"Spicks & Specks"?

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k_r_eriksson
Posts: 185
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:26 pm
Location: Gotland, Sweden

"Spicks & Specks"?

Post by k_r_eriksson »

Hi!

I just wonder was the old Bee Gees song title means?
paulmt
Posts: 1170
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:06 pm

Post by paulmt »

Interesting question. :D
I couldn't find any reference to this at all. I am guessing though that it is "old English" and probably arises from common everyday usage.

My wife is a bit of an expert in this field and tells me her idea..

In the days when outer coats were made from heavy woolen material and a regular brushing was required to keep them looking clean, the "Specks" were dust, dirt, lint or other contaminant that was easily brushed off with a coarse brush. The "Spicks" were less easily removed being embedded into the material and requiring a more intensive approach to get rid of them.

Speck is still around today e.g. a speck of dust while I have never heard the word spick used other than in a racist and derogatory way from the early part of last century in reference to persons of Latin descent. This is confirmed as the "meaning" of that word in many dictionaries.

So I guess the Spicks and Specks of the song, is a reference to the clutter of everyday life that can attach itself to us and while some is easy to remove others are not so readily dealt with.

What do you think? :roll:
k_r_eriksson
Posts: 185
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:26 pm
Location: Gotland, Sweden

Post by k_r_eriksson »

Thank you!
jmsmrtn98
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:07 am

Re: "Spicks & Specks"?

Post by jmsmrtn98 »

Spicks and Specks for sure. They've had some pretty amazing guests on (Reggie Watts!!!!) and the guest bands are glorious.
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