Barrier to Boogie

In (Thomas H.) Middleton’s April 4 column (“Not to Worry, Boogie May Be Fleeting”), he speculates that “Let’s boogie” indicates, “we are now going to do something different from what we had been doing.” Say what? Tell Mr. M. that “boogie” was a widely used verb all through the ‘60s and ‘70s denoting locomotion. (And in some circles, still is and still does.) Though he mentions boogie-woogie music, he is evidently unfamiliar with the boogie sound, because that music’s unique, propulsive, walking bass is the obvious clue to the resulting slang usage.

Middleton mentions his many ethnic contacts--French, Italian, German, Yiddish--but he forgot Street. That’s often a vital element in understanding living American English.

Hey, Mr. M., come down to our level and, as Richard Pryor used to say . . . boogity, boogity!

ELLEN GRIFFITH

Mar Vista