General
cats
What does cats mean?
Anyone connected to or fluent in the hip subculture.
"Only the real cats showed up for the late set."
Origin
From 1920s-30s Black jazz slang, where a 'cat' was a musician or hip person. The plural 'cats' became universal in jazz and was adopted by 1950s beatniks for the men of their scene.
Frequently asked questions
What does cats mean in beatnik slang?
It means the guys — especially musicians and hip insiders. A 'cat' was a cool, in-the-know man.
Where did cats come from?
From 1920s-30s Black jazz culture, where a 'cat' meant a musician or hip person. Beatniks adopted the term in the 1950s.
What's a 'cool cat'?
An especially cool, composed, in-the-know man — an intensified version of 'cat' that became a signature beat-era phrase.
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