with ecological ideals.

Meant to be derisive, it is actually a compliment to someone who cares about the environment. Members of the logging industry, including wage-earning cutters and drivers, have a conflict with environmental groups because they feel that these “tree-huggers” are killing their occupations. The truth of the matter is that overharvesting is killing the industry. Environmentalists have no ulterior motives in their fight for forests; they don’t make a big living saving trees, and they are not, for the most part, opposed to people making a decent living harvesting trees. What they are opposed to is destroying our forests, endangering survival of our ecosystem, and thus spoiling the world for future generations. (See also: Earth First!)

trendy anything too commercial or pop for the true hippie.

Tree, Penelope a fashion model who helped popularize the 1960s and London’s Carnaby Street fashions. Photographed by Richard Avedon.

trey a three-dollar bag of heroin.

tribe a group of hippies or a communal group of people living, working, and playing together.

trick a prostitute’s customer. A.k.a. john. 2. something exceptional. Example: “Say, man, that was trick! Can you play that again?”

tricked out dressed up and looking good. A customized car.

Tricky Dick a name given to Richard Nixon by his political foes.

trim sexual intercourse. A female sexual partner. An expression of extremely obscure parentage.

*trip a unique experience. Something fun or exciting. Example: “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” 2. a drug episode, a mind-expanding experience brought on by the introduction of some sort of chemicals to the human body.

Trip, the a popular psychedelic dance club on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. All the most alternative bands played there.

trip out to have a mind-expanding experience brought on by drugs. It is possible to trip or trip out without the use of drugs, and that would be similar to a daydream.

tripper someone who is having a mind-expanding experience.

tripping going off traveling inside one’s mind. To have one’s mind and actions altered in a pleasant way by drugs. Under the influence of a drug. Usually indicates a psychoactive or psychedelic experience from marijuana, LSD, or a natural psychedelic. A.k.a. bombed, high, or stoned. The effects of most other drugs, such as opiates and methamphetamines, would more likely be called blasted, drugged, wasted, nodding, or whacked out. One of the most typical hippie words, almost exclusive to that era, yet it does find some use today in non-drug applications meaning to have fun in one’s mind. 2. to behave in a crazy way, as if hallucinating or on drugs. Example: She must be tripping if she thinks I’m going to work for CRP.”

tripping heavily or tripping heavy under extreme influence of a drug.

tripping instructions unofficial name given the “Monday Night Class” conducted by Stephen Gaskin in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s.

trippy something unique, fun, or exciting.

Trips Festival a rock and roll show presented on January 21–23, 1966, at the San Francisco Longshoremen’s Hall, promoted by Ken Kesey and Bill Graham. The Grateful Dead played, and Wes Wilson created some of the handbill/poster art for this show.

trip tent an American Indian–style tepee set up and employed as a refuge for individuals experiencing LSD. It was for people who might be feeling paranoid among the crowds of people at a music festival. The term was coined in June 1967 in California when Lisa Law and members of the Hog Farm put up a tent at the Fantasy Fair near San Francisco and again at the Monterey Pop Festival. The Hog Farm also had such a tent at Woodstock in 1969. (See: trip)

trivialize to depreciate the importance of something. To ignore a problem or make light of a situation. From the root word trivial. During the hippie era, words were being expanded and altered on a massive scale through the mediums of literature, rock music, alternative television shows, and independent movies. Most new words emerging from the 1960s and ’70s, dealing with feelings or social issues, were influenced in some way by the hippie culture.

troll n. a derogatory term for a person who is socially detestable. It can also indicate a person who is ugly, short, or deformed in some way. The word comes from the mythological creature of the same name, who has been described at different times as either a giant or a midget, but usually antisocial in nature.

troll v. to go out looking for a sex partner. To cruise dance clubs and hot spots looking for a person to sleep with. From a fishing term meaning to drag a line with a hook on it through the water in order to attract and catch a fish.

truck to move, to go someplace else. Example: “Hey, babe, let’s truck on down to my pad.”

truck drivers euphemism for amphetamines, partly because they “picked a person up” and “kept them running” and partly because, for years, truck drivers were common users and suppliers of the drug.

trucking or truckin’ moving along at one’s own pace, in one’s own, individual way. The walking style performed by Mr. Natural in the Zap Comics, drawn by R. Crumb. A term popularized by the Grateful Dead in their 1971 song “Truckin’.”

Trudeau, Garry (b. 1948, New York City, New York) cartoonist. (See: Doonesbury)

true hippie a person who lives by the Golden Rule. Someone who believes in allowing others to pray to any god, sleep with any consenting “adult,” eat, drink, or ingest whatever, and dance to any music. True hippies are evolutionaries, not revolutionaries; we will convince you with words, not weapons. We believe passionately in democracy and free enterprise (not capitalism). We will not go to war for peace; we will love the world into it, talk people into it, or shame them into it. Some people may think we are a joke; they may think we are naive, or that we are unrealistic, but we have high ideals. Some may think we have ulterior motives, some agenda to make ourselves rich and take over the world, but that is only their value system speaking; we have no other reason for our actions than to see peace, prosperity, and love for all. That will be our reward. We are everywhere, and some day, if the world wises up, it will listen to us. September 11, 2001, would never have happened if people had listened 30 years ago.

tube the television. The screen is actually a large glass vacuum tube similar to the old radio condenser tubes.

tubed or in the tube in a perfect position, looking and doing exceptionally well. From a surfing term meaning to be in a perfect wave that breaks over the rider, creating a tunnel through which he rides.

tube steak a hotdog.

tubular exceptional. From tubed or in the tube, which in turn comes from a surfing term meaning to be in a perfect wave that breaks over you, creating a tunnel through which you are riding.

tuck and roll adj. a technique for rolling marijuana cigarettes in which the paper end is folded under instead of twisted.

tuck and roll n. a kind of custom car upholstery originating in the late 1950s and seen among car buffs in the 1960s and 1970s.

’tude short for attitude. A negative or dangerous disposition; an obnoxious or self-centered opinion of oneself.

tuies short for Tuinal.

Tuinal a barbiturate from Eli Lilly & Co., a combination of Amytal (amobarbital) and Seconal (secobarbital). A strong, long-lasting sedative-hypnotic used medicinally to induce sleep and for recreation to create a state of long-lasting drunkenness without the need to fill up on beverages. Often used by fashion-minded, model-shaped guys and girls to keep their figures while still affecting a stoned demeanor. A.k.a. Christmas tree, double trouble, rainbow red and blue, toie, tootsie, and tuie. A downer.

tuna a particularly repulsive street name for a woman. It alludes to the fishy odor that emanates from a woman who has not cleaned herself thoroughly following sexual intercourse. Appropriately, men who would use such a term are usually unaware of or unconcerned by the fact that the odor actually comes from the male’s sperm inside the female.

*tune in get with it, pay attention to what is going on around you, join what’s happening. From a phrase by Timothy Leary, “Tune in, turn on, and drop out.”

“Tune in, turn on, and drop out” the phrase by Timothy Leary extorting people to take drugs, get with the program, and drop out of the oppressive regimen of their society. Others may have first coined these words and descriptions, but Leary’s phrase became the anthem. The full message was “tune in” (to another level of reality), “turn on” (to drugs), and “drop out” (of society).

tune out to ignore someone or something. To stop listening. To become extremely stoned on drugs and unresponsive.

tunes music. 2. the machine that plays music, such as a tape deck or a radio. Example: “I have to bring my tunes with me wherever I go.”

turf the place where you belong, your home ground. Example: “This is his turf. Follow him and you’ll be OK; leave his side and you’re toast.”

turista the sickness, diarrhea, and vomiting that tourists get when they travel to countries with germs to which they are unaccustomed. Often associated with travel in Central and South America, yet similar illnesses are contracted in other places in the world. 2. the Spanish word meaning tourist.

turkey someone or something that is a failure or disappointment. Similar to a “lemon.” Socially, an inappropriate person. A reject.

turnabout or turnaround a change of attitude or opinion. Similar usage to 180.

turn a trick to conduct business, usually something illegal. Originally, the business a prostitute conducts with her customer.

turned around confused or disoriented. 2. convinced, persuaded that the opposite view is correct.

*turned on excited by something. Related to the switching on of an electric current.

Turner, Ike and Tina Tina Turner (b. Annie Mae Bullock, Nov. 26, 1939, Brownsville, Tenn.), voc.; Ike Turner (b. Izear Luster Turner, Nov. 5, 1931, Clarksdale, Miss.), gtr., voc. In 1951, Ike recorded a song called “Rocket ’88” with his band, the Kings of Rhythm. It was recorded at Sam Phillips’s Sun Studio in Memphis, which was later made famous by Elvis Presley’s recording there. “Rocket ’88” is said by many to be the first “rock and roll” recording, but Ike’s saxophonist, Jackie Brenston, who sang on the recording, got the credit and it become a #1 R&B hit on the Chess label. After Tina joined Ike, they had a half a dozen hits between 1960 and 1973 and toured almost constantly. Since Tina Turner left Ike and his now infamous abuse in 1976, she has had a string of hit songs and many accolades. Ike and Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Turner, Tina (b. Annie Mae Bullock, Nov. 26, 1939, Brownsville, Tenn.) a member of the Ike and Tina Turner group from the late 1950s until 1976. Since Tina left Ike Turner, she has had a string of hit songs, a movie career, and many accolades. She has become one of the most respected female entertainers of all time.

turn (his/her or one’s) head or turn (his/her or one’s) head around to impress someone or attract attention. Usually, it is in the context of romantic attraction. Examples: “He turned her head with his philosophy on foreplay.” “She can turn your head around with one note from that beautiful voice.”

*turnoff something repulsive. Anything that dampens one’s enthusiasm. Example: “The tattoo of a battleship on his lower abdomen was a turnoff for her.”

*turn on to take drugs. Anything that gets one high or excited; sex, drugs, rock and roll. From a phrase by Timothy Leary, “Tune in, turn on, and drop out.” 2. to go against, to ridicule, to verbally or even physically attack someone. Examples: “Don’t turn on your own sister just because she got turned on.”

turn on to to begin to like someone or something. To warm to. To become attracted to.

turn (someone) on to to introduce someone to something. Example: “She turned him on to the possibility of being a human being.”

turnout a rejection by a friend. To ostracize someone, to reprimand them.

tush, tushy, tushie, or tukus a person’s rear end. Several spellings and pronunciations of a Yiddish word meaning the buttocks.

Tuttle, Lyle (Millerton, Iowa, 1931) the first tattoo artist to receive national attention. Got his first tattoo at age 14 and started tattooing professionally at 17. Opened his own shop in San Francisco, in 1957 and in the ’60s tattooed hippies and entertainers in Hollywood and San Francisco. He tattooed Janis Joplin (a heart on the left breast and a floral bracelet on her left wrist), Joan Baez, Peter Fonda, and many others.

TV short for television.

twat the vagina. A French term brought back to America by returning soldiers after WWII. It was vocalized only in dark bars by men of questionable status until the 1960s sexual revolution, when even women used it as a way to break down the stigma of such words. It has never been popular in serious conversation, but is used in humor and satire.

tweek to fix or adjust.

tweeked out of adjustment, incorrectly situated, or broken in some way. 2. crazy or inappropriate. Example: “He’s tweeked; don’t attract his attention, or you’ll be his newest best friend for life.”

twenty-five (25) short for LSD 25. Albert Hofmann, who first formulated LSD in 1938, said it was his 25th formulation with lysergic acid in LSD: My Problem Child (1979). One of the first forms of LSD that was produced. Created by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in the early 1960s, it was sanctioned by the U.S. government for use in experiments at universities and veterans’ mental hospitals. It somehow leaked out on the streets; Ken Kesey was one of the leaks, and he started a small, unsanctioned set of experiments among the intellectuals of Stanford University and the San Francisco literary community known as acid tests.

Twiggy (b. Lesley Lawson, née Hornby, 1949) fashion model, actress, and singer, born in London, England. At the age of 17, she became a modeling superstar, symbolizing the “swinging sixties” and London’s Carnaby Street fashion industry. Her stick figure physique changed the norm in beauty and created consternation among feminists, who argued that such skin-and-bones fashion was not normal, healthy, or possible for most women to maintain.

twilight zone a situation or location in which time and reality seem to have taken leave. A strange circumstance or unnatural occurrence. These times can be drug induced, or they can be more or less real. A bad day or a funny day can seem like the twilight zone. The term came from Rod Serling’s late 1950s TV show, The Twilight Zone, which portrayed strange and frightening experiences.

Twinkie defense a legal defense based on the effect of sugar on a person’s ability to think rationally. The idea that the consumption of a large amount of sugar can induce violence, even murder. This concept spawned the idea that murderers thus stimulated should be granted leniency. The term came from the trial of Dan White, who was said to have eaten Twinkies before he killed San Francisco City District Supervisor Harvey Milk and City Mayor George Moscone on November 27, 1978. White served 5½ years in prison and committed suicide on Oct. 21, 1985, after his release. Twinkies are an extremely sweet and rich, white flour, white sugar dessert treat.

twist a marijuana cigarette.

twisted adj. crazy, perverted. 2. under the influence of drugs.

twisted v. sentenced to a jail term.

twit a derogatory term directed at an immature, ineffectual, or silly person.

twitchin’ extraordinary, exciting, or fun. A humorous perversion of the word bitchin’.

two-bit whore a detestable person. Though it could be directed at a cheap prostitute, it was most often used merely to degrade anyone for any transgression; not necessarily a woman or someone who sold sex for a living.

two, four, six, eight, smash the fucking bourgeois state a popular anti-war marching chant from around 1966 to 1972.

U

UCSB (See: University of California, Santa Barbara [UCSB])

ugly confrontational, uncomfortable, or dangerous. Another word that took on new dimensions during the 1960s and ’70s. The word ugly evolved from a purely physical attribute into a personality or emotional trait. The term “ugly disposition” was used previously, but during the hippie era, the word “disposition” was dropped. Examples: “Don’t mess with him; he can get ugly.” “That car has ugly habits.” “Don’t get complacent tonight; it could get ugly.”

ugly stick the fictional cause of, or supposed reason for, a person’s ugliness. Example: “Don’t get too excited about your blind date; I’ve seen her, and she’s been beaten by an ugly stick.”

ugly pills the fictional cause or reason for a person’s ugliness. Example: “Don’t get excited about his sister; I hear she’s been taking ugly pills.”

uh or um I’m thinking. Should be uttered with an ignorant inflection.

ultimate best, most exceptional. Example: “She’s the ultimate!” Also used as an unsupported intensifier. Example: “Ultimate, man!” Another word that took on new dimensions during the hippie era.

ultracool extremely cool. Sometimes used sarcastically to describe someone or something that is a caricature of hip fashion.

Uma a gentle, kind Hindu goddess, consort of Shiva. A name given to a number of babies born into the hippie culture.

Uncle Mac slang for heroin, also known as smack. A reference to “Uncle Sam,” the caricature personification of America.

Uncle Sham a sarcastic alteration of the name of the personification of America, “Uncle Sam.” Meant to insinuate that our country occasionally becomes involved in nefarious activities.

Uncle Tom a Black person who acts like a White person by accepting the social and economic values of the White society and trying to live within the White culture. A Black subservient to Whites.

Uncle Tommyhawk a Native American who accepts White social and economic values and tries to live within the White culture. A Native American subservient to Whites.

unconscious mind that part of the mind that lies outside or beyond the consciousness.

uncool inappropriate. An action or situation that is unacceptable within a certain social circle. The opposite of cool. During the hippie era, cool had one set of parameters, and today cool has other definitions. Even within any given era, there are alternative definitions of cool in different subcultures or areas of the country. To finitely define cool is impossible; therefore, to define uncool is a conundrum.

uncut uncensored. A movie with all of its sex scenes intact. It is strange how, for television, only the love scenes and foul language are removed, yet all of the blood and violence is left intact. 2. drugs that are undiluted and in their purest form. Cutting drugs is the practice of adding a less expensive substance, thereby adding weight and volume, thus making more money from the sale of the product. This was usually done with ingredients such as baby laxatives, aspirin, sugar, powdered milk, talcum powder, tetracaines, or procaine (topical anesthetics).

uncut goods drugs that are undiluted or in their purest form.

underground hidden from the public or authorities. Alternative. An activity or society that is unfamiliar to the general population. It can involve sex, drugs, rock and roll, religious or political activity. Example: “This is an underground party; don’t let any straight people know about it.”

underground, the a society of civil rights and anti-war activists who became fugitives because of their revolutionary activities. Some who went underground during the 1960s and ’70s changed their names and led fugitive lives here in the United States. Others have become expatriates and live in other countries. Every so often, one of them is discovered, arrested, and tried for past crimes. After years of hiding, a number of the fugitives were exonerated or pardoned and have returned to straight society and now lead normal lives. The Weather Underground is the most prominent example of the underground, but other groups included the Motherfuckers, Proud Eagle Tribe, Red Family, and White Panthers. (See also: Berrigan, Fathers Daniel and Philip)

underground press media, such as newspapers and magazines, whose overall editorial content is not influenced by outside interests. Usually refers to media that is not financially controlled by advertisers who force them to support political or economic positions. With this freedom, such publications are willing to voice controversial opinions on politics and economic issues without the fear of losing advertising dollars. Such publications can be either conservative or liberal; yet, for the most part, this term has been used to describe the liberal underground press. Similar to free press.

underground railroad a society that supplied food and lodging to draft resisters, underground members, and runaway hippies. Much the same as the organization that fostered runaway slaves before and during the American Civil War of the 1860s.

undone come apart, lost control. Originally, this term was reserved for inanimate objects, but during the hippie era, it was used to describe a human condition.

unfuckingbelievable an exclamation of amazement. A combination of the words unbelievable and fucking. The expletive is intended only to lend emphasis.

unglued falling apart, going mad, losing one’s cool. Used to describe a human condition during the hippie era after having evolved from its original use relating exclusively to inanimate objects. Example: “Dodie came un-glued after losing her ohm sign fetish in the leek bin at the health food store.”

unhip unaware, unpopular. Out of the cool loop. The opposite of hip.

unidentified flying contraceptive device (See: diaphragm)

Unification Church, The the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, more widely known as the Unification Church. Its members are known as “Moonies.” Founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon in Seoul, Korea, in 1954. Moon moved to the United States in the early 1970s, prompting a rapid increase of followers to approximately 10,000 full-time members in the West in the 1980s. Its doctrine is based on the Old and New Testaments and revelations from Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed received by Reverend Moon. This “church” is considered ultraconservative, even fascist. During the Vietnam War, the Moonies supported the war through the front group American Youth for a Just Peace. This anti-anti-war group was supposedly financed in part by Nixon’s Committee to Re-Elect the President and was also involved in a three-day fast for President Nixon on the Capitol steps in an attempt to influence public opinion during the Watergate investigation.

unisex anything that is usable by either sex. It was used particularly to describe clothing fashions during the hippie era, when the lines between men’s and women’s apparel became blurred.

unit the penis. 2. sometimes used merely to indicate any object.

United Farm Workers’ Union (UFW) formed in 1962 to represent California’s fieldworkers, composed largely of naturalized Mexican-Americans, the UFW began demonstrating and striking in 1965 and boycotted California grape growers in 1966. It also struck and boycotted the lettuce industry, eventually gaining better pay and conditions for its workers.

César Estrada Chávez (1927–93) was the founder of the UFW and its leader until his death in 1993. Chávez fasted several times in protest of workers’ treatment, damaging his health. He died shortly after his last fast in 1993. The Black Eagle is the symbol of the UFW. The story goes that César Chávez was sitting in a bar in Mexico with another member discussing possible logos for the UFW when they looked at the black eagle on the Tecate beer they were drinking. It was also decided that the design be in geometric angles so that it could be typed out on a typewriter to look something like this:

(See: Native American and Other Minority Rights Groups starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

universal mind the consciousness of the Supreme Being, which supposedly inhabits the entire universe and provides its power.

Universe our complete natural surroundings as we know them scientifically. We stand in the middle of our universe and see the large parts, such as the planets and stars; but just as important are the small particles in our world, some of which cannot be seen by the naked eye.

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) riots on this campus in the small community of Isla Vista just outside Santa Barbara, California, Assistant Professor of Anthropology William Allen was dismissed over academic freedom in late 1969. His dismissal fomented student unrest, free-speech rallies, and anti-war demonstrations, which eventually led to the burning of the Isla Vista Bank of America branch on the night of February 25, 1970. Along with UC Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, and Kent State, UCSB was the scene of some of the most publicized anti-war and free-speech demonstrations.

University of Wisconsin bombing at 3:42 A.M. on August 24, 1970, a bomb exploded at the Sterling Hall Army Mathematics Research Center of the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a post-doctoral researcher and causing $6 million in damage. Robert Fassnacht was killed by 2,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate soaked in aviation fuel and packed into a stolen Ford van. The bomb was intended as a protest against the Vietnam War and was planted by four young men known as the New Year’s Gang: brothers Karl and Dwight Armstrong, David Fine, and Leo Burt. The conspirators did not intend to kill anyone, thinking the surrounding buildings would be empty on the Sunday night. The New Year’s Gang was named after a failed bombing of the Badger Ordnance Works outside Baraboo, Wisconsin, on December 31, 1969, by Karl and Dwight. Karl Armstrong had previously attacked the university’s Armory Gymnasium (known as the Red Gym) and the UW Primate Research Center. The four young men fled to Canada after the explosion, but three were eventually arrested. Leo Burt was never apprehended. Karl Armstrong was released from prison in 1980; the others, being lesser participants, were released earlier. A documentary, The War at Home, was produced about the Sterling Hall bombing, and at least two books have been written on the episode, The Madison Bombing by Michael Morris and Rads by Tom Bates. (See: Anti-War Events, Peace Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

unload to release emotions or express psychological problems with a verbal or physical outburst. Can be a positive or negative catharsis. Example: “I know you’ve had a bad day, but don’t unload on me.”

un poco a little. From Spanish, one of the many foreign phrases interjected into hippie conversation to add whimsy, emphasis, or dimension.

unreal abnormal, strange under the circumstances. Example: “That was unreal, man! The second violinist stood up, turned around three times, and sat back down without playing a note.”

unrest a term used by the established media to describe activity that it deems contrary to normal social conformity. Revolutionary demonstrations. The reaction of people to political, social, or religious suppression. The actions of people who have finally become angry at their government for refusing to listen to their grievances or comply with their needs.

unstrung out of control, crazy. The analogy is of a stringed instrument that becomes unstrung and therefore “out of tune.”

unstuck free or free of something. Examples: “I fell for her sweet ass, but came unstuck when I saw her personality.”

untogether to be uncool, inept, clueless, or not too bright. A person, place, or situation that is not functioning well.

unword a word that is not a word. But, of course, as soon as an unword is uttered or written, it becomes a word. Unword became a word in 1962.

up short for upbeat. Happy, energetic, or active. Originally a musical term, meaning a tune of fast or “bouncy” tempo.

up or ups amphetamines. Uppers.

up against the wall, motherfucker a verbal exclamation used by the counterculture against the establishment. Using this command, which was historically directed by police to criminal suspects or political demonstrators, was meant to indicate a sarcastic reversal of these roles. The intent was to state that the “people” of this country were taking back their lives, and, like many of the revolutionary slogans of the day, it was meant to repulse “uptight” sensibilities. The use of the word motherfucker was for emphasis and to effect recognition through the nature of its connotation. The phrase comes from a line in a poem by beat poet and Black nationalist LeRoi Jones.

Up Against the Wall, Motherfucker or the Motherfuckers (See: Motherfuckers, the)

up another notch to increase the intensity or effort in an endeavor. To try harder. Example: “We’re up another notch in our lovemaking, where screaming is mandatory.”

upchuck to be sick to one’s stomach. To vomit. Like many of the words at this level of sophistication, this term was employed primarily to revolt “uptight” sensibilities.

up for it ready, prepared, capable. Example: “We’re planning a Frisbee tournament; are you up for it?”

up front truthful, straightforward, candid. A term that appeared in our lexicon around 1971. Example: “I’ll be up front about this; your aversion to soap and water leaves no chance for our happily ever after!”

uppers usually amphetamines, but can be other stimulants.

uppity a term for a pushy or obnoxious person, most often directed at women. A women’s liberation bumper sticker from the era stated, “Uppity Women Unite,” thus throwing the condemnation back at detractors.

up the ass large amounts, or lots of something. Example: “He’s got money up the ass.” Same as up the wazoo or up the kazoo or yazoo.

up the kazoo, wazoo, yazoo, etc. large amounts, a lot of something. Example: “He’s got money up the kazoo.” The kazoo, wazoo, or yazoo seems to refer to the buttocks or anal passage. Similar usage as up the ass.

*uptight tense, unsympathetic, conservative, or uncool.

uptight, out of sight the opposite of uptight. This usage means well put together or incredible looking, as in “he has a tight ass.” “Uptight, out of sight” was used in James Brown’s 1964 song “Out of Sight.”

up to (one’s) ass in engulfed or overwhelmed by something. Example: “He’s up to his ass in compost.”

up to speed competitive or at one’s best. Example: “He’s not up to speed in algebra.”

uptown the place where things are happening. 2. something new or progressive, a happening place. Example: “His new juice bar is real uptown.”

up with people a slogan that soon became self-effacing sarcasm and the brunt of jokes after a religious singing group adopted the name.

up your ass an expression meaning roughly “go fuck yourself.” A suggestion that someone have something inserted in their anus. The British version is up your bum.

up yours a negative response. Similar usage as forget about it or fuck you. Short for up your ass. Often just a sarcastic term uttered between friends.

Us a Black power, Black nationalist group started in 1965 by Maulana (Ron) Karenga. Us stands for Us Black people, or “us,” in contrast to “them,” the “White Oppressors.” The organization is known to the general public primarily through media coverage of a 1969 gun battle with the Black Panthers at UCLA, in which two Panthers, Bunchy Carter and John Huggins, were killed. But the organization has achieved a far greater and more positive role in African American life by helping to promote the Black arts, Black studies, and Black student union movements. Dr. Karenga, an African-American fluent in Swahili and a scholar of African studies, started Us and then created Kawaida as a semi-religious system of beliefs and rituals celebrating Black pride, Black cultural unity, and self-defense. Some of the rituals and beliefs of Kawaida were adopted from the Zulu culture of South Africa. Members of Us usually adopt Swahili names and are encouraged to wear African clothing. The holiday Kwanzaa was created from Us and Kawaida in 1966 and is still widely celebrated today.

use and abuse of drugs there is a distinct difference between using drugs and abusing them. Every culture in the world engages in medical, recreational, and spiritual use of drugs; every culture also has drug abuse. It is obvious that society cannot stop drug abuse by prohibiting drugs, as they will always be available. Those with addictive personalities, mental or chemical imbalances that make them irresponsible drug users, will always find a way in which to abuse drugs. They will sniff glue or eat the bark from trees if they have to. The only way to control drug abuse and its negative effects on society is to legalize most drugs, control them as we do alcohol, and recognize addiction as an illness. We must take our heads out of the conservative religious sand, admit that abuse is a natural human frailty, approach those who are addictive with clinical respect, and treat them psychologically and medically.

use to take drugs; most often, to use intravenous drugs (hard drugs).

user someone who injects hard drugs intravenously.

user-friendly easy to learn and use. Originally a computer term that appeared in the late 1970s, it has since gained use to describe any uncomplicated device or function.

using taking hard drugs intravenously.

utopia a “perfect world.” A fictional place or desired existence that incorporates all the elements of peace, freedom, and equitable distribution of work and wealth. A concept advanced in the book Utopia by Sir Thomas More, published in 1516.

V

vagina the female sex organ. An opening in the lower abdomen of a woman into which the male sex organ is inserted for the purpose of depositing sperm to be united with an egg of the woman, thus commencing the reproductive process. That place upon which so much of our male imagination has dwelled throughout the vast history of man’s involuntary, sniveling, groveling desires to procreate. Slang terms: beaver, box, crack, cunt, furburger, gash, glory hole, hairburger, hairpie, nookie, pussy, quim, slit, snapper, snatch, twat.

vajra the Buddhist symbol for man, the thunderbolt. A Sanskrit word. In religious rituals it is held in the right hand, while the ghanta, or female bell, is held and rung in the left hand. In Tibetan the vajra is called dorje.

Valhalla the “hall of the blessed heroes” in Norse mythology, the final home of brave warriors slain in battle.

Valium a brand-name tranquilizer taken for anxiety and favored by the counterculture. The brand name for diazepam produced by Roche Laboratories.

Valkyries in Norse mythology, superhuman female spirits who transport the souls of slain warriors to Valhalla, to be with Oden (the Nordic god of war and lord of Valhalla).

Valley Girl a girl of the suburban youth culture associated with the San Fernando Valley area near Los Angeles, California. She was generally portrayed as an “airhead,” often with “big hair” and chewing gum. A late 1970s term known only in California. In 1982, Frank Zappa produced a record called “Valley Girl,” which popularized the term nationally.

Valley Talk terminology and a form of communication originating in the shallow, materialistic, suburban youth culture associated with the San Fernando Valley area near Los Angeles, California. Exemplified by words such as clueless, gross, gag, for real, intense, totally, and yucky. A late 1970s term known only in California. In 1982, Frank Zappa produced a record called “Valley Girl,” which popularized the term nationally. In the song, Zappa’s daughter Moon Unit spoke a monologue of Valley Talk.

Valo a street name for Valium.

vampire an astral form that survives by drawing vitality and strength from living beings. According to occultists, a vampire may be the astral body of a living person, or it may inhabit a dead body from which it takes nourishment, prolonging its own existence.

Van Halen/David Lee Roth formed 1974 in Pasadena, California, David Lee Roth (b. Oct. 10, 1955, Bloomington, Ind.) voc.; Edward Van Halen (b. Jan. 26, 1955, Nijmegen, Netherlands), gtr., voc.; Alex Van Halen (b. May 8, 1953, Nijmegen, Netherlands), drums; Michael Anthony (b. June 20,1955, Chicago, Ill.), bass. One of the most popular heavy-metal groups during the later 1970s. Both Eddy Van Halen and David Lee Roth, together and apart, have become icons of cock-rock.

VC Viet Cong. The military guerrilla forces of North Vietnam during the Vietnam conflict in which the United States participated from the beginning of the 1960s until 1975.

VD venereal disease. 2. Valentine’s Day. Coined by John McCleary in the mid-1970s.

Veda the generic name for the most ancient sacred literature of the Hindu religion. Consisting of four collections called (1) Rig Veda, hymns to gods; (2) Sama Veda, priests’ chants; (3) Yajur Veda, sacrificial formulas in prose; and (4) Atharva Veda, magical chants. Each Veda is divided into two parts: (1) Mantra, hymns, and (2) Brahmana, precepts, which include (a) Aranyakas, theology, and (b) Upanishads, philosophy. The Vedas are considered revealed literature; they contain the first philosophical insights and are regarded as the final authority. Tradition has it that Vyasa was the compiler and arranger of the Vedas in their present form. The Vedic period is conservatively estimated to have begun around 1500 to 1000 B.C.

veena an East Indian instrument normally having seven strings and two resonators (toomba). The sitar, which is simular in appearance, has 18 strings and one resonator. Indian music played an important role in the development of rock and roll during the hippie era. Jorma Kaukonen, Jefferson Airplane’s lead guitarist and a primary innovator of psychedelic music, said, “I listened to a lot of stuff; my dad was in the service overseas, and we lived in the Indian subcontinent, and I heard different things, like the veena. It emerged in odd ways, and when I couldn’t think of a more traditional rock and roll solo, I wouldn’t hesitate to play some weird thing that was lurking in my mind.”

vegan a person who follows a diet consisting of only vegetables and grains, without animal by-products of any kind (i.e., no dairy or eggs). Vegan is also the name of the diet. (See also: brown rice, macrobiotic, and health food)

vegetable someone who is mentally dead or brain dead. It can be used to describe an actual medical occurrence, but is often used as a sarcastic commentary on the intelligence or emotional state of a person who is alive and well, yet unintelligent or unresponsive.

vegetarian someone who eats a diet consisting of only vegetables. There are many variations of eating vegetables, grains, and perhaps animal products such as milk and eggs. Some so-called “veggies” even stretch the limits to eat fish and foul occasionally, but that is something else altogether. A vegetarian diet strictly free of any animal by-products is called vegan. All vegan diets are vegetarian, but the reverse is not necessarily true. Vegetarian is also the name of the diet.

The hippie culture experimented with vegetarianism for health and humanitarian reasons. Some people think eating animals is barbaric. Today’s emphasis on healthy food and better diets came directly from the 1960s and ’70s counterculture. (See also: brown rice, macrobiotic, and health food)

veggieburger the epitome of vegetarian concoctions, a real oxymoron of eating habits. The compromise to which the vegetarian philosophy stooped in order to make the discipline acceptable to modern tastes. The first veggieburgers were soybean concoctions produced by Seventh Day Adventist food processing companies in the 1950s to fill the needs of their then vegetarian congregations.

veggie adj. a prefix indicating that something is vegetarian. Examples: veggie plate, veggie candy, veggie underwear.

veggie n. short for vegetarian, someone who is a vegetarian.

*veggies vegetables.

veg out to eat vegetables. 2. to relax. From the inference that one exhibits the activity of a vegetable when sitting still.

velada traditional Mazatec ceremony involving psilocybin mushrooms. Maria Sabina led one in 1957 that included the “father and mother of ethnomycology,” R. Gordon Wasson and his wife, Valentina Pavlovna Guercken. This particular ceremony led to articles in Life and This Week magazines that introduced the entheogenic qualities of psilocybin mushrooms to mainstream consciousness. Immortalized in Wasson’s 1974 opus Maria Sabina and her Mazatec Mushroom Velada.

Velcro one of the most unique inventions of the 20th century. Velcro is made of two strips of cloth with two separate types of plastic wire attached. One strip has small loops, and one has small hooks. When the two strips are brought together, the hooks latch onto the loops, thus holding the strips together. With a little exertion, the loops and hooks can be pulled apart, but under normal conditions, Velcro will hold together any two pieces of fabric or material to which the strips are attached.

Velvet Underground inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. (See: Lou Reed)

venereal disease a contagious disease, usually contracted through sexual contact, but occasionally through other means such as sharing wet towels or dirty needles. Common venereal diseases of the hippie era were gonorrhea (a.k.a. “the clap”), syphilis, herpes, and crabs. Today, venereal diseases are often referred to as STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and include a wider range of infections, such as HIV/AIDS. Although all sexual contact with infected persons poses some degree of risk, using condoms can greatly decrease it.

Venetian-made African trading beads a popular adornment of the most style-conscious hippie. Many forms of beads were worn by the counterculture during the era, yet these were the most sought after. Tradition has it that these beads were made at the famous glass works of Venice, Italy, and then traded to African tribes. During the hippie era, some were old, some were new, some had been made in Venice and traveled to Africa.

Venice Beach, California one of the early centers of hippie activity in America; a beach community connected to the Los Angeles metropolis. Along with the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Greenwich Village area of New York City, it was one of the first places in which the 1960 counterculture congregated and lived.

Venus Roman Goddess of Gardens, also identified with the Greek Aphrodite as the goddess of beauty.

Venus mound the mound created by the pelvic bone, covered with pubic hair that surrounds the female vagina. Named for the Goddess of Love, Venus, for the obvious reason that this area of a woman’s body is the object of amorous interest by heterosexual men.

verbal diarrhea unnecessary conversation, running off at the mouth, or incessant, mindless talk.

vernal equinox spring equal night. A day of the year on or around March 21; one of the two times of the year when day and night are equal in length. The other is the autumnal equinox on or around September 23. These days, along with the winter and summer solstices, have been celebrated by farmers and agrarian peoples for thousands of years due to their importance to the growing cycle. Because of the hippie culture’s attraction to the spiritual activities of such ancient cultures as the Druids, many equinox and solstice parties, festivals, and gatherings took place during the 1960s and 1970s.

vertical awake or sober. Upright. Example: “It’s unusual for him to be vertical by this time of the day; the bars have already been open for two hours.”

Vestal Virgins guardians of the perpetual, sacred fires in the temple of Vesta, a female deity who was the Roman goddess of households.

*vibes short for vibrations. Feelings emanating from a person, place, or situation. A term introduced to the American public in 1965.

vibrations feelings emanating from a person, place, or situation. 2. in occultism, psychic pulsations or magnetic waves.

vibrator a battery-operated vibrating device, often in the shaped of a male penis, used to stimulate the clitoris in female masturbation. An electric dildo. It can be used in solitary flagrante delicato or with a partner and may be employed for anal stimulation on or with either/or any sex.

vic the victim of a crime; short for victim. Originally a police term used in TV cop shows and thus absorbed into the counterculture.

vicious impressive, powerful. One of those words that existed before the hippie era that took on a new direction in the 1960s and ’70s. This term evolved from a purely negative definition to positive usage. Example: “That was a vicious guitar solo.”

victimless crime an act of personal choice, such as drug use or consensual sexual activity, which has been deemed unlawful and declared a punishable crime by governmental authorities. Many of these laws are based on religious prejudices and not real moral transgressions. There is room for speculation that the penalizing of these “crimes against oneself” is actually a breach of our First Amendment rights and freedoms. Many people feel that it is acceptable for individuals to indulge in any activity as long as it creates no negative consequence for others.

video magnetically or electronically recorded and projected images.

video games games played on a computer or computer-type device. Video games were some of the first uses and experiments on personal computers. The first game was Spacewar, created in the 1960s at MIT by a group of programmers calling themselves “hackers.” Other first examples were chess-playing computers, such as the Richard Greenblatt’s MacHack, in the early 1960s. Spacewar and MacHack were never distributed commercially. Other early games marketed to the public were Computer Space, then Pong, and then later sophistications created Pac-Man, Space Invaders, etc.

vidya Sanskrit for knowledge. In Theosophy, the “wisdom knowledge” that enables man to distinguish between true and false.

Viet Minh short for “Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi,” which in English translates loosely to “League for the Independence of Vietnam.” This nationalist organization, led by Ho Chi Min and Vo Nguyen Giep, guided Vietnam through the war with Japan, its struggle for independence from France, and efforts to reunify the country during the Vietnam War against the Saigon government of (South) Vietnam and the U.S.

Vietnam War the military action between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of Vietnam, conducted roughly from December 22, 1961, to March 29, 1973. The U.S. Congress never made a declaration of war, and therefore it was never technically a war. Many people considered it a civil war between the North and South Vietnamese, and therefore none of America’s business. (See: Anti-War Events, Peace Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book) (See also: U.S. Troop Strengths and Deaths starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Vietnam War Leaders of South Vietnam (See: this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Vietnam War U.S. troop strengths and deaths (See: this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Vietnamization a Nixon administration effort to turn the Vietnam War over to the South Vietnamese Government.

Vietnik a Vietnam War protester. The suffix -nik was meant to indicate a Russian or communist influence associated with the protesters.

vine, vine of the dead, or vine of souls (See: ayahuasca and yagé)

vino wine. The Italian word for wine.

vinyl phonograph record albums upon which music was recorded. Record albums were made of a plastic compound called vinyl. (See: LPs)

Vinya Pitaka one of the oldest Buddhist scriptures, consisting of the rules of discipline for the community of monks.

Virgo astrological sign, August 23 to September 22, sixth house of the zodiac, mutable earth sign, symbolized by the virgin. Traits: analysis, detail, service. Self-perception: I analyze.

Vishnu one of the three gods of the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer). In Hinduism, the creator of the cosmos. He and Shiva are the two great gods of Hindu devotion. The lawgiver and moral guardian, Vishnu appears on Earth from time to time as an avatar to reawaken men to knowledge of truth. To followers of Vishnuism, Vishnu is the supreme deity.

Vishnuism one of the three great divisions in modern Hinduism. The other two are Shaivism and Shaktism. Its followers identify Vishnu (rather than Brahma and Shiva) with the Supreme Being, and are exclusively devoted to his worship, regarding him as the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer of the universe.

vision supernatural scenes or human images seen by mortal eyes.

VISTA (See: Volunteers in Service to America)

vitamin A wafer a thin sheet of gelatin containing a drop of LSD. A.k.a. windowpane.

vitamin C (See: cocaine)

vitamin E (See: ecstasy)

vitamins a street term for all drugs in general.

vitamin T (See: marijuana)

vitamin X (See: ecstasy)

“Viva la huelga!” long live the strike! The slogan of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) in the 1960s. Spoken by César Estrada Chávez, founder of the UFW. (See: Native American and Other Minority Rights starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

vivid bright or lucid. Although similar in use during the hippie era, it developed new, deeper meanings when placed in the context of the psychedelic culture.

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) or The National Service Corps a U.S. government program originally suggested by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. It was meant to be headed up by then-attorney general Robert Kennedy. The idea came about shortly after the Peace Corps was born, but didn’t actually come into being until 1964 during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson as part of his War on Poverty program. The original tenets of the program hold true today: It is a service program open to people of all ages who are willing to make a yearlong commitment to service and accept low (poverty-level) wages for their work. During its first years, it established Head Start and adult education programs as well as basic medical care for a number of indigent communities. As the years passed, it has added doctors, lawyers, and other professionals to the program. Currently, over 5,000 VISTA members serve over 1,000 nonprofit or public agencies nationwide. That’s progress, from the first group of 20 volunteers that Johnson greeted at the White House. In the 1970s, it merged with the Peace Corps to form ACTION, and in the 1990s, President Clinton formed AmeriCorps, to merge these programs with Bush Senior’s Commission on National and Community Service.

voodoo black magic or witchcraft of the West Indies. A religion derived from the African worship of many gods.

voting age on June 22, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed into law a bill reducing the voting age in America from 21 to 18. Eleven million young people became eligible to vote. Many believe that it was forced on the government by the protests of young men saying, “We are old enough to die for our country, but we cannot vote for its government.”

VW bug the Volkswagen passenger car. Originally designed in Germany before WWII at the request of Adolf Hitler to create an inexpensive mode of transportation for the folks. Volks means people or “folks,” and wagen means car. It was not mass-produced until after the war, and in the 1960s and ’70s, it became a popular, cheap vehicle for hippies and middle-class Americans. The body type was called KDF, which stood for the German propaganda phrase meaning “Strength Through Joy.” (See: baja bug)

VW bus the Volkswagen van. Microbus. In the 1960s and ’70s, it became the most popular mode of transportation of hippies and members of the counterculture. The gas mileage was good; the engine was easily accessible and simple to work on. It would hold your sleeping bag, guitar, dog, ol’ lady, and 50 pounds of brown rice, no problem.

W

wacked out under the influence of drugs. 2. tired.

wacko a person, place, or situation that is crazy or strange.

wacky t’backy (See: marijuana)

wacky weed (See: marijuana)

wad euphemism for an ejaculation of sperm. Also means someone’s all-out effort. Examples: “He shot his wad all over her pedal pushers.” “He shot his wad on that project. If he doesn’t get promoted, they’ll have to fire him ’cause he’s all used up.”

wafer a thin sheet of gelatin containing a drop of LSD. A.k.a. windowpane.

waffle-stompers work boots with a deep tread pattern for climbing or working. Boots with Vibram soles were the most popular.

wail to excel. Example: “He can really wail with chopsticks.”

wail on (someone) to attack or beat up. Example: “Don’t get him mad; he’ll pick up those chopsticks and wail on you.”

walk to go free. Example: “Tranq got busted, but the man let him walk.”

walk! get out of here!

walking papers an invitation to leave. Not literally a written request, but a verbal suggestion. Example: “After two weeks of connubial bliss, Judy gave Bubba his walking papers, citing his aversion to soap as her reason.”

Walkman the first portable audiotape player. Marketed by the Sony Company in 1979.

walk on to ignore someone or something. Example: “If you see some trash going down, just walk on.” 2. to mistreat someone. Example: “Hey, you don’t have to like Katie, just don’t walk on her.”

walk on the wild side to do something dangerous or exciting.

“Walk on the Wild Side” a song by Lou Reed published on his 1972 album Transformer. The phrase became a counterculture mantra meaning to break away from convention and have a little dangerous fun.

walk that walk or walk the walk be cool, be proud, strut your stuff, show your style.

walk that walk and talk that talk be cool, say the right thing, and do the right thing. Example: “He’s all right; he can walk that walk and talk that talk.” Sometimes heard as talk that talk and walk that walk.

wana (See: marijuana)

wanker someone who masturbates. A derogatory term for a disliked person. A British invasion term.

wank off to masturbate. A British invasion term.

wannabe someone who is trying to be what they are not. A colloquial shortening of “want to be.”

war a violent conflict for economic gain, created by old politicians and fought by idealistic youth. “Rich White men, sending poor Black men to kill the Yellow man.”

“War is not healthy for children and other living things” part of the logo of the anti-war group Another Mother for Peace (AMP). This slogan, created by Lorraine Schneider, was prominent on educational material, medallions, peace notes, and greeting cards, which were sold to raise money for AMP. AMP began in March 1967 when 15 women in Beverly Hills, California, frustrated by the escalation of the Vietnam War, printed 1,000 Mother’s Day cards with this comment and sent them to their congressmen. Two months later, 200,000 cards had been sold. With its profits, AMP started an “Invest in Peace” fund to support legislators who voted against war appropriations. AMP’s primary campaign was to establish a Department and Secretary of Peace as part of the executive branch, whose purpose would be “to examine and evaluate the range of non-military alternatives to war.” In May 1969, AMP held its first annual Mother’s Day Assembly in Los Angeles. At that time, AMP introduced its Pax Materna, “a permanent, irrevocable condition of amnesty and understanding among mothers of the world.” This AMP logo statement was translated into 20 languages. Film and television celebrities, including Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Dick Van Dyke, appeared on national television to promote AMP causes. In 1969 and 1970, AMP distributed almost one million newsletters campaigning against military missile production and biological warfare.

warlock a male witch. Scottish derivation. Sometimes associated with the term wizard, yet the correct description of a wizard is a magician or sorcerer.

Warlocks, the the original name of the Grateful Dead rock group back in 1965.

warm and fuzzy or warm fuzzy something emotional or sentimental. A sentimental greeting card or an emotional movie. Another example of the way in which the vocabulary of the era often employed physical feelings to express emotional situations. A term that eventually became an advertising catch-phrase of the 1980s and ’90s. Similar usage as touchy-feely, an earlier term based on tactical desires influenced by love, yet not necessarily by sex drive.

warm body a substitute person. A date or lover who is tolerated only because one needs to be with someone, anybody.

War on Drugs actually conceived by Nancy Reagan and Miss Cleo (her psychic) in the spring of 1981, so it is not a hippie era phenomenon. But here are my comments on the whole fiasco: The war on “illegal” drugs in this country is a capitalist scam. It is a smokescreen to divert attention from more critical problems. It is propaganda to marginalize, dehumanize, harrass, and institutionalize people whom conservatives consider counterculture, second-class citizens, and beneath their status.

The number of drug deaths in the United States in a typical year is as follows:

Tobacco kills approx. 390,000

Alcohol kills approx. 80,000

Secondhand smoke from tobacco kills approx. 50,000

Cocaine kills approx. 2,200

Heroin kills approx. 2,000

Aspirin kills approx. 2,000

Marijuana kills 0

There has never been a recorded death due to marijuana at any time in U.S. history. All illegal drugs combined kill about 4,500 people per year, or about 1 percent of the number killed by alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco kills more people each year than all of the people killed by all of the illegal drugs in the last century. These figures come directly from NIDA Research Monographs. How many tobacco executives have been taken off the streets in the War on Drugs?

War on Poverty announced by President Lyndon B. Johnson in his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, it was the attempt to “break the cycle of poverty” affecting nearly 35 million Americans at the time. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, signed into law by Johnson on Aug. 20, 1964, was an attempt to prepare the poor for successful competition in an expanding economy. Sargent Shriver was the first director of the Office of Economic Opportunity. It combined some new and some existing programs, VISTA, Neighborhood Youth Corps, Job Corps, College Work Study, Head Start, and Community Action Programs (CAP). It was administered by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Funding for OEO was never adequate and was further reduced as spending for the Vietnam War increased. It was further weakened and underfunded by subsequent Republican administrations. Although some programs have had positive effects, they have failed to reach their expectations due to conservative political undermining.

war paint makeup.

warped demented or crazy.

warp factor an undefined speed that is considered very fast. The term came from the TV series Star Trek.

War Powers Act of 1973 enacted on November 7, 1973, it was a joint resolution concerning the war powers of Congress and the president, stating that a collective judgment of both the Congress and the president will apply to the introduction of United States armed forces into hostilities. It states that the president in every possible instance shall consult with Congress before introducing United States armed forces into hostilities, and in the absence of a declaration of war, the president and Congress must confer. It was a reaction to the Vietnam War and the actions taken by U.S. presidents involving our troops and tax money during that conflict.

Warren Commission (a.k.a. U.S. Commission to Report upon the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.) Established by executive order of President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) on November 29, 1963, the members of the commission were Earl Warren, chief justice of the United States; U.S. Senators Richard B. Russell (Democrat from Georgia) and John Sherman Cooper (Republican from Kentucky); U.S. Representatives Hale Boggs (Democrat from Louisiana) and Gerald R. Ford (Republican from Michigan); Allen W. Dulles, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and John J. McCloy, former president of the World Bank. U.S. Solicitor General James Lee Rankin was appointed by the commission to act as its general counsel along with 14 assistant counsels and an additional staff of 12.

Members of the commission met behind closed doors to review evidence in the case, except when specifically asked by witnesses to do otherwise. (There were only two who requested an open session.) Evidence reviewed included the Zapruder film, autopsy reports, and extensive interviews with 552 witnesses and 10 government agencies (most notably the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and military intelligence). They issued their final report to the president on September 24, 1964. Although most of the records were sealed, the highlights were as follows:

1. They determined that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and was not part of a larger conspiracy, and that the fatal shots were fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building.

2. Lee Harvey Oswald wounded Texas Governor Connelly during the attack.

3. Oswald was responsible for the death of Police Patrolman J. D. Tippit, who was shot while pursuing him 45 minutes after the murder.

4. Jack Ruby, who murdered Oswald after his arrest, acted alone and was not part of a larger conspiracy.

5. Maybe presidential security wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The commission made specific proposals for improvements.

The findings of the Warren Commission have been widely criticized, and there are still people to this day attempting to get further information from the government on its findings. Most well-known of the criticisms are perhaps E. J. Epstein’s Inquest (1966) and Mark Lane’s Rush to Judgment (1966), not to mention the over-the-top Oliver Stone movie, JFK. Though highly implausible, that film immortalized New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who attempted to prosecute a New Orleans businessman as part of a larger conspiracy. He was acquitted in 1969, and though Stone’s movie was a flawed and sensational document of the investigation, it raised a number of points that are still investigated by serious scientists to this day, such as the path of the magic bullet. One thing is for sure—conspiracy theories abound; why if there isn’t anything to hide, weren’t all the records opened to the public a long time ago?

War Resisters League (WRL) created in 1923 by American citizens who opposed WWI. Many of them were jailed for refusing military service. Founders included Jessie Wallace Hughan, a leading suffragette, socialist, and pacifist. The WRL believed that if enough people opposed wars, governments would hesitate to start them. During WWII, hundreds of WRL members were imprisoned in the United States for refusing to fight. In the 1950s their members joined the civil rights movement and opposed nuclear testing as well. In the 1960s, the WRL was the first peace group to call for United States withdrawal from Vietnam and it played a key role throughout the war, organizing draft card burnings, rallies, and civil disobedience at induction centers. More recently the WRL has been involved in the women’s movement, disarmament, and opposition to apartheid. They are still active today.

washed up finished, outdated, unable to accomplish something one could once do. 2. in a drug use, meaning to be finished with drugs.

WASP or wasp White Anglo Saxon Protestant. An American of northern European, Protestant ancestry, particularly British, who belongs to the most average and most advantaged group of people in the United States. Often used as a derogatory term. The WASP culture has been the most aggressive, powerful, and arrogant society in the world for the last thousand years, so it is natural that it should receive a certain amount of warranted criticism.

Wasson, R. Gordon (1898–Dec. 23, 1986) international banker, author, and amateur “ethnomycologist.” He and his wife, Valentina Pavlovna Guercken, a pediatrician, began a lifelong interest in folkloric mushrooms and toadstools during their honeymoon to the Catskills in the late 1920s. They became known as the “father and mother of ethnomycology.” They eventually wrote Mushrooms, Russia, and History: An Introduction to Russia through the Kitchen in the 1940s, which eventually became their masterwork Mushrooms, Russia, and History (1958).

In 1955, they participated in a mushroom velada led by Mazatec curandera Maria Sabina (possibly the first non-Mazatecs to have had this experience). On May 13, 1957, Gordon’s article about his experience titled “Seeking the Magic Mushroom” showed up in Life magazine, and mushrooms entered the mainstream consciousness. Pavlovna’s experience was chronicled in This Week magazine on May 19, 1957, under the title “I Ate the Sacred Mushroom.”

Following Pavlovna’s cancer-related death in 1958, Gordon continued work with a number of other collaborators. In 1968 he published Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality with Vedic scholar Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty. In it, they argued that one of the amanita mushrooms was the soma of the title. In 1978, he convened a group of ethnobiologists and coined the word entheogen.

Wasson had a great respect for the shamanic tradition and was disappointed by the recreational drug use of entheogens. His Mexican contacts were reportedly upset that he and his wife shared their secrets with the world, thus profaning the sacrament. As a result, he was accused of being both an elitist and the popularizer of mushrooms.

waste to beat up or to kill. 2. to demoralize, ridicule, or embarrass. Example: “She can waste you with one look.”

wasted drunk or under the influence of drugs. 2. beaten up or dead. 3. demoralized or embarrassed.

watch your back be careful. Stay alert. It did not literally mean to look behind you, but the message was obvious.

water (to make) to urinate.

water bed a bed consisting of a large plastic bag (mattress) filled with water. They became popular around 1968. Created to enhance sleeping comfort. It was initially thought to improve lovemaking, but eventually, true practitioners of the art of lovemaking realized that it obstructed body control because, when a couple set up any movement, the bed took over and tossed the two victims at its will.

Watergate, the an exclusive apartment and office complex in Washington, D.C., where members of Nixon’s Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP), burglarized and bugged the Democratic Party Headquarters offices in June 1972.

Watergate break-in a break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters offices in the Watergate building complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972, in which five men were caught bugging phones, stealing file information, and planting incriminating documents. The break-in was committed by “the plumbers,” a secret organization supported by Nixon’s Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP). It was actually the second break-in and was conducted to replace a faulty bugging device on Democratic Party Chairman Lawrence O’Brien’s phone. Information received from the listening device was to be used to discredit the Democratic Party. A security man noticed tape holding a door lock open and called the police. The plumbers caught in the offices were James McCord, Bernard Barker, Frank Sturgis, Virgilio R. Gonzales, and Eugenio R. Martines. E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy were later implicated; at the time of the break-in they were across the street in a room at Howard Johnson’s Hotel, watching through the windows and listening on walkie-talkies. The burglary and Nixon’s involvement in its cover-up created grounds for impeachment of the president, thus causing him to resign on August 9, 1974.

Watergate conspirators, “the plumbers,” and Nixon’s Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) the Watergate conspiracy was an effort to conceal any connection between Richard Nixon and the break-in at Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate building complex in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1972. The cover-up involved payoffs to the burglars for their silence, lies, and deception by the highest ranking members of the Nixon administration, including Nixon himself. Scapegoats were created to obscure the president’s involvement, and White House conversation tapes and transcripts were altered. Some say even murder was committed in the form of the mysterious crash of United Airlines Flight 553, in which Mrs. E. Howard Hunt died along with 44 others. (A list of the members of the Nixon administration and others involved in the Watergate break-in and the conspiracy appears on this page in Lists at the back of this book.)

water pipe a device used for smoking tobacco, marijuana, or hashish. Constructed so that the smoke is filtered through water, thus cooling it and making it less harsh. The same as a hookah, hubble-bubble, or narghile.

Waters, Muddy (b. McKinley Morganfield, April 4, 1915, Rolling Fork, Miss.; d. April 30, 1983, Chicago, Ill.) one of the foremost Black blues musicians. With his songwriting credits and longevity as a performer, he has influenced all forms of contemporary music. He first recorded in 1941, and in the late 1940s and 1950s he wrote and recorded a number of songs that are still being played and copied today. With Willie Dixon, Waters wrote a number of important songs. Waters’s song “Rolling Stone” gave the British rock group its name. He also wrote “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Got My Mojo Working” in 1954.

water signs of the zodiac Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces; sensory, emotional, psychic, creative.

Watkins Glen, New York, July 28– 29, 1973 600,000 rock fans attended the biggest concert yet recorded.

Watts, Alan (Wilson) (1915–73) mystic, writer, and lecturer, born in Chislehurst, England. A prominent author of English language books on Eastern religion. Watts produced some of the most popular books on Zen Buddhism for the Western mind: The Spirit of Zen, 1936; The Way of Zen, 1959; Spirit of Zen, 1960; Psychotherapy East and West, 1961; and This is It, 1973. Alan Watts was also involved in the famous research into consciousness conducted during the 1960s at Stanford and Harvard Universities with Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass). Watts was considered a guru by many in the counterculture of the 1960s.

Watts riots, August 11–15, 1965 the neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles erupted in racially motivated riots after a Black motorist was arrested. When the L.A. police couldn’t control the streets, 12,500 National Guardsmen were called in. The violence claimed the lives of 35 people, costing an estimated $200 million.

Wavy Gravy (Hugh Romney) not a Thanksgiving apparition. Titular leader of the Hog Farm and public address announcer at Woodstock. A communal group of people called the Hog Farm, with Romney as its leader, was given 33 acres near Sunland-Tujunga north of Los Angeles early 1967. The land was given rent free in exchange for keeping up the farm house and tending to the hogs there. Harassed by other local citizens, they left, going on the road in school buses, eventually ending up at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, where they worked to help create that event. Many of the members of the Hog Farm later moved to northern New Mexico near Taos. Wavy Gravy now runs Camp Winnarainbow at the Black Oak Ranch near Laytonville, California, where he conducts camps for children and adult children. campwinnarainbow.org

way a modifier of other words and a word used for emphasis. Examples: no way, way more, and way far out.

way in popular. Example: “That color is way in, man.”

way out extreme or unconventional. Example: “Your hairstyle is way out. I hope you don’t dream of working in a bank.” Similar to far out.

way out there an extreme concept. Example: “That’s way out there, a pet cemetery, what a great idea!” 2. mentally lost or under the influence of drugs.

way past cool a phrase indicating that something is very innovative. Example: “That movie is way past cool, man.”

way to go! an exclamation of approval. Example: “Did you do that yourself? Way to go, man!” A colloquial shortening of “That’s the way to go!”

wazoo a term of unknown origin, considered a reference to the buttocks or anal passage. Similar usage as kazoo and yazoo. Example: “He’s got money up the wazoo.”

weak in bad taste, inappropriate. Example: “That was weak, breaking up with her by singing telegram.”

We Are Everywhere a book written by Jerry Rubin while in the Cook County, Illinois, jail in the summer of 1970 on a 60-day sentence for inciting a riot and contempt of court. It was copywritten by Trans International Energy, Inc., published by Harper & Row and dedicated to the Western Underground. “It concerned hundreds of subjects,” as Jerry said, and it was mainly about the counterculture, marijuana, and the political struggles of the time. Rubin also wrote the revolutionary manifesto Do It! in 1970. (See: Chicago Seven trial)

“We are Gods and might as well get good at it” —Stewart Brand

Weathermen a politically radical group opposing the military-industrial complex. Founded in 1968, its leaders and prominent members were Jeff Jones, Bill Ayers, Kathy Boudin, Cathy Wilkerson, Mark Rudd, and Bernardine Dohrn. A violent offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), their name came from a Bob Dylan song implying that Weathermen “know which way the wind blows.” The first major accomplishment of this group was the Days of Rage anti-war demonstration in Chicago in October 1969. After this demonstration, many members went into hiding and became the Weather Underground. On March 6, 1970, three members of the Weathermen were killed in an explosion while making bombs in a New York City townhouse. Those who died were Diana Oughton, Ted Gold, and Terry Robbins. On June 9, 1970, the Weathermen bombed the New York City Police Department’s headquarters, and in July 1970, they bombed the Bank of America’s Manhattan building. On March 1, 1971, Weathermen bombed the Capitol Building. Windows were broken, and a door was blown off its hinges, yet no one was injured and the House and Senate were soon back in business as usual. Other targets of the Weathermen were the Long Island Court House and the U.S. State Department. (See: Anti-War Events, Peace Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Webb, Jimmy (b. August 15, 1946, Elk City, Okla.) a songwriter who wrote “Up, Up, and Away,” a hit by the Fifth Dimension in 1967, and Glen Campbell’s 1967 hit “By the Time I Get To Phoenix.” He also wrote “MacArthur Park,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “Galveston.”

wedges tablets of drugs, which may originally have been round, scored, and divided into smaller, pie-shaped wedges. Most common were orange wedges or purple wedges of STP and LSD combined. Also, orange barrels, which were large, orange LSD tablets, were divided into pie-shaped pieces, called wedges. Drug production is sometimes a cottage industry, and all the many chemists have their own creative packaging.

weed or the weed (See: marijuana)

weed freak or weed head (See: pot head)

weenie or the big weenie the penis. This word is normally used in a humorous or sarcastic context and most often seen in a phrase having to do with being damaged, hurt, or killed. Example: “He fell off a wave and ate the big weenie when he hit the pier.” Perceived as a surfer term.

we go way back a statement of friendship, confirmation of a long-term association. Example: “Of course I know about his attraction to hairy women; Chimp and I, we go way back.”

weight influence. Example: “He carries a lot of weight down at the recycling center.”

Weight Watchers an organization created to help people lose weight, introduced to the American public in 1965.

Weil, Andrew Harvard-trained doctor of medicine and expert on mind-altering drugs. He studied in Haight-Ashbury, at the National Institute of Mental Health and in the Amazon Basin. In his book The Natural Mind: A New Way of Looking at Drugs and the Higher Consciousness, he states that “stoned thinking” is superior to “straight thinking.”

Weinberg, Jack Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) member and civil rights activist whose arrest on the University of California, Berkeley, campus helped to jump-start the free-speech movement. On October 1, 1964, Weinberg set up a card table and began distributing civil rights literature and political fliers. He was asked to appear before the campus administration, and this incited student demonstrations and the occupation of Sproul Hall on campus. Weinberg was eventually arrested, and student strikes and demonstrations followed. He is said to have coined the phrase, “Never trust anyone over 30.”

weird strange or socially abnormal.

weirded out emotionally upset by a strange person or circumstance.

weirdo a strange or abnormal person.

weirdo longhairs a name directed at young people who let their hair grow down over their ears in the mid-1960s. A name directed at the Beatles when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 11, 1964. Their haircuts at that time were shorter than those of most stockbrokers today.

weird out to become strange. To act abnormally due to some experience.

weird space a strange or disturbing psychological state. Example: “Sally’s in a weird space about her dog’s affection for my leg.”

well, all right! an exclamation of approval.

Wenner, Jann (b. Jan Simon Wenner, January 7, 1946, New York City) co-founder and editor of Rolling Stone magazine. Jann is greatly responsible for legitimizing rock and roll and alternative music forms in our culture. He, along with Hugh Hefner, represents the most important print media publishing of the hippie era.

went south failed or broke down. May have come from the term went down. Examples: “Our relationship went south after I seduced her sister, turned her brother in to the police, and evicted her mother.” “My engine went south.” May have come from an attitude about the southern states.

“We regret to inform you…” the dreaded words that began the notice of a soldier’s death or missing in action, received by thousands of parents and loved ones during the Vietnam War. These notices from the U.S. Department of the Military informed families of the loss of approximately 58,169 American lives during the conflict.

we’re on agreement to an appointment or affirmation of a date or meeting time. Example: “We’re on to get it on, Friday, the 27th, at 8:45.”

we’re talkin’ … “This conversation is about …” Example: “We’re talkin’ big bucks here.”

“We Shall Overcome” the anthem sung by civil rights demonstrators. Written by Pete Seeger, Guy Carawan, Frank Hamilton, and Zilphia Horton in 1947. It was taught to the Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-in demonstrators in 1960 by Guy Carawan. Adopted from an old church song, “I Will Overcome,” with the melody from a gospel song, “I’ll Overcome Someday,” written in 1903 by Rev. Charles Tindley.

Wesson party a get-together in which two or more people lather themselves with oil and slither around on each other, performing intercourse and other sexual activities. A.k.a. Mazola party. Mazola and Wesson are two brand-name cooking oils.

Western yoga a term sometimes applied to Theosophy, as well as to the “New Thought” movements and Christian Science. The followers of these groups generally object to this name.

wet dream a clinical definition might be “an erotic dream that produces ejaculation.” But in daily usage, it is a euphemism for desire or excitement. Examples: “She’s his wet dream.” “He saw that guitar and had a wet dream.”

wet your willie to have sexual intercourse. Example: “Did you wet your willie last night?”

wha? I’m trying to understand you. What are you saying? Short for what?

whack to kill someone. 2. to have intercourse with a woman. It is a disturbing realization that our society often uses violent terms to describe sexual intercourse.

whacked or whacked out extremely affected by drugs or alcohol. 2. tired or crazy. Examples: “It was a late night; I’m whacked.” “He’s whacked out; he should be in a padded room somewhere.”

wham! an exclamation verbalizing a surprise thought or unexpected occurrence. Used in comic books and cartoons to indicate the sound of a collision or to emphasize an action. Example: “I was lusting for her and then, wham! There she was.” Similar usage as shazam or bam.

wham bam, thank you, ma’ am a quick sexual encounter. Meant to indicate a selfish effort at lovemaking in which the man gets it on, gets off, and leaves without concern for the woman’s pleasure.

whang the penis.

“What a long strange trip it’s been” notable lyrics from the Grateful Dead song “Truckin’,” music by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh; words by Robert Hunter. It is difficult to put into words what the hippie era has meant to this world. The year 1984 would have dawned as Orwell predicted had it not been for the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. We would all be living in a much more oppressive and controlled environment, rich and poor alike. The phrase, “what a long strange trip it’s been,” has moved into our vocabulary and now exemplifies the period, the movements, and the changes that transpired during the hippie era.

what do you say? a greeting which most likely came from “what do you have to say for yourself?”

what else is new? a sarcastic comment dismissing what someone else has said as an obvious, unnecessary statement. Example: “You say John is a slut; what else is new?”

whatever! I don’t care, I’m not concerned, or I have no opinion. Example: “You’re going to jump off that building? Whatever!” 2. draw your own conclusion. Example: “You don’t believe I’m going to jump off that building? Whatever!”

what goes around comes around or what comes around goes around hippie occult philosophy believing that there is a balance in everything that happens. Karma. Simply, if one loses something, one will find something to take its place; if one is unkind to someone, someone else will be unkind to them in return, and vice versa.

“What if they gave a war and nobody came?” an anti-war poster slogan that first appeared around 1969. Originally written by German playwright and poet Berthold Brecht (1898–1956).

what is it with you? what’s wrong with you? Have you gone crazy? Why are you doing that?

what it is! or it is! a question, statement, or greeting. How is everything? Everything is OK. 2. everything is the truth or everything is what it is. A comment on the obvious.

what’s going down? a greeting. The same as asking, “What’s happening?”

*what’s happening? the most common greeting of the era.

what’s shaking, what’s shakin’, or what’s been shaking? a greeting. The same as asking, “what’s happening?” Shaking is activity, any form of happening.

what’s the scam? a greeting or a genuine inquiry into what’s going on. Example: “What’s happening? What’s the scam going down?” Scam is usually used to indicate some nefarious activity, but in this usage it is sarcasm only and merely means occurrence.

what’s the word? a greeting. From “what’s the good word?”

what’s up? a greeting. Most of these greetings, especially this one, were never meant to be answered except by a grunt or an unspecific greeting in return. Originally an African American term of the 1950s, often pronounced “wassup,” it evolved into common use in the rap and youth culture of the 1990s.

what’s your sign? what is your astrological sign? This little bit originated as a sincere effort to initiate conversation about astrology, yet it soon became the focus of sarcasm as one of the most used and abused pick-up lines. At one time, shallow guys thought asking a girl her zodiac birth sign was a good way to convince her they were sensitive and groovy.

what were you thinking? you must have been out of your mind. Basically, it means that you did something without thinking about the consequences. Example: “What were you thinking when you drank the lava lamp?”

what you see is what you get I am what I am. There is no hidden agenda. Example: “If you want Paul Newman, you’re out of luck; what you see is what you get.” A phrase made popular by comedian Flip Wilson.

wheel and deal to do business, to scam, or to barter.

wheel of life called samsara, in Hinduism and occult terminology, it is the chain of life, birth and rebirth, discarnation and reincarnation. It is continued endlessly until self-realization is achieved. 2. a wheel depicted in Tibetan illustrations, representing the basic beliefs of reincarnation found in Lamaism. The continual circumference of the wheel symbolizes immortality; the three parts of the hub symbolize the three great vices: ignorance, lust, and anger. To fall victim to any of these can commit the transgressor to reincarnation as an insect or other lower life form in the next life. The six wheel spokes symbolize the six important divisions of life and religion: the gods, the demigods, hell, the tortured souls, human beings, and animals.

wheel of prayer or prayer wheel a small, barrel-shaped device made of wood or metal, used in Tibetan prayer. Written prayers to Buddha are placed inside the wheel. Each turn of the wheel is believed to repeat the prayers over and over to Buddha. Large wheels are used for the prayers of an entire community.

wheels a car or any conveyance with wheels used for transportation.

when you’re hot, you’re hot a complimentary statement. A pronouncement of the obvious, used for communicational emphasis. When you’re good, you’re good; when you’re on, you’re on, etc. It also infers, conversely, that when you are not hot or good then you are, of course, cold or bad.

where (someone’s) coming from a person’s motives, what their actions mean, what makes a person who they are. Example: “I don’t know where Jane’s coming from; she’s not bathing anymore.”

where (one’s) head is at a person’s perspective, what someone is thinking. Example: “He’s not the same since she left; I don’t know where his head is at.”

where it’s at!? a statement/question used as a greeting. Jive talk, not really meant to be answered. Example: “Where it’s at, man, how’s it hanging?” 2. a colloquial shortening for “that’s where it is” used primarily for emphasis, not as a specific direction to something lost or sought out. The “it” is usually nonspecific, insider knowledge, or information meaning that the person is cool. Example: “I don’t know where it is, but I know where it’s at.” —Ken Kesey

where (someone) lives the value system of an individual. Someone’s most private and personal thoughts. Examples: “Don’t criticize his artwork, that’s where he lives.” “It’s clear you don’t know where she lives. She’s really a very spiritual person.”

where’s it at?! a question/statement used as a greeting. Jive talk, not really meant to be answered. Not always the same usage as where it’s at!? One of the most blatant, overused colloquial massacres of the English language, and one that must be included in this otherwise scholarly publication.

where’s the action? where’s the party? Action is anything exciting.

where the action is the place where a party or some such activity is located.

where to get off a verbal put-down, a suggestion for someone to get lost. I believe it must have come from “to tell someone where to get off the bus.” Example: “If he makes fun of my tie-dye socks, I’ll tell him where to get off.”

whiff a euphemism for any sensual recognition. Usually experienced in the pursuit of sexual gratification. The tempting odor of perfume, the smell of body oil, or, if you like, the musk of uncensored feminine scent. Example: “Did you get a whiff of her? She’s my favorite flavor.” 2. a miss. The sound of a baseball bat as it misses a pitched ball. Example: “What a whiff! He missed that mosquito by a mile.”

whip it a euphemism for masturbation.

whip it out to take out one’s penis.

whip it to me give me sex. 2. give it to me (anything, not exclusively sex).

whipped short for pussy-whipped. Pussy-whipped indicates the state of a man who is so emotionally wrapped up in a woman that he becomes overly subservient to her. Pussy refers to the female genitals. 2. emotionally beaten by a person or a situation. Formerly a physical circumstance, it took on an emotional definition during the 1960s and ’70s.

whipped cream a reference to the sexual game of applying whipped cream to body parts and having a partner lick it off.

whirling dervishes (See: dervishes)

Whiskey-A-Go-Go officially considered one of the first discos, it opened on January 15, 1964, on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The owner was Elmer Valentine. Famous for its go-go dancers wearing short dresses of sequins and metallic fringe, some of whom danced in cages suspended above the floor. Although known for disco, it was for a long time one of the best live music venues in the Los Angeles area. Groups like the Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd played early gigs there. Originally, the term go-go came from the French “a gogo,” loosely meaning “galore.” There was once a Parisian club called Whiskey a Gogo.

White, Dan Dan White shot and killed gay San Francisco City District Supervisor Harvey Milk and straight City Mayor George Moscone on November 27, 1978. White, an ex-policeman and former San Francisco supervisor himself, was disturbed by what he thought was the city’s favoritism toward the gay community. He served 5½ years in prison and committed suicide on Oct. 21, 1985, after his release. (See: Twinkie defense)

white and white lady slang for cocaine or heroin.

white or white of you pure or saintly. Often used sarcastically. Examples: “How white, donating your bras to the convent charity auction.” “How white of you to give up sex for the weekend.”

white bread a person so conservative as to be sanitized and as “American as white bread.” White bread being artificially pure, bleached, and stripped of nutritional value, as opposed to whole wheat bread. 2. a Black term for White people. 3. a Black term for a White woman who is the object of sexual desire.

white collar or white-collar worker an office worker. During the hippie era, it carried a negative connotation along with ill feelings toward capitalism. The counterculture used this term in reaction to the conservative, earlier prejudice against blue-collar and trade workers.

white crosses or whites over-the-counter ephedrine. A.k.a. cross tops. (See: amphetamines)

white knuckles an indication of fear or anxiety. Refers to a fist clenched tightly in fear. Example: “As his VW van ventured onto the freeway, he clutched the steering wheel with white knuckles and vocalized a reverent ohm mantra.”

white light awakening, realization, inner knowledge. The flash of understanding and the moment of awareness. The educational aspect of drugs, the mind-expanding and mind-altering moment. A term for psychedelic awareness.

white lightning a clear, homemade “bootleg” corn liquor usually possessing over 100 proof potency. Often so high in alcohol content that it is flammable. 2. a form of LSD.

white magic the use of supernormal powers and abilities for the unselfish benefit of others.

white meat a Black term for a White woman.

white port lemon juice (WPLJ) a fabled and possibly fictional alcoholic beverage with origins in the African American culture. A termed used in the hippie era to describe any strange wine or beverage. The name of a song recorded by the Four Deuces in 1955, re-recorded by Frank Zappa around 1968, and featured on several of his albums. The song was written by R. Dobard and L. McDaniels.

White supremacists a brotherhood of individuals who believe in the supremacy of the White, or Caucasian, race. Also known as Aryan Nation.

white trash a term used to describe poor, low class, uneducated Caucasians.

whitey a Black term for a White person.

Who, the a British rock band formed in London in 1964, Pete Townshend (b. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend, May 19, 1945, London), gtr., voc.; Roger Daltrey (b. Mar. 1, 1944, London), voc.; John Entwistle (b. Oct. 9, 1944, London; ; d. Oct. 27, 2002, Las Vegas, Nev.), bass, French horn, voc.; Keith Moon (b. Aug. 23, 1947, London; d. Sept. 7, 1978, London), drums. Initially a mod band, they evolved into one of the best things out of England, almost in a category with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. They were more socially conscious than most heavy rock bands; working class with an intellectual attitude. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

whodo a shadowy person or a spirit of unknown origin. 2. a woman of attractive, yet elusive, nature.

Whole Earth Catalog: Access to Tools a publication that listed and advertised hundreds of sources for alternative lifestyle products, religious organizations, and counterculture businesses. It leaned heavily toward ecological, spiritual, and holistic interests. Created by Stewart Brand, it was published by the Portola Institute, in Menlo Park, California. The Portola Institute was established in 1966 as a nonprofit corporation to encourage, organize, and conduct innovative educational projects; it began publishing the catalog shortly thereafter. The Whole Earth Catalog at one point was published six times a year, two in its large, tabloid-size format, and four times a year in smaller format. (See also: back-to-the-earth)

whole enchilada the complete thing, all of something. A lot of something. A term relating to the Mexican food. Example: “Gram has a lot of sound equipment; I mean he has the whole enchilada.”

whole food foods in their unrefined state, or produced with minimal processing, such as cereals made without white flour or white sugar. Generally refers to grains, such as brown rice or whole wheat. Favored by those looking for a holistic way of life, whole foods contain much more nutrition than heavily refined foods, and when they are marketed as such, are also organic as well. (See: health food and macrobiotics)

whole lot of shit or whole lotta’ shit a lot of stuff. Not necessarily negative in this usage, nor does it infer that this is bad or unwanted stuff.

whole lotta’ shit or whole lotta’ shit going down trouble.

whole lotta’ shaking or whole lotta’ shaking going on activity. A party, dancing, or sexual activity. From the 1957 song of the same name by Jerry Lee Lewis.

whole ’nother thing the implication of a misunderstanding. Example: “I’m not talking ’bout that. I’m saying a whole ’nother thing.” Black American slang.

whole shmear or shmeer, schmeer, etc. all of something, the whole thing. Schmeer is a Yiddish word similar to stuff or pile of stuff.

who would’ve thunk it? the recognition of an unexpected occurrence, the acknowledgment of a surprising development. A colloquial expression most likely from Black American slang. Example: “The sidewalk connoisseur drank the whole bottle of mad dog; who would’ve thunk it?”

“Who you jiving with that cosmic debris?” the lyrics to a Frank Zappa song about people talking too much new age, metaphysical, cosmic bullshit.

wick the penis. Example: “Did you dip your wick last night?”

wicked exceptional, very good, outrageous. A previously negative word used as a positive. Example: “That was a wicked stirfry, man! What were those little pink flowers?”

wife-swapping exchanging marital partners for sexual purposes. Talk about a politically incorrect term! It infers that the wife is an item of chattel that can be loaned to another man without her agreement. I prefer to call it marital partner-swapping. This cultural phenomenon of the late 1960s to early ’70s was most often a male fantasy, suggested by the male of the family, yet entered into mutually by both partners of a marriage. It must be mentioned that most wives indulged as a concession to their husbands. Largely a product of the influence of hippie free-love activity adopted by married, straight society. The book and movie Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, but Were Afraid to Ask (1972) and the movie Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice (1969) introduced the interest and possibility, which, I believe, already lay beneath the surface. For the most part, it was an experiment in discarding inhibitions; the idea was good, but within this suppressed society, the activity was a disaster for relationships, causing many marriage breakups and even violent confrontations. The concept of open marriage exists in some tribal cultures, but it is a difficult reality for couples with backgrounds of monogamy, jealousy, and Christian morality against sex outside of procreation.

wig head.

wiggy strange, crazy. Crazy in the head. Example: “My grandfather was wiggy for weeks after the nitrous oxide at the dentist.”

*wig out to go crazy, to go out of your head.

wild, wild-ass, or wild-assed fun, exciting, or crazy. Example: “That was a wild-ass party at the Knights of Pithius Hall last night; everyone got wild-assed and crazy.”

wild hair or wild hair up one’s ass an imaginary hair that supposedly tickles a person’s ass and makes them wild and crazy. Example: “George got a wild hair up his ass and became Georgina at the Knights of Pithius party.”

wild thing, the sexual intercourse.

wild thing (do the) to have sexual intercourse.

Wilkins, Roy (1901–81) executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 1955–77. Instrumental in the landmark school desegregation case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954; fought hard for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One of the most articulate spokesmen for the civil rights movement. (See: Civil Rights Events, Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Williams, Hank (b. Hiram Williams, Sept. 17, 1923, Mount Olive, Ala.; d. Jan. 1, 1953, Oak Hill, W. Va.) the father of country music angst and lovesick blues. With songs like “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” he set the benchmark for many songwriters to come. People like Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and a multitude of others were greatly influenced by the music of Hank Williams. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as an early influence.

willie the penis. Example: “Don’t get your willie caught in the wrong house.”

Wilson, Brian (1942– ) the leader of the Beach Boys and oldest of the Wilson brothers. The disturbed genius of surf music and the California sound. Who knows if he would have accomplished as much as he has if his father had not been such a driving and disturbing force. Or maybe Brian would have done more. Among musicians, he is considered a creative genius and one of the leaders in creating the psychedelic sound. Yet, to those of us who just love all music, he is merely the guy who wrote about a dozen of the best songs of any teenager’s life. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Wilson, Jackie (b. June 9, 1934, Detroit, Mich.; d. Jan. 21, 1984, Mount Holly, New Jersey) a Black singer who was one of the most prolific producers of hit soul and popular rock songs throughout the 1960s. His style influenced many other singers, and he provided the background for a great deal of romance during the era.

Wilson, Wes one of the most popular psychedelic poster and comic book artists of the era. He created many handbills for Bill Graham’s productions, including the first one, for the Trips Festival in January 1966. Many of the most recognizable Fillmore Auditorium posters were his work. Wilson is credited with introducing what is now considered psychedelic lettering to rock promotion. He developed the style by adapting some work he saw by an earlier Viennese calligrapher, Alfred Roller.

*wimp or whimp someone who is shy, ineffectual, or weak.

wimpy shy, ineffectual, or weak. It can be an inanimate object that is structurally weak.

wind chimes pieces of metal, glass, pottery, or wood hung in such a manner that a breeze causes them to blow together, creating a pleasant and soothing musical sound. Originally an Asian creation.

windowpane a form of LSD, mixed and poured into flat, transparent gelatin sheets and later, after drying, cut into tiny, less than ¼-inch-square hits for ingestion.

wine fermented grape juice; “lubricant for the creative mind.”

winkle pickers pointed-toed boots or shoes. A British invasion term. Sometimes called fruit boots or Beatle boots, they were stylish footwear worn primarily by mods. Winkle is a British term for an edible mollusk, which is extracted from its shell with a sharp, pointed tool called a winkle picker. That’s how these pointed shoes got the name.

winner a person, place, or thing that is appreciated. Example: “He says his willie is a winner at every party he takes it to.”

wino someone who is addicted to alcohol, usually wine. Usually also refers to someone who is homeless as well.

Winter, Johnny (b. Feb. 23, 1944, Leland, Miss.) a talented White blues guitarist.

Winwood, Steve (b. May 12, 1948, Birmingham, Eng.) a keyboardist and singer of extreme talent and creativity. Winwood attracts other good musicians and has played with some of the best artists and groups, such as Eric Clapton, Powerhouse, and the Spencer Davis Group. In 1967, he formed Traffic with people such as Dave Mason and Rick Grech, and in 1969, he was a member of the short-lived “supergroup” Blind Faith, with Clapton, Grech, and Ginger Baker. Winwood continues to record and produce solid popular rhythm and blues hits.

wipeout or wiped out an accident or consequence. Physically or mentally depleted, damaged, or destroyed. A surfer term originally meaning to lose control and fall off one’s surfboard.

*wired high on drugs or just naturally energized and excited. Comes from electric wires, as in being “plugged in” to an electric current. This is a very hippie term; I find no reference to it before the hippie era.

wired (to have something) to be very good at something. Able to do something very well. From plugged in. Example: “Jim’s got it wired; he knows all the I Ching’s 64 hexagrams by heart.”

wire-rimmed glasses also called John Lennon glasses because he wore them for a time. They were actually fashioned after the glasses dispensed by the thousands through the British government’s socialized medical system. Different from the other most popular style of glasses during the hippie era, “granny glasses,” which were six-sided and rimless.

wisdom religion pragmatic religion or a spiritual philosophy based on intellect rather than faith alone. The secret doctrine on which all occult and esoteric teachings are based. Often called Western Zen and related to Theosophy.

-wise suffix an addition to a word that resolves the need for a series of other descriptive words. Introduced into our language around 1969. Example: “In regard to his career” becomes “careerwise.” Other examples: healthwise, fashionwise, atmosphere-wise.

wise ass someone who is arrogant. A person who thinks that he or she knows it all. The use of the word ass is merely for emphasis.

wise up get smart. Accept the facts and the inevitable.

witch a person, male or female, who practices black magic or sorcery with the aid of evil spirits or familiars. From an earlier word wick, meaning to bend or shape. Witches may be said to bend reality.

witchcraft the art or practice of black magic or sorcery with the aid of evil spirits or familiars.

witch doctor an English term used to describe various male or female medical and spiritual practitioners in numerous cultures. In our ignorance, we use the negative term witch, yet such individuals are usually considered positive forces in their communities. 2. a medicine man or magician who cures illness, detects demons, and exorcises evil spirits. (See: shaman)

withdrawal the process of ridding the body of the chemicals from a drug habit. The process of overcoming psychological and emotional dependence upon a drug.

*with it appropriate, suitable, proper; possibly derived from the opposite of “without a clue.”

without a clue ignorant of what is going on. Example: “I’m without a clue as to what ‘breath of fire’ is.”

with the territory (comes or goes) what you get as part of the bargain, something endemic to a situation. In this instance, territory is more of a situation or mental state than a physical location. Another example of a phrase, once used only in the realm of the physical, gaining use during the hippie era to describe a state of mind or emotional place.

wizz or whizz to urinate.

wolf an active sexual predator.

wolf down to eat quickly.

Wolfe, Tom (b. Mar. 2, 1931) author, journalist, scholar, artist, and personality. Wolfe is one of the most important writers of the hippie era in that his books were an objective chronicle of the times, its people and activities. An original and one of the most successful proponents of the stream-of-consciousness form of writing, Wolfe’s easy descriptive style and informed use of the vernacular of his subjects positioned him as a storyteller from within the story. Not technically a hippie himself, he was still objective and sympathetic to the attitudes of the era. Wolfe is a master of the “aural” style of writing, which draws the reader into a personal association with the events and subjects of the story. Beginning in journalism, Wolfe contributed to The Washington Post, New York magazine, Esquire, and Harpers. His first book was the 1965 self-illustrated collection of essays about the West Coast custom car fraternity entitled The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby. His 1968 classic story about fellow writer Ken Kesey, LSD, and the counterculture, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, was the most descriptive essay on the hippie era to date. Two of his outstanding books, both made into movies, were the 1979 The Right Stuff, about the space race and its personalities; and the 1987 novel The Bonfire of the Vanities. Tom Wolfe has published many other articles, essays, and books along the way and is still a major force in literature and journalism.

wolf tickets something bad or rejected. A Northeast regional term.

women’s lib or women’s movement the women’s liberation movement. The 1960s and ’70s saw a renewed effort to advance the cause of women’s rights, which had begun in the early part of the century. The primary goals of women’s lib in the hippie era were to secure access to abortion, ensure equal pay for equal work in the job market, and create tax-supported child care centers to help single women gain economic independence. The terms women’s liberation movement and the feminist movement can be considered interchangeable; both are dedicated to the conviction that women should enjoy the same social, economic, and political rights as those of men. During the 1960s and ’70s, women again tried to obtain passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a constitutional amendment first drafted on July, 21 1923, which would legally assure women’s equality with men. In 1972, the ERA was passed by Congress, but in order to become law it had to be ratified by popular vote in two-thirds of the states of the union. In 1972, it was put to the vote and fell three states short of the 38 needed to pass. The amendment has never been ratified, but many of the goals of the women’s movement have been accomplished through other means. Other ideological conditions of women’s liberation have not been reached to the satisfaction of the hippie era idealism. Primary women’s lib leaders of the era were Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, and Gloria Steinem. (See also: Women’s Movement Events, Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in the Lists at the end of this book)

women’s movement basic definitions

women’s liberation the modern women’s suffrage movement of the early 1960s, whose goals were to ensure access to abortion, equal pay for equal work for women, and tax-supported child care centers. Their goal was to reach a place of equality with men. The movement was exemplified by the National Organization of Women (NOW).

feminists a women’s group whose goal was to maintain separate understanding, while achieving political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

radical feminists a faction of the feminist movement whose goal, some would say, was to achieve dominance over men. In actuality, this group used radical words and actions to shake up the sensibility of others, bringing attention to the problems of women and promoting self-respect and acceptance.

lesbians women who prefer to share love and sex with other women.

women in the stock market women were first accepted as members of the American Stock Exchange in 1965 in the New York companies of J. M. Walsh and P. K. S. Peterson.

Wonder, Stevie (b. Stevenland Judkins Morris, May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Mich.) one of the most successful of all musicians in the 1960s and ’70s, he started out as a 12-year-old soul singer in 1963 and grew to be one of the most innovative writers and performers of the 1970s. His music contained social consciousness, yet provided some of the most danceable sounds of the era. Everyone was influenced by him, Michael Jackson being at the front of the line. Blind from infancy, his vision turned to music at an early age. He is one of the few recording artists who has produced songs on which he played all of the instruments. Stevie Wonder is a strong advocate of nonviolent political change and is considered one of the nicest guys in the entertainment business.

won’t go there a refusal to comment. A statement of reluctance to discuss a subject. Example: “You mentioned her knee pads? I won’t go there.”

won’t quit something consistent, persistent, or unending. Example: “I have a headache that won’t quit, from a roommate with a Velvet Underground habit.”

Woodstock “3 Days of Peace & Music,” August 15, 16, and 17, 1969. A music and art festival on a 600-acre dairy farm outside Woodstock, New York, owned by Max Yasgur. Over 400,000 people attended. Some of the performers were Richie Havens; the Grateful Dead; Joan Baez; Jefferson Airplane; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; the Who; Janis Joplin; Jimi Hendrix; Credence Clearwater Revival; Joe Cocker, and the Band. Michael Lang was the creator of the concept and the executive producer of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Without his laid-back style of tenacity, the greatest rock festival of the age would not have happened, let alone have created the cosmic impact it did. The festival’s creation by hundreds of dedicated individuals is a story of incredible karma, luck, and cooperation. The festival was bankrolled by two young New York entrepreneurs, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman. Actually, the money came from Roberts’ inheritance trust fund, on which he borrowed heavily. Artie Kornfeld, a songwriter/record company A&R man, was Lang’s partner and was involved in publicity. Director of operations Mel Lawrence was of primary importance to Woodstock’s success. Wes Pomeroy, an establishment police officer, was chief of security, and his sympathy toward the audience and cool head helped to keep the festival as peaceful as it was. Stanley Goldstein, campgrounds coordinator; John Morris, production coordinator; and Chip Monck, lighting and tech designer, were responsible in large part for making it all happen. Hugh Romney (Wavy Gravy) and his Hog Farm were involved in spirit, construction, and security. As Wavy said, “cream pies and seltzer bottles” were the weapons used by his security force for crowd control at Woodstock. Abbie Hoffman was “in charge” of atmosphere. Woodstock was a bright spot in the era, and much has been written about this festival. To put it into the perspective of the time, 27 days before Woodstock, Neal Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon; seven days before the festival, the Manson Family killed actress Sharon Tate and four others in Beverly Hills, California.

Woodstock nation a term coined by Abbie Hoffman in 1969 in reference to the Woodstock music festival as a country in itself. It was also an ideal held by many that the attitudes of coexistence and peace exhibited at the festival would be a great foundation for a country.

Woodsy Owl USDA forest service mascot introduced in 1970 to teach children about environmentalism—at least to the extent the U.S. government cares about it. Woodsy started out in response to the blossoming environmental movement.

Poor Woodsy’s cousins live in California, where the lumber industry is currently starting to log again to “study” the effects of habitat removal on endangered owls. Remember, kids, “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute!” Or as Woodsy now says, “Lend a Hand - Care for the Land!” A visit to the Sierra Club’s (or other environmental group’s) website will inform you of current environmental concerns. Keep the faith; protect your Mother Earth. (See: clearcutting)

Woodward and Bernstein Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two Washington Post reporters who pressed the story of the Watergate break-in, which eventually brought about Nixon’s resignation of the presidency. Their reporting won the 1973 public service Pulitzer Prize for the paper.

woofer the bass speaker in a set of stereo speakers.

woolly morning glory (See: Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds)

work (someone) to manipulate someone. 2. to manipulate someone into having a sexual relationship.

workaholic someone who is addicted to work. A term that appeared in our lexicon around 1971. A.k.a. type A personality.

worked up excited.

working class blue-collar workers. In the counterculture, it came to mean “simple” working people who labor unselfishly for family and society. Similar to the proletariat, a Marxist term meaning industrial worker.

workin’ on it making an effort to accomplish something. Often said in sarcasm to a request that one does not intend to fulfill. Sometimes it has a sexual context, the same as hustling.

work it or work it on out move, dance, shake your ass.

work it out come to terms, find a solution.

work out exercise. To be physically active.

work over to physically or psychologically attack someone.

works intravenous drug paraphernalia, usually a syringe, a length of rubber tube for tying off a vein, and a spoon for heating the water and drug solution.

works for me or that works for me a statement of approval or commitment. Examples: “You want to give me a back rub? Works for me!” “You want me to give you a back rub? That works for me!”

world-class the best. A person, place, or accomplishment worthy of international fame. Exceptional. Example: “He has a world-class arrogance, and she’s a world-class beauty; with that combination, society will surely give them their own TV show.”

worm a derogatory term for a person. Someone considered to be a lower form of human life.

worst-case scenario the least desirable set of circumstances possible. The last thing one wants to experience.

worst, the an undesirable situation, place, or person.

Wounded Knee on February 27, 1973, 250 members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized and occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota. They demanded an inquiry into the U.S. government’s treatment of Native Americans. The occupation lasted 71 days. Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota, is the site of a massacre by U.S. Cavalry soldiers of 300 Sioux Indians on December 29, 1890. The original Wounded Knee incident in 1890 was prompted by the government’s prohibition of Native American’s performing religious ceremonies, such as the Ghost Dance. The U.S. government was saying in essence that the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion did not extend to Native Americans.

*wow! an exclamation that verbalizes an inner realization to oneself. Example: “Wow, like, I really dig her, you know?” Even with all the jokes about this word, it is still one of the most frequently used terms from the hippie culture.

woyk work. The pronunciation used in most blues, R&B, and rock and roll songs of the 1960s and ’70s.

woyld world. The pronunciation used in most blues, R&B, and rock and roll songs of the 1960s and ’70s.

Woz the nickname of Steve Wozniak, a founding member of the Homebrew Computer Club and cofounder with Steve Jobs of Apple. Considered to be the foremost hacker in its positive definition.

W.P.L.J. (See: white port lemon juice)

wrecked mentally or physical damaged. Tired, drunk, or under the influence of drugs.

Wright, Richard (1908–60) Black American author who wrote the book Native Son, which was an inspiration for many civil rights leaders.

written invitation a suggestion or request. Not literally a written document, but a sarcastic verbal reference to an unresponsive attitude. Example: “What do you want, a written invitation? Get over to her house before she changes her mind.”

wuss someone who is weak or easily antagonized. Usually a description of a weak man, and seldom used to describe a woman. The term wuss, by some definitions, means the feminine genitals. Directed at a man, this term has the same meaning as pussy.

X

X a kiss. At the end of a personal letter, X’s represent kisses and O’s, hugs. 2. the sign of death. Used in place of eyes on dead comic book characters. 3. (See: ecstasy)

Xanadu a traditional name of a magic place of literary memory. 2. a computer term meaning an “information processing system,” coined by Ted Nelson.

xenophobe one who fears the unknown, strangers, or foreigners. Not a new word emanating from the hippie era, yet it exemplified the opposite attitude of the hippie life. The beginning of the cold war, the Eisenhower years, and the Ozzie and Harriet 1950s were what the hippies were rebelling against. Fear and distrust of “those other people,” hatred of other cultures and religions, and national chauvinism were the sickness of the mid-20th century created and fomented by WWII and the cold war. The hippie movement opened the door a crack, released us from our self-imposed isolation, and allowed others to enter and dismantle our self-made ignorance.

Xibalba the underworld of the religion of the Quiché Indians of Central America.

XL combination of ecstasy and LSD.

X marks the spot this is the place. Example: “X marks the spot of my worst failure.”

X out, X’d out eliminated. The letter X is pronounced, not to be confused with “crossed out.” Example: “She’s getting bored; you can X out that boyfriend.”

XTC (See: ecstasy)

X-rated considered sexually explicit. A situation considered obscene by certain moral standards. X in this case means restricted or prohibited. Example: “His whole life is X-rated.”

Y

ya’ dig? or you dig? do you understand? Example: “Ya’ dig? Do you hear what I’m saying?” A friendly question. One of those phrases with subtle meanings, depending on the vocal inflection.

yagé a South American hallucinogenic drink made from an Amazonian vine called the visionary vine, vine of souls, or vine of death. Inspired William Burroughs to try his hand at entheotourism in 1951. His letters to Allen Ginsberg were the beginnings of the epistolary novel The Yagé Letters. Ginsberg later experimented with yagé on his own, and some of his musings are also contained in this book. In The Yagé Letters, one can see the seeds of the later Burroughs novel The Naked Lunch. (See: ayahuasca)

yak or yack boring or excessive talk. Example: “He likes to yak a lot.”

yakee Puinave Indian word for snuff containing DMT, which in this case is said to come from the botanical source Virola spp. or Theobroma subincanum (cacao).

yakety-yak a derogatory description of someone’s excessive or boring conversation. Example: “Yakety-yak, don’t talk back,” from the 1958 song by the Coasters.

yang Chinese name of the maker and active male force of the universe. In Neo-Confucianism, yin and yang constitute the vital forces of the universe.

yank (someone’s) chain to annoy, embarrass, or offend someone. To make someone take notice. Same as pull someone’s chain. Example: “Zappa wrote his music to yank society’s chain.”

yard one hundred dollars.

Yardbirds, the a guitar-oriented blues rock band formed in London in 1963, most notable for the musicians who moved through the group and on to do other things. The band was originally called the Most Blueswailing Yardbirds; they recorded with blues legend Sonny Boy Williams and had several hit songs in 1965 and ’66. Their rotating lead guitarists were Anthony “Top” Topham, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.

yato Kuripako Indian word for snuff containing DMT, which in this case is said to come from the botanical source Virola spp.

yazoo a nonspecific place or part of the anatomy. Usually refers to the anal passage. Similar usage as kazoo, wazoo, or ying yang. Example: “He’s got money up the yazoo.”

yeah yes.

yellow fearful, afraid, having “no guts.”

yellow bullets, yellow dolls, yellow jackets, or yellows Nembutal. A name-brand depressant in yellow capsules. Chemical ingredient: pentobarbital sodium.

Yellow Submarine the 1968 cartoon movie based on the Beatles’ music. Produced in England and directed by Gordon Douglas. It featured psychedelic visual effects and such characters as the Blue Meanies, who disrupted the tranquility of Pepperland and were vanquished by the Beatles as Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “Yellow Submarine” is also the title of a 1966 Beatles song with Ringo singing lead.

yellow sunshine a popular form of LSD.

yen a desire for something. 2. in drug parlance, the hunger for heroin.

yin Chinese name of the passive female energy of the universe. Also considered the negative force of the universe.

yin-yang or yin and yang the two forces of the universe. The Chinese theory of balance. Yin is the passive, negative force considered female; and yang is the active, positive force thought to be male. It is said that everything in the universe contains one or the other of these forces, and many things are influenced by both forces. A man has both yin and yang, as does a woman, only in different proportions depending on their personalities. In Neo-Confucianism, yin and yang constitute the vital forces or material principles of the universe. Sometimes erroneously pronounced as “ying yang.”

ying yang a mispronunciation and incorrect spelling of the Chinese term yin yang. 2. a unspecified place or part of the anatomy; most likely, the anal passage. Possibly derived from a mispronunciation of the Chinese term yin yang. Similar usage as kazoo, wazoo and yazoo. Example: “He’s got money up the ying yang.”

YIP (See: Youth International Party)

Yippies the nickname given members of the Youth International Party.

yoga a yoke, to join, a union. In Hindu religion, the “Vehicle for Realization,” a series of exercises and disciplines designed to bring a person to a level of mental and physical peace and power. Remember to distinguish among yoga, yuga, yogi, Yogi Berra, and Yogi Bear; it can get confusing. Some of the following definitions are interchangeable or repetitious. There are different opinions as to the names, yet the following list is as concise as possible:

hatha yoga deals chiefly with the disciplines of breathing and of body exercise. Ha is understood to mean inhaling, and tha, to mean exhaling.

bhakti yoga, devotion, the path of love and devotion to God.

karma yoga, action, the path of action through selfless service. Karma is the law of action and reaction.

raja yoga, the way to God through psychological exercise.

japa yoga or mantra yoga, an extension of raja yoga. Japa yoga is the repetition of a mantra.

jnana yoga, the path to God through self-analysis and awareness.

laya yoga, the path through mind control and mastery of self-will.

kriya yoga, the yoga of action, the path through self-control in daily life.

tantra yoga, the sexual yoga that teaches a highly ritualized sexual union, which brings man and woman together to be divine beings. The devolving of one’s ego through union with another.

kundalini yoga, the path to expanded psychic powers through breathing and other aspects of hatha and raja yoga. Awakening the serpent or reproductive system in the base of the spine. Involves the chakras or energy centers. Sometimes called royal yoga.

yogi a master who teaches yoga. Yoda in the Star Wars series is everyone’s favorite yogi.

yohimbe a tea from the bark of an African tree. Considered an aphrodisiac for men, it actually stimulates the penile muscles. Similar to kava kava in effects.

yo’ mama or (less used) your mama an insult. Thought to mean your mother is a whore or your mother wears Army boots. Example: “You think you’re hot shit? Yo’ mama.”

yopo word used in the Orinoco river basin for snuff containing DMT, which in this case is said to come from the botanical source Anadenanthera peregrina.

yopo beans (yopa) the South American legume from which dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is synthesized. (See: yakee)

you ain’t said nothin’ what you say is wrong; your opinion is of no importance. This fine example of philosophical double negative is used by a person who normally might not misuse the English language, but who will verbalize in this manner to create the impression that he is cool and you are not.

“You’re either on the bus or off the bus” —Ken Kesey.

1964. Big Sur. Bus parked next to a couple cabins, pranksters lolling in the sun, Hagen getting his hair cut. The Chief comes out to find the motorcycle gone. Sandy had taken it along with the 2 track ampex tape recorder. When queried what to do, the Chief shrugged, “You’re either on the bus or off the bus.”

1999. Drain Oregon. Bus broken down alongside I-5. Newly rebuilt engine froze up, exuding steam. George checking damage below. The Chief peers under, comes up and addresses the surrounding pranksters: “You’re either on the bus or under the bus.” (Related to the author by Ken Babbs, 2003.)

Unlike George W. Bush’s statement, “You’re either with us or against us,” Kesey’s remark is a statement of fact or a warning, but not a threat. As with everything Ken Kesey ever said, there are many deep meanings available. He is one of the true scholars of the latter half of the 20th century and possibly a savior of the future.

“You are hereby directed to present yourself for Armed Forces Physical Examination to the Local Board named above by reporting at:…” these were the dreaded words that began the draft induction notice received by thousands of 18-year-old boys during the Vietnam War. Selective Service and registration requirements for America’s young men have served as a backup system to provide manpower to the U.S. armed forces for over 50 years. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which created the country’s first peacetime draft and formally established the Selective Service System as an independent federal agency. From 1948 until 1973, during times of peace and war, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the armed forces that were not filled through voluntary means. In 1973, the draft ended, and the U.S. converted to an all-volunteer military. Registration requirements were suspended in April 1975, but resumed in 1980 by President Carter in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Registration continues today as a guard against underestimation of the number of servicemen needed for future crises.

you are what you eat a reminder to eat healthy food. During the hippie era, a very strong health consciousness awakened and grew among young people. It was connected to the back-to-the-earth movement and many Eastern religious medical beliefs. The view that one’s body was a temple became common during this period of time. The phrase “you are what you eat” is most likely an old proverb, yet it became widely reused by the counterculture of the era.

you better believe it it’s the truth; I’m telling the truth.

you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs it is not possible to create without some destruction. One must create some mess or desecration in order to produce something else of value. An old French proverb.

you can say that again what you said is correct. You are right.

you dig? or ya’ dig? do you understand? Example: “Ya’ dig? Do you hear what I’m saying?” Dig means to understand.

you don’t want to know! a sarcastic comment about a problem or misfortune. Often, something that the speaker actually can’t wait to tell you about.

you got a problem with that? a question in confrontational form. It implies, “What are you going to do about what I just said or did?”

you got that right you’re correct.

*you know?! (ya’ know or y’know) a superfluous exclamation that, although couched as a question, is really a statement or confirmation. Example: “Like, I really dig her, you know?” From “Do you know what I’m saying?” Actually a product of the 1950s beat movement, it came into popular use in the 1960s. By listening closely to conversations, one will realize that you know is the most commonly used phrase in the American language. The word like, and the phrases I mean and you know, dominated hippie conversation and are used to excess even today. If you don’t agree, start counting the number of times in a conversation that like, you know, and I mean are said. What is strange about these exclamations is that, even though they have no real bearing on the conversation, they once indicated a desire, newfound during the hippie era, to communicate with clarity and understanding. When someone punctuated a sentence with you know, they were, in essence, making sure that the listener was paying attention and understood what was being said. Like, you know, and I mean are also often used as pauses to create time to think about what to say next. In this day and age, they have become obstacles to communication, since many people use them far too often. My favorite non-sentence of the hippie era is, “I mean … like … you know!?”

young blood a young person who is just beginning to smoke marijuana.

your own thing a favorite interest or activity. Example “I don’t like safety pins through the eyelids myself, but that’s cool, you got to have your own thing.”

your thing a habit or activity one enjoys. The emphasis is on the word “thing.” Example: “It’s too messy for me, but that’s your thing.”

your way a person’s own desires. Personal choices.

you said it a statement of agreement. Example: “You said it, man; I agree.”

you the man you’re number one, you’re the best. You’re my friend.

Young, Andrew, Jr. executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1964–70; first Black U.S. ambassador to the UN; member of the House and Senate from 1973–79; mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1981–89. (See: Civil Rights Events, Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book)

Young, Neil (b. Nov. 12, 1945, Toronto, Can.) guitarist, singer, and songwriter, he arrived with the Buffalo Springfield in 1966, smashed on the scene in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in 1968, and has had a spectacular solo career ever since. His voice can be sweet or poignant; his songs are always thought-provoking, and he is one of the few guitar players who can make people cry with a few sustained notes. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

“You’re either part of the solution or you’re part of the problem” an indictment by (Leroy) Eldridge Cleaver in a speech in San Francisco in 1968. It means that it’s wrong to be complacent about social issues and uninvolved in solving social problems.

youth culture the young counterculture of the 1960s and ’70s. It was the first time in the history of humankind that teenagers actually had an established world of their own away from their parents. It was based around sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and it really upset their folks.

Youth International Party (YIP) (a.k.a. Yippies) an anti-war, anti-establishment organization founded by Stew Albert, Abbie Hoffman, Paul Krassner, and Jerry Rubin during the Christmas holiday of 1967. Timothy Leary said it was conceived after Hoffman, Krassner, and Rubin tripped on LSD and was meant to be a coalition of hippies and political activists. The Yippies were responsible for the Festival of Light and many of the demonstrations that precipitated the police riots during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, August 24–30, 1968. Also during the 1968 election campaign, the Yippies nominated a pig named Pigasus for president. The pig was “arrested” at one of the demonstrations during the convention. (See: Anti-War Events, Peace Groups, and Leaders starting on this page in Lists at the back of this book) (See: Chicago Seven and Chicago Seven trial)

youth quake a term for the phenomenon of the young, hippie counterculture that arose in the mid-1960s.

yo-yo someone who is not very smart.

yuck! an exclamation of disgust. Example: “Toe-jam is the damp, smelly mixture of dead skin and athlete’s foot fungus between the toes of a dirty body. Yuck!”

yucky disgusting. A Valley Talk term.

yuck, yuck sarcastic laughter. Example: “Yuck, yuck, that was real funny, dude.”

yuga one of the four Hindu ages of the world: satya yuga (the golden age), tretya yuga, the dwapara yuga, and the kali yuga (the dark age). The first three ages have already taken place, and we are now living in the last, which began at midnight between the 17th and 18th of February 3102 B.C.

*yuppie young, upwardly mobile professional or young urban professional. A term coined around 1978, it was an indication of the end of the hippie era. The first of the me generation who popularized greed and selfishness in Reagan’s 1980s. Meant as a derogatory term, it had all kinds of subtle references to things like the word puppy and the word yes. Not to be mistaken for the Yippies. It was a spin-off from, and considered the opposite of, a Yippie.

yuppify to clean up, polish, or upgrade someone or something. To make something superficial. A derogatory term of the counterculture directed at the shallow and overly materialistic yuppie culture.

Z

Z or OZ ounce of drugs. Example: “When you go downtown, cop me a Z of weed.”

zap or zapped to be hit by something, either physically, psychologically, or emotionally; often pertaining to religious energy, drugs, or love. Examples: “I was zapped by her love light.” “Scooter was really zapped by the positive energy of his yoga class.” “That electric wire gave me a zap.”

Zap Comics/Zap Comix probably the most popular comic books during the hippie era. Zap Comix #1 was published in February 1968 by Don Donahue’s Apex Novelties; R. Crumb was the artist. They were later printed by the Print Mint. At various times in Zap Comics, some of the most famous hippie comix characters appeared, such as Crumb’s Mr. Natural, Johnny Fuckerfaster, and Valerie the Vegetarian. R. Crumb was not the only artist in Zap Comics, but he was the most widely recognized creator. Second only to recorded music, hippie-era comic books were the most prolific means of expressing and absorbing counterculture philosophy, art, and humor.

Zappa, Frank (b. Frank Vincent Zappa, Dec. 21, 1940, Baltimore, Md.; d. Dec. 4, 1993, Los Angeles Calif.) a band leader, composer, arranger, and guitarist of unlimited expression. No one did more to declassify music than Zappa. No matter what he did and whether anyone liked it, one always had to admit that Zappa was having fun doing it. His band, Mothers of Invention, formed in 1964, changed musicians as quickly as it changed notes. Zappa is credited with over 60 albums, most of them different from their predecessors; he always tried to challenge the listener to keep up with his experimentation. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Zapruder film home movie taken by Abraham Zapruder immediately before, during, and after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK). The only known film of the assassination. Both the Warren Commission in 1963– 64 and House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1977–78 used it in their assertion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman. Proponents of a number of conspiracy theories state that it proves there was more than one gunman by demonstrating entry and exit wounds from at least two different directions. That is unless, of course, you believe in the magic bullet. Debate has raged for decades as proponents of both sides analyze the film frame by frame, using every method imaginable. Modern sound analysis and laboratory tests of volunteers’ reaction to sound in the British journal, Brain, supports the conspiracy theorists, but it has yet to be determined who was responsible for this crime and to what level the cover-up went.

zen something pure or simple, yet profound. From the term Zen Buddhism, but not necessarily related to the religion. Examples: “That flower is zen.” “Flower has a real zen way of thinking.” 2. LSD. A.k.a. instant zen.

Zen a sect of Buddhism. 2. street term for LSD, a.k.a. instant zen.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (An Inquiry into Values) one of the most intriguing books of the hippie era, written by Robert M. Pirsig and published in 1974. In the author’s notes, Pirsig says of the book, “It should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to the orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It’s not very factual on motorcycles either.” It is ostensibly about the cross-country motorcycle ride of a man and his son. In reality, it is a series of commentaries about life. The dust cover states, “The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called ‘yourself.’ ”

Zen Buddhism the Japanese “meditation school” of Buddhism, based on the theories of the “universality of Buddha nature” and the possibility of becoming a Buddha within one’s own living body. A form of the Buddhist religion in which enlightenment is sought through meditation and the suppression of self-consciousness. Buddhism was founded 600 years before Christ by the son of a rich Hindu raja from northern India. Gautama Siddhartha rejected the wealth of his father and the caste system of his father’s religion. After years of solitude and study, he emerged as the Buddha and began teaching. Buddha means “the awakened one.” Buddhism deals primarily with “four noble truths,” addressing suffering, the cause of suffering, the way to cease suffering, and the way to ease suffering. Thus, Buddhism emphasizes spiritual and physical discipline to attain a state of liberation from the conflicts of life.

Zen satori (See: satori)

zeppelin a long, cigarette holder-like pipe with an oblong chamber for smoking marijuana or hashish. Also called a smokeless pipe. 2. short for the rock group Led Zeppelin, formed in England in 1968. Members included John Bonham, drums; John Paul Jones, bass; Jimmy Page, guitar; and Robert Plant, vocals. One of the most successful of the original heavy-metal bands. 3. a large marijuana joint. A.k.a. bomber or bazooka.

zero an insignificant person, place, or thing. Examples: “Baba Labba Gobob sounds good on paper, but he’s a real zero.” “That happening at the existential cubic photorealist’s loft was a big zero.”

zero-cool an impressive person, place, or thing. Examples: “Baba Ram Dass is zero-cool.” “That folksing-along at the Hamburger Joint was zero-cool.”

zero out to forget or ignore. Same usage as cross out or X out. Example: “She’s someone you should zero out of your future.”

zero population growth a fictional social situation in which population is stabilized by the control of the birth rate. In theory, if every couple had only 1.3 children, the world’s population would stabilize at the present number. The number of children required to stabilize the population changes constantly and is affected by the death rate, which is influenced by medical advances. The question always asked, both tongue-in-cheek and seriously, was how a family could manage to produce 30 percent of a child.

Zig Zag man the image on a pack of Zig Zag cigarette papers.

Zig Zags a brand of French cigarette rolling papers that became very popular for rolling marijuana joints. Through time, Zig Zags came to mean any rolling paper, just as Kleenex means tissue. Before marijuana became readily available, rolling paper manufacturing companies did a pitifully small business supplying the needs of those few throwbacks who preferred to roll their own cigarettes, even after tailor-mades were available. After marijuana burst on the scene, these companies must have raked in huge, unexpected profits. Although they definitely knew from whence their windfall came, these very old and sometimes conservative companies obviously looked the other way. One wonders how their consciences reacted as the collection plate passed before them at church each Sunday.

zilch zero, nothing. Often, a common answer to the greeting, “What’s happening?” Commonly used in the answer, “Zilch, zero, nada.”

Zimmerman, Robert Allen the given name of Bob Dylan.

’zines short for magazines. A late underground term.

zing or zinger something exciting, disturbing, or stimulating that affects one either physically or emotionally. Similar usage to buzz or zap. Examples: “The LSD had a zing to it; it must have been cut with speed.” “Her rejection was a real zinger to his ego.”

zip excitement. Example: “His guitar playing has no zip.” 2. to move quickly. Example: “Her boyfriend moved out last week, and Banger zipped right in.”

ZIP codes numeric designations assigned to different parts of the United States to assist in distributing mail. They came into use in 1963.

zip it or zip it up shut up. From “put a zipper on your mouth.”

zipless fuck, the “… is absolutely pure. It is free of ulterior motives. There is no power game. The man is not ‘taking,’ and the woman is not giving. No one is trying to prove anything or get anything out of anyone. The zipless fuck is the purest thing there is. And it is rarer than the unicorn.”—Erica Jong, Fear of Flying, 1973.

Zippy the Pinhead a cartoon strip by Bill Griffith. Griffith started in New York City’s East Village Other in 1969 and Screw magazine, drawing the cartoon character Mr. The Toad. Griffith moved to San Francisco in 1970 and joined the underground comics movement, producing “Tales of Toad” and “Young Lust,” eventually working for Fantagraphics Books, Kitchen Sink, Last Gasp, Rip Off Press, and Print Mint. Zippy the Pinhead first appeared in Print Mint’s Real Pulp #1 in 1970; it became a weekly series in the Berkeley Barb in 1976, and then was syndicated nationally. Zippy is a pinheaded character in a clown suit with a naive, though profound sense of the world. His question, “Are we having fun yet?,” has become one of the most quoted phrases of the era.

zit a pimple or “adolescent outcropping” on the skin. A blemish. Also be used as a derogatory metaphor. Example: “That housing development is like a zit on the nubile, blushing cheek of our city.”

zodiac literally “a circle of small animals.” In astrology, the circle of 12 star constellations around the heavens, through which our world moves within a year. Astrology is the unproven pseudo-science dealing with the stars and their effects on human beings. A person’s zodiac sign is determined by the position of the constellations at the time of birth. The attributes of the zodiac sign or constellation under which a person is born are then said to affect the personality of that individual. The attributes of each sign of the zodiac have been unscientifically determined, but many people believe in their reality. The earliest evidence of astrology dates back to 15,000 B.C. Mesopotamia and the evolution of agrarian practices. It is the forefather and predates the true science of astronomy by many centuries.

The signs of the zodiac are as follows:

Aries, the Ram: March 21 to April 19

Taurus, the Bull: April 20 to May 20

Gemini, the Twins: May 21 to June 21

Cancer, the Crab: June 22 to July 22

Leo, the Lion: July 23 to August 22

Virgo, the Virgin: August 23 to September 22

Libra, the Scales: September 23 to October 22

Scorpio, the Scorpion: October 23 to November 21

Sagittarius, the Archer & Centaur: November 22 to December 21

Capricorn, the Goat: December 22 to January 19

Aquarius, the Water Bearer: January 20 to February 18

Pisces, the Two Fish: February 19 to March 20

zoid an outsider. A regional term.

-zoid suffix a suffix identifying a person as strange or excessive. Examples: freekzoid, surfzoid, sexzoid, partyzoid. Similar usage as -oid.

zombie someone unresponsive, mentally, and/or physically, like a corpse. In the hippie era, it was often due to drugs.

zone or zoned a spiritual, mental, or physical place of perfection in which everything is going well. In sports, it is now called the “comfort zone.” Examples: “He has found his zone.” “He’s zoned.”

zoned out or zone out to lose concentration.

zonk to hurt or kill someone.

zonked under the influence of drugs or tired. A term introduced to the American public in 1961.

zoo not a literal place for animals, but someplace crazy, strange, or intensely busy. Examples: “Work was a zoo tonight.” “That house is a zoo; there are too many strange dudes and dudettes residing there.”

zoom or zooming to impress someone. To deceive in order to gain favor. Example: “You can zoom some of the people some of the time, but you’ll have trouble zooming all of the people all of the time.”

zoom (See: amphetamines and uppers)

zowie! an exclamation indicating the presence of energy or excitement. From wowie-zowie. Sometimes seen as zow in comic books. Example: “Zowie, that was a special be-in!”

Z’s sleep. Example: “Before I do anything heroic, I need to cop some Z’s.”

zucchini a large penis.

Zulu or Zulu warrior a derogatory name for a Black man, usually someone large and/or aggressive.