Buckness

[aleCcowaN]

Last night So You Think You Can Dance's judge Li'l C was praising some dancer's performance and he said:

"... you only give seven hours to deliver this caliber of a performance. You guys are getting standing ovations. People have to rehearse for months at a time to receive that! This is uncanny! This is unbelievable! And this is phenomenal! ... Buttness!!!"

I only found some references to "buttness" being those rough things life has, and nothing more. What does it mean in that context?

[wrholt]

Did the style of dance that was performed include significant amounts of hip-movement?

"Buttness" has no particular general slang meaning that I know of. It could have a slang meaning within a particular community. However, if the style of dance that was performed characteristically features significant hip-movement, it's possible that "buttness" is an impromptu way to refer to that particular feature of the dance. Otherwise, I would take the word as a general positive comment, in spite of the fact that the only listing on urbandictionary suggests a negative evaluation.

I might have a different opinion if I were to see that segment of the program myself.

[aleCcowaN]

Thank you, Bill!

No particularly hip involvement, I think.

This is the segment.

Dance: 2:05 to 3:45
Term: 5:30

[wrholt]

I'll have to take a look at the segment later today, after I get home. My work computer is not set up to view the video.

Ok, I've seen the video, and heard the comments. Now I'm inclined to think that "buttness" is probably inspired by another informal expression, "to kick butt", which means to win overwhelmingly.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by wrholt

Ok, I've seen the video, and heard the comments. Now I'm inclined to think that "buttness" is probably inspired by another informal expression, "to kick butt", which means to win overwhelmingly.

Thank you very much! I'm laughing as I write this because it is so funny. I think you are totally right. When I saw it the first time I thought it was something along with -pardon my French- "le rompieron el c*** a todos (los otros competidores)" said in a manner that sounds like "your royal buttness".

I'm also glad I could hear and transcribe a whole paragraph including a word new to me. My ears being of some use in this English business? That is almost a first. Yay!

[Rusty]

It seems that Lil C said 'buckness' instead of 'buttness'.

According to what I could find on the internet, Lil C uses this term now and then, and other words that stem from 'buck' (check out this article for a definition of buck). The word 'buckness' is supposedly the second of three levels of krumping. But it could mean whatever he wants it to mean at the moment.

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by Rusty

It seems that Lil C said 'buckness' instead of 'buttness'...

Interesting! And good sleuthing work! I'll have to give the video another listen to see whether I can catch the k/t distinction better.

[Rusty]

Good luck. My family and I heard three different words (other than the title of this thread). One was 'bugless', which fits, but doesn't seem like something Lil C would use. He was obviously impressed, and 'buckness' seems to fit (although none of us were familiar with the term).

[laepelba]

Good for all of you - I definitely couldn't tell what word he was saying ... and whatever options y'all offer, I would say that it's probably a word that I've never heard used before, not even in the halls of the very diverse high school where I teach..........

[aleCcowaN]

Thank you all! Thank you Rusty for that excellent research! I watched the results show and Li'l C used the word twice and it was "buckness" indeed. They also made some fun of C's use of semantics by freezing his image and adding on screen the dictionary definition of mellifluous, word he used to describe a performance. Obviously, overall nice Mr. C doesn't feel his wide lexicon is enough to describe outstanding performances and he needs to add mass to energy in what he says. That way, it seems that outstanding, magical, spellbound, extremely creative, all those positive terms must sublimate into solid nouns. I tend to do the same.

Thank you again.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Obviously, overall nice Mr. C doesn't feel his wide lexicon is enough to describe outstanding performances and he needs to add mass to energy in what he says. .

In other words, he has used up his superlatives by inflating his language, so that when he really wants a superlative, there are none left.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Perikles

In other words, he has used up his superlatives by inflating his language, so that when he really wants a superlative, there are none left.

Exactly. That shows we always need to save up some superlatives for good harvest years

I regret not having explored variations and having kept the "butt" in "buckness". I only can argue in defense of my purity of mind and demure nature () that recently I've been repeatedly exposed to terms including curse words that are used to express approval and admiration: "F***ing A", "That was The S***" and so on.

[laepelba]

Another thing that I'm not sure about, but I think might be the case..... I have had conversations with a British friend of mine about the use of superlatives, especially in the context of talking about food. In the US, we tend to use a lot of superlatives. We then have to exaggerate to out-do something that we've previously described as superlative. My British friend says that it is her custom to look to downplay anything that she might be tempted to describe in superlative. I am always describing food as "great" or "wonderful" or "super delicious". She typically says "the food was nice" (and if it was fabulous, she might be tempted to say "it was really nice"). I don't know any self-respecting Yankee who would use the word "nice" to describe food......

[poli]

She used really nice and not quite nice?
Quite nice seems to be requete British.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by poli

She used really nice and not quite nice?
Quite nice seems to be requete British.

I understand quite nice as a polite way of saying not very nice. The intensity of really nice is determined by the tone of voice and associated body language, but it sounds like a superlative to me.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by poli

Quite nice seems to be requete British.

Eso estuvo quite piola!

[Caballero]

My mom says "The food is really, really, excellent." (when someone else cooks) And repeats it several times during the meal, even if it was completely awful. If she cooks the food and says "Try it, it's good", you should run away screaming. If she says it's "really, really good", then its safe to eat.

[Awaken]

Lil' C has made up lots of words to describe his feelings towards dancing. "Buck" is his most famous one and you will hear the other judges use it during the show for one of the dances that Lil' C choreographs if they like it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has all sorts of variations such as "buckness." The main one though is "That was buck." And he really emphasizes the the word buck. To him, it is "intense, awesome, hard core, etc..." all in one made up word.

[poli]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Eso estuvo quite piola!

Quite.

A propósito piola en una nueva palabra para mi. Hay un restaurante llamado Piola, pero siempre imaginaba que era una palabra italiana. ¿ Sl la usa escluviamente en el cono sur?

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by poli

Quite.

A propósito piola en una nueva palabra para mi. Hay un restaurante llamado Piola, pero siempre imaginaba que era una palabra italiana. ¿ Sl la usa escluviamente en el cono sur?

No lo he oído fuera de Buenos Aires.

(piola =~ smart)

Thank you, Awaken. Now that I'm aware I got Lil C a dozen times "bucketizing" everything. The rule is quite mathematical: to praise ---> (1) amazing! ---> (-1) insane! --->(i) buckness! Next step is (-i), but I think by then he will be netted and straitjacketed.