Many of our beloved colonial cousins have asked "What is a Didi-Goth?" The excellent vampirefreaks.com has a run-down of the main Goth classes here, but they do seem to miss the definition of a Didi-Goth. I've found the original interpretation:
Didi-Goth /gɒθ/ [after Diddy]–noun
1. one of a Teutonic people who in the 3rd to 5th centuries invaded and settled in parts of the Roman Empire, but left after two weeks as their visa had expired.
2. a young or fledgling Goth, too depressed to consider him/herself part of the rest of school, but too happy to become full immersed in Goth culture. Writes particularly awful poetry, usually about how no-one understands them, or why the boy in Year 12 won't snog them.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME Gothe (after G. Chaucer): "There was a Wif of Bathe, she was-a gat toothed and prood, black did she wear, and depressive; yet Goth she was-a not, morever a Didi, owning nought but one Cure album, and that alone being a Greateste-Hits."
(Note: best read in Chaucerian English for full effect; if you are unfamiliar with the style then I commend Bill Bailey to you.
Didi-Goth /gɒθ/ [after Diddy]–noun
1. one of a Teutonic people who in the 3rd to 5th centuries invaded and settled in parts of the Roman Empire, but left after two weeks as their visa had expired.
2. a young or fledgling Goth, too depressed to consider him/herself part of the rest of school, but too happy to become full immersed in Goth culture. Writes particularly awful poetry, usually about how no-one understands them, or why the boy in Year 12 won't snog them.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME Gothe (after G. Chaucer)
(Note: best read in Chaucerian English for full effect; if you are unfamiliar with the style then I commend Bill Bailey to you.
23 comments:
lmao this really got me laughing! esp about the greatest hits cure album!
cute :)
Part of being Goth should be never having to pigeon-hole ourselves. Oh well.
We called them "gothlings."
We call those Baby Goths in these parts.
Gothlets? Gothlings?
...and if the little darlings are now referred to as "Didi-Goths", then what on earth is an Emo?
Emo's are too easy a target - I'll save that for the next blog ;)
Ah, yes, I recall learning that passage when we studied The Canterbury Apocrypha in English Lit...later that summer, we found our teacher in a steaming puddle of latex and black lace. So tragic!
We mostly called them "baby-goths"
Kindergoths in foggy SF (perfect goth breeding grounds)..
Don't argue with the Queen's English. Didi-Goths they are and Didi-Goths they shall always be. Although Kindergoths is win.
FWIW...
Hereabouts (South Island, New Zealand) I often hear the term "Gothlings". They're not Emo, but are a tad young and not quite as hardcore as an older "I was a goth in the 80s and 90s" goth.
LOVE your homage to Chaucer. Brilliant.
(or is that too upbeat, the word homage?)
Surely that's just an emo?
Note that it seems "Didigoth" is not the same creature as a "Perky Goth". The former is more of a germinating stage, still in its infancy. The latter is a fully developed form, one that will do the PPIB* appearance but still cannot hide her spunky, unicorn-loving demeanour.
Often, the Perky Goth in later years may mature into the Weekend Goth, the office worker who dons the Goth look only when it fits her calendar.
*Pale Person In Black.
Perky Goth! I like it. Add that one to the list Igor...
The "greateste hits" got me (at work, so I had to supress laughter). Love the Chaucer thing.
I shall do nothing of the sort and don't call me Igor. Do Perky Goths end up being Happy Goths? Or does all that Perkiness end up making them Avril Lavigne?
Hi, the word "didi" is from old Norfolk, meaning small or little.
For example, I went to school with a Didi Venables, my friends daughter is called Didi, because she is smaller than her older brother.
Thank you for a great website.
Regards,
An Old Retired Goth from the early 80's.
We have alot of glitter-goths in these parts...
...No relation to GARY glitter, though...*shudder*
A Baby Bat? ^^
Love the Chaucer bit, laughed a lot!
In eighties Essex we called them mini-goths
Lol, do awesome.
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