• NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Blues Scene about music & art.

High Moon Records Unveils First-Ever Anthology From Singer-Songwriter Laurie Styvers

February 3, 2023

Exclusive: Sarah Rogo Premieres Video for ‘All of These Things Must Die’ From New Concept Album

February 3, 2023

Jefferson Berry Shares His ‘Dreams of Modern Living’

February 2, 2023

Photo Gallery/Review: Buddy Guy 16-Show Residency At His Namesake Legends Club

February 2, 2023
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram Vimeo
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
  • NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
Home»News»The Language of the Blues: HOOCHIE COOCHIE
News

The Language of the Blues: HOOCHIE COOCHIE

Debra DeviBy Debra DeviSeptember 4, 2014Updated:April 10, 2020No Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte WhatsApp
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

This is the latest installment (after a one week delay due to sickness!) of our weekly series, The Language of the Blues, in which author/rocker Debra Devi explores the meaning of a word or phrase found in the blues. Grab a signed copy of Devi’s award-winning book The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to ZuZu (Foreword by Dr. John) at Bluescentric.com. Also available on Amazon Kindle.  “One of the wittiest, bawdiest, most fascinating dictionaries ever.” (Reuters) 

Muddy Waters - I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man on Chess RecordsCoochie is blues slang for “vagina.” Hoochie is slang for “whore” or “hooker.” In the blues, coochie is also used as a verb, as in: “I got a girl across town/she coochies all the time.” A hoochie-coochie dancer is a stripper, and a hoochie-coochie man is a pimp.

The sound “cu” has been associated with femininity and fertility even before the development of written language. Slang terms for vagina, such as cooch, coot, and cooze, all derive from this ancient syllable. It’s also the root for “cow” and “cove” and for words that mean “knowledge,” such as the Middle English word “cunne.” This is why one can be cunning, can conceive both an idea and a baby–and can engage in cunnilingus!

Hoochie is probably derived from hooch, which is slang for moonshine. Hooch is named for the Hoochinoo tribe of Alaska, known for its potent homemade brew. It wasn’t much of a leap from hooch to hoochie, and from there for some wit to rhyme hoochie with coochie.

Pick up a copy of  Language of the Blues

Songs: “Broken-Hearted, Ragged, and Dirty Too”- Sleepy John Estes (John Adam Estes) “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” – Willie Dixon “J.C. Johnson’s Blues”- T.C. Johnson

Video: Muddy Waters – “Hoochie Coochie Man”

Hoochie Coochie Muddy Waters The Language of the Blues
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
Previous ArticleCrossroads Revisited: Back Door Man – John Hammond’s New York Accent
Next Article EXCLUSIVE: Mike Zito Opens Up About Leaving Royal Southern
Debra Devi
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

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

Related Posts

High Moon Records Unveils First-Ever Anthology From Singer-Songwriter Laurie Styvers

February 3, 2023

Full Winners List for 2023 International Folk Music Awards

February 2, 2023

New Orleans Suspects and Sol Roots Perform at The Hamilton Live

February 1, 2023

Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, Adrian Belew Announce Additional 2023 ‘Remain In Light’ Tour Dates

January 31, 2023

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Advertisment
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Videos
  • About

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.