Groovy (pronounced groo-vee)
(1) Of,
pertaining to, or having grooves.
(2) Set
in one's ways (obsolete).
(3) Inclined to follow a fixed routine (obsolete).
(4) Cool,
neat, interesting, fashionable, highly stimulating or attractive; excellent. (used
in the 1940s and then more frequently in the 1960s and 1970s; now dated but
often used ironically or to suggest an association with the 1960s counter-culture (hippies, psychedelia and all that).
(5) A
programming language for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), now
under the auspices of the Apache Software Foundation.
(6) In music (jazz), as a professional compliment with the meaning "performing well (without grandstanding)”.
(7) In music, melodious, danceable; particularly of a riff or bassline.
1853: The construct was groove + -y. Groove was from the Middle English grov, grove, groof & grofe (cave;
pit; mining shaft), from the Old English grōf
(trench, furrow, something dug), from the Proto-Germanic grōbō (groove, furrow”, from the primitive Indo-European ghrebh- (to dig, scrape, bury). It was cognate with the Dutch groef & groeve (groove; pit, grave), the German Grube (ditch, pit), the Norwegian grov (brook, riverbed) & the Serbo-Croatian grèbati (scratch, dig). The earlier form in Old English was grafan (to dig) and from here there’s a
lineal descent to groove and, at some point, a fork led to “grave”. The –y suffix was from the Middle English –y & -i, from the Old English -iġ
(-y, & -ic”, suffix), from the Proto-Germanic -īgaz (-y, -ic), from the primitive Indo-European -kos, -ikos & -iḱos (-y, -ic).
It was cognate with the Scots -ie
(-y), the West Frisian -ich (-y), the
Dutch -ig (-y), the Low German -ig (-y),
the German -ig (-y), the Swedish -ig (-y), the Latin -icus (-y, -ic) and the Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós); doublet of -ic. Groovy is a
noun & adjective, grooving is a noun & verb, groovier & grooviest are adjective, groover &
grooviness are nouns and groovily is an adverb; the noun plural is groovies
(though groovers is more common). The
standard comparative is groovier and the superlative grooviest but constructs
like supergroovy, ultragroovy and hypergroovy have been seen and the The alternative spelling groovey is extinct.
Groovy
was first noted in 1853 in the metal working trades as a literal descriptor of
the surface texture of metals and evolved into the general sense of “of or pertaining
to a groove” and oral (either a dialectic form or specific to metal working) use
may pre-date 1853. One colloquial
figurative sense was "having a tendency to routine, inclined to a
specialized and narrow way of life or thought", attested from 1882 and
linked to the idea of a grove being “something permanent, static and unchanging”. That sense died out and the next figurative
use was something of the opposite. The reason English never created ungroovy or nongroovy is there were already number of words adequately to convey the idea, the one most associated with the 1960s counter-culture being "square" which used to convey the quality of "someone honorable & upright". It's possible the purloining of "square" was developed from the familiar "straightlaced" although the eighteenth century "squaretoe" was an epithet applied to disparage the "prim & proper"; this later form is thought unrelated to the hippies' use of "square".
Groovers in the groove: Lindsay Lohan (right) DJing with former special friend, DJ Samantha Ronson (left).
The slang
sense in the context of jazz music is from circa 1926 and was used by musicians
to convey a professional compliment: "performing well (without
grandstanding)”. This seems to have
migrated to adopt its modern sense to describe something wonderful in the late
1930s although it even then tended to be confined to the young and, outside of parts
of some US cities, doesn’t appear to have enjoyed wide use. It became widely popular in 1960s youth
culture which spread world-wide, including beyond the English-speaking word. Despite falling from favor after hippiedom
passed its peak, it’s never actually gone extinct and occasional spikes are
noted, triggered usually by some use in pop-culture. Generally though, it’s been out of currency
since the 1970s although still used ironically.
Groovy. 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda with Mod Top. This is the only Hemi Cuda with the Mod Top
option.
The psychedelic Mod Top was a
Plymouth factory option in 1969-1970. Ordered
mostly in yellow, the flower power themed material was supplied by the plastics
division of Stauffer Corporation, chosen for their expertise in the manufacture
of durable, brightly patterned tablecloths and shower curtains. The company, dating from 1907, remains in family ownership and still operates
but it’s not known if it's one of the Stauffer families which are branches of the Staufer Dynasty (known also as the Hohenstaufen) which provided a number of medieval German kings who were crowned also as Holy Roman Emperors.
1969 Plymouth advertising: Barracuda (left) & Satellite (right). The copy called the motif a "pop print", an allusion to "pop art" which recently had emerged as a trend in the art market.
In the
curious way Chrysler allowed its divisions to operate in the era, Dodge, Plymouth’s
corporate stable-mate, offered a similar option called the Floral Top, the material for which was
supplied by another company. The companion
to the Mod Top roof was matching vinyl
paisley upholstery and floor mats which could be mixed and matched, some cars
built with one but not the other although, despite it being possible, no
convertible buyers (who by definition couldn’t tick the vinyl roof box) opted
for the hippie interior. Technically, Stauffer used exactly the same design technique used when applying flowers
to tablecloths and shower curtains: endlessly repetitive patterns
which repeat every 3-4 feet (900 mm-1.2 m), the same model used with most fake finishes for surfaces
which emulate natural substances (granite, marble, timber etc).
1969 Dodge Daytona with Floral Top.
Few
finds attract collectors like factory one-offs, genuine rarities produced by a
manufacturer despite officially not being available in that configuration.
The 503 1969 Dodge Daytonas (produced only because the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) imposed a minimum build number in their
homologation rules) included some extreme aerodynamic modifications and have long been sought-after,
trading these days well into six figures.
It does seem Dodge may have made one with the
Floral Top, despite it not
being a Daytona option although the evidence for it being a genuine factory
product is undocumented, based instead on oral testimony.
Many experts do seem convinced and, during
the era, such "unicorns" did exist.
One's three choices to display one's grooviness.
1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda with Mod Top, the
logo's groovy lettering part of the vibe. Almost all this vinyl was glued on during the administration of Richard Nixon (1913-1994; US president 1969-1974) who, although a competent pianist, was not at all groovy.
It’s not
known how many survive, many a vinyl roof being removed or replaced with a
solid color after the hippie vibe became unfashionable but some with the option have become collectables and reproduction vinyl is
now available for those wanting the vibe back; the closer to the original
condition a car can be rendered, the higher the value. The nature of the unfortunate accessory is
such that it’s never going to influence the price to the extent a rare or
desirable engine or transmission might but, for the originality (or at least
the replication) police, these things are an end in themselves. Available in yellow or blue and with matching
interior trim, 2792 freaks ordered these in 1969 but by 1970, only 84 repeated
the mistake. Altmont had prevailed over
Woodstock; the 1960s were over.
Mod Top (Plymouth) & Floral Top (Dodge) production count, 1969-1970.
There however the patterned roof didn't die although the grooviness did. Despite it being the
intermediate-sized Satellite which in 1969 which attracted the most
mod-toppers, Plymouth the next year restricted availability to the pony cars
and demand proved embarrassingly modest.
Not discouraged, the factory in mid-year offered a somewhat subdued variation
on their full-sized line, the Fury, a flourish perhaps surprising given the evolution
of the market segment. Until
the 1960 model year, the “big three” (General Motors (GM), Ford & Chrysler)
had each produced essentially one mainstream line (low-volume specialties such
as the Thunderbird and Corvette just lucrative niche players). Beginning in the 1960 model-year, that would
change, increasing prosperity encouraging and the growing success of smaller
imports compelling Detroit’s big three to introduce first compact, then
intermediate and later sub-compact ranges, what came to be called the
full-sized cars having grown just too big, heavy and thirsty for many.
The
market spoke and the full-sized ranges, while remaining big sellers, gradually
abandoned the high-performance versions which had once been the flagships, the smaller,
lighter intermediates, pony cars and even the compacts much more convincing in
the role. By 1970, the big cars ran a gamut
from stripper taxi-cabs to elaborately blinged-up luxury cars (which grew so big they cam later to be called "land yachts") but attempts to
maintain a full-sized finger in the sporty pie was nearly over. By 1970, only Ford still had a four-speed manual
gearbox on the option list for the big XL and Chrysler, although the lusty triple-carburetor 440 cubic inch
(7.2 litre) V8 could be had in some Fury models, it was available only with the
TorqueFlite automatic. All of General Motors' (GM) full-size machine were by then definitely heavy cruisers.
But Plymouth
clearly believed the Fury still offered some scope in other stylistic directions; it was after all a big canvas. Mid-season, quietly slipped
into the range was the "Gran Coupe", based on the Fury II two-door
sedan but bundled with a number of otherwise extra-cost options including air
conditioning and the then fashionable concealed headlights. What was most obvious however, was the paisley
theme, a patterned vinyl roof with matching upholstery, most Gran Coupes finished
in a newly created copper tone paint although other colors were available.
1971 Rover P5B 3.5 Coupé.The Gran Coupe was retained for 1971 but the
coachwork was the more elegant pillarless hardtop in both two and four-door versions, the latter still known as a coupe. That attracted
criticism from those who had come to associate the word exclusively with two-door
bodywork but in the UK Rover had since 1962 offered a four-door “Coupé” although
they did cut the P5’s roof-line a little, a nod to the history of the word
coupé (from the French coupé, an elliptical form of carosse coupé (cut carriage),
past participle of couper (to cut)). Shamelessly, Plymouth ignored the etymology and
invented the un-cut coupe, clearly believing gluing on some paisley vinyl vested sufficient distinction. The factory also
imposed some restraint on buyers: although the Gran Coupe was available in a
variety of colors, only if the standard interior trim (tan) was chosen would the paisley patterned upholstery be available and, befitting the likely ownership
of the full-sized line, the vinyl roof was subdued rather than the swirling
psychedelia of the groovy Mod Top’s swirls. In the
twenty-first century the “four door coupe” became a thing but although Rover
seems to have been the first to apply a “Coupé” badge, the now familiar motifs
were seen in some coach-built four-doors during the inter-war years, the big Duesenbergs
and Buccialis among the most memorable.
Following Rover: 1971 Plymouth Fury III Gran Coupe (four-door hardtop). There are four door coupes because Plymouth said so.
It
was for years the end for any exuberance in the full-sized lines. Although the option of a four-speed manual transmission appeared in the early catalogues for the 1970 Ford XL, none were built and Chevrolet had already removed the SS option for the Impala; big engines
would remain, indeed, they would grow larger but power would drop, the
full-sized lines of both now hunting those wanting cut-price Lincolns and
Cadillacs rather than something in the spirit of the old "letter series" Chrysler 300s. Plymouth had already abandoned
the Mod Top after lackluster sales in 1970 and the more dour paisley vinyl lasted only
another year, consigned to history with the triple-carburetor 440. Happily, decades later, big-power engines
would make a comeback but fortunately, the paisley vinyl roof remained
forgotten.
"Rich Burgundy", before & after UV exposure.
Chrysler's use of the term "paisley" was actually a bit misleading; only some of the groovy vinyl was a true paisley but the marketing people liked it so applied it liberally, even to fabric with big yellow sunflowers. Customers didn't however share the enthusiasm felt by the sales department and by mid-1970, Chrysler realized they had a lot of bolts of un-wanted paisley vinyl in the warehouse; this was some time before just-in-time (JIT) supply chains. The inspired suggestion was to dye the vinyl a dark purple and offer it only with the "Sparkling Burgundy Metallic" paint which was exclusive to the Imperial line, the theory being the same as used with hair-dyes: dark can always cover light. Some testing verified the theory and in September the 1971 models began to be shipped to dealers, some cars parked outside... in direct sunlight. Almost immediately, the now burgundy vinyl began to fade. If nothing else, the incident illustrated the point made by Austrian–British philosopher Sir Karl Popper (1902–1994): What is critical in theories is not proof but disproof; it matters not how how many bolts of vinyl satisfactorily can be dyed purple, if just one fades in the sunlight then it's a bad idea. Chrysler replaced the tops with either black or white vinyl and this time the paisley option was killed for good. A handful actually were sold with the purple fabric still attached, later to fade, at which point most owners took up the offer for the white or black re-cover, depending on the interior trim chosen but at least one (which must have spent the decades protected from the ultra-violet) still exists as it left the factory.
Prototype 1967 Chevrolet Camaros.
Chrysler
wasn’t the only US manufacturer to offer the patterned vinyl roof, Mercury for
a single season in 1970 having houndstooth available for the Cougar and even GM
flirted with the idea before thinking better of it. Hidden away in GM’s vast historical archive
before being published early in the twenty-first century were photographs of the
patterned vinyl being contemplated for the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro’s debut in
late 1966. Chevrolet seems to have
produced prototypes with both paisley and houndstooth vinyl and intriguingly,
also pictured were (presumably functional) side mounted exhaust pipes, exiting
under the rear of the door. Like the Camaro’s
triple carburetor option (cancelled late in the planning process), neither the patterned
vinyl roofs nor the side pipes reached production, the latter remaining
exclusive to the Corvette.
