A Snippet of History

A monthly history lesson!

Jitterbug!

What is "the jitterbug?" That's a question we hear a lot at Swing Des Moines.

First, some history on the term itself. Cab Calloway recorded a song called "The Jitterbug" in 1934, which made the term famous. What did it mean? Nobody seems to know for sure where the term came from, but here are the most common scenarios:

• A person suffering from the DTs (from alcoholism) was said to have the "jitters."
• Someone who had Syphilis was said to be "bugging."
• The dancers bounced while they danced and so looked like "jitterbugs."

Dancers back in the day were sometimes referred to as "jitterbugs." Originally, this was not an altogether flattering term, but seems to have lost the "bite" long ago.

Some people refer to "the jitterbug" as a dance. What's funny is that few people actually agree on what dance is actually meant by "jitterbug." In some areas of the country, "jitterbug" means lindy. In other parts, it means east coast swing, or even regional dances such as the push or the whip.

Generally speaking, in the midwest, "jitterbug" refers to single step east coast swing. ("Slow slow quick quick.")