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Japanese
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05:19 |
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J01 |
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Words and Their Stories -- a program in Special English. Today, we will
discuss an old English word, "jockey" a person who rides a horse in a
race. We will see what has happened to this word in America.
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J02 |
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Old words often take on new meanings because of inventions and technology,
and so, it is with the word, "jockey." Fifty years ago in America, this
word was used only as a noun -- a person who is a professional horse
rider, and as a verb -- to jockey, meaning to lead and steer a horse or
something else into a good position.
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J03 |
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At the turn of this century, radio began to enter American homes. News,
comedy, drama, and other forms of entertainment spread from cities to the
countryside. Communications improved, many new words were added to the
language. And then, in the 1940's, television appeared. Radio took a back
seat. All of the shows except news left radio and went on television. But
radio stations still had to entertain. It was then that the word,
"jockey," took on a new meaning.
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J04 |
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Across the country, thousands of radio stations began to play recorded
songs, records also known as discs. Men who knew music, men who could talk
and entertain got jobs on the big city radio stations, and some of them
became well-known. And the music they chose to play had a great influence
on those who bought records. In fact, song writers and recording companies
sent records to the stations hoping the entertainer would play them. In
time, a name was invented for these radio men who talked and played music.
They were called "disc jockeys " probably because they had an influence in
making a song popular. They jockeyed, influenced public taste in music,
for many believed that whatever the disc jockeys played was good. A disc
jockey, or D.J. as he is known today, can be a very famous person in areas
where his voice is heard. But, his fame comes from his voice and the music
he plays, not his face. And he probably would not be recognized if he
walked down the street, much to the regret of almost every D.J.
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J05 |
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Because the name, "disc jockey," has spread across the country, it is not
surprising that other kinds of jockeys have sprung up. For example, a
person who pilots an airplane is called a "jet jockey " and it is common
today to hear a farmer called a "plow jockey" because of the way he leads
his plow across the fields. In the early 1920's, the term, "jockey," was
even applied to the sport of baseball. A sportswriter describing the
action during a game wrote that the players on the bench were yelling and
shouting at the opposing players who were on the field. The writer called
them "bench jockeys" -- no doubt -- because they were trying to influence
the action on the field.
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J06 |
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Today in America, the name, "jockey," can be used for any person who leads
or guides something or even himself into a better position or place --
often at the expense of others. But, it is the disc jockey with whom we
are most familiar. He is the one we hear when we turn the radio on. He
plays music for us, gives us the weather report, tells us the time of day,
and in general brightens up our day with little jokes and old sayings. And
we wonder what American radio would be like without him.
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Voice of America
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