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Home»News»Language of the blues: CHUMP
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Language of the blues: CHUMP

Debra DeviBy Debra DeviOctober 3, 2013No Comments1 Min Read
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L&H_Chump_at_Oxford_1940This is the latest installment in our weekly series, The Language of the Blues, in which author and rocker Debra Devi explores the meaning of a word or phrase from a blues song. Come back every week for the latest! Devi’s award-winning book, The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to ZuZu, is now available at Bluescentric.com!

A chump is someone who can be easily victimized–a loser, an easy dupe, or a mark. Of course, even the wiliest man can become a chump when a woman is involved. As Blind (Arthur) Blake sings in “Chump Man Blues”: “I used to be a wise man but a woman made me a chump.”

Chump may be derived from the Old Norse word kumba , which meant “block of wood,” and is connected to the slang term “blockhead.” An alternate theory is that chump is derived from “chum,” which was the term for a roommate in prison as early as the 1650s.

Songs:
“Bad Luck Blues”- Lovie Austin, recorded by Ma Rainey
“Chump Man Blues”- Blind Blake (Arthur Blake)

VIDEO
Blind (Arthur) Blake – “Chump Man Blues”

Chump The Language of the Blues
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Debra Devi
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Debra Devi is a rock musician and the author of the award-winning blues glossary The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John). www.debradevi.com

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