Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 14:39:14 +0000 From: Lynne Murphy Subject: Re: "stoked" Norman Roberts wrote: > > Aloha e Listers > > "I'm stoked it was only my leg and that everybody was there for me." > > "He's just stoked that God lets him live, and he's thankful for his friends." > > These statements appeared in a Honolulu Stat-Bulletin, 10/31/97: A-3 report > of a young man who had been bitten by a shark while surfing. The first > statement is by the victim; the second is by his sister. Both grew up on > Kauai and lived two years (1993-1995) in New Zealand. > > This usage of "stoked" is new to me. I don't think it's local surfing > jargon or Hawaiian Creole English. The term seems to mean "relieved" or > "glad" in these contexts. Has anyone heard or seen it elsewhere? > > The dictionary definition "to stoke the fire" probably doesn't apply here, > although it might be an extnsion of the meaning "to fill up on food." well, it's been around long enough and widely enough to get into the _american heritage_ with no regional marking--just a 'slang' label: "1. exhilarated or excited; 2. being or feeling high or intoxicated, especially from a drug". so, i'd guess (and i bet jesse has the real story) that it's come to its more general meaning from drug culture. interesting that it's so close to 'toked'. lynne -- M. Lynne Murphy Assistant Professor in Linguistics Department of English Baylor University PO Box 97404 Waco, TX 76798