13 May 2016

beatnik

beatnik

[beet-nik]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a member of the Beat Generation.
2. a person who rejects or avoids conventional behavior, dress, etc.

Origin of beatnik

1955-1960, Americanism; beat (adj.) (as in Beat Generation ) + -nik

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for beatnik Expand

Contemporary Examples

Guggenheim pulled the confirmed bachelor into her coven of beatnik friends.
Casa de la Torre: The Museum of Mexico’s Liberace
Brandon Presser
March 23, 2014

At an underground party, Joyce introduced Peggy to her friend Abe Drexler (Charlie Hofheimer), a beatnik journalist.
‘Mad Men’ Premiere: Before Season 5, Let’s Remember Season 4
Jace Lacob
March 21, 2012

Historical Examples

He was far, far different than the laughing, beatnik jabbering, youngster he had always seemed.
Black Man’s Burden
Dallas McCord Reynolds

Anagrams

tin beak
tan bike

Today’s quote

We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and—in spite of True Romance magazines—we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely—at least, not all the time—but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don’t see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.

– Hunter S. Thompson

On this day

13 May 1941 – birth of Richard Steven Valenzuela, otherwise known as Richie Valens. 1950s rock and roll star, famous for songs such as, ‘Come On, Let’s Go’, and ‘La Bamba. Died in a plane crash on 3 February 1959 with other musicians, Buddy Holly, J.P. ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Their deaths were immortalised in the Don McLean song, ‘American Pie’, when he sang about the day the music died.

13 May 1981 – Pope John Paul II is injured in front of 2,000 people in St Peter’s Square after being shot by Turkish man, Mehmet Ali Agca.