Cool is a complex aesthetic that has its roots in various West African cultures. The cool aesthetic permeates traditional West African cultures and African-American culture, as well — in black artistic and musical expression, in the hitch in the "pimp" strut of urban black men, in dress, demeanor and speech.

In popular culture, "cool" has several meanings: it indicates aloofness, composure and absence of excitement in a person, especially in times of stress, can describe a state of calm or general well-being; an absence of conflict; something "hip", meaning current and desirable, aesthetically appealing; or, any intellectual, literary, material or musical expression of sublime or understated elegance.

The usage of 'cool' as a general positive epithet or interjection has been part and parcel of English slang since World War II, spread throughout the English-speaking world and has even been borrowed into other languages, such as French and German.

The general spread of 'cool' with the meaning of “excellent, superlative” into the mainstream slang vernacular was first recorded in written English in the early 1930s and, with the wild popularity of jazz slang from the music culture of the 1940s and 1950s, became an integral part of the vocabulary of the mainstream youth eager to embrace the language of their jazz-musician idols who in the late 1940s embraced 'cool' as an adjective to describe the jazz they were playing, such as cool jazz. Over time, 'cool' has been appropriated by American and world popular culture, generally, especially by youth.

"Coolness" often is associated with an element of arrogant self-awareness. In the context of a mutually reinforcing ethnic, cultural or social group, or clique, being perceived as "uncool," "lame," or "wack" can be a source of embarrassment or shame and engender ostracism by the "cool" group. Shared standards of what is "cool" or "uncool" can help establish group identity and belonging, as well as define outsiders and outcasts. In this sense, such standards act as mechanisms of control and conformity. Likewise, outsiders may often deride the "cool" group as merely self-centered or conceited.

In popular culture, "cool" also often describes someone or something which conforms to a set of social or moral values perceived as countercultural, i.e., which challenge the norms, mores or values of a dominant group or prevailing regime.

While slang terms are usually comprised of short-lived coinages and figures of speech, 'cool' is one of the more ubiquitous slang words in Western countries. It continues to be a very popular response in conversations, especially among young people, and is ranked number one on the Top Ten Word Lists of California Youthspeak in 2003.[1] Young people around the world use the term 'cool' to express peer-group related values and a connection to American pop culture.

See also cool.

References

Lewis MacAdams , Birth of the Cool. Beat, Bebop and the American Avant-Garde, Free Press, 2001. The title of the book comes from Miles Davis's 1949-1950 jazz recording sessions. This is not intended as a scholarly work, and is reported to have many (relatively minor) inaccuracies.

External links

• Online Dictionary "Cool O.E. col, from P.Gmc. *koluz, ... Applied since 1728 to large sums of money to give emphasis to amount. Meaning "calmly audacious" is from 1825. Slang use for "fashionable" is 1933, originally Black English, said to have been popularized in jazz circles by tenor saxophonist Lester Young."