"Straight?" why not slightly bent?

[WhoMe]

Anybody know the origin of the word STRAIGHT used to decribe the "modern southern traditional dance?"

It seems to me if we were being politically correct, we shoulda' called it the slightly bent dance?

Also anybody have any ideas why some people refer to it as a GENTLEMAN'S dance? If a lady fainted in the area would all the "gentlemen" stop and help revive her? *L j/k

[Gledanh Zhinga]

I would blame the use of the terms on exposition and powwow announcers. Abe Conklin says that in the "old days", the announcers were trying to distinguish for the audience the difference between "fancy dancers" and the Osage/Pawnee/Ponca style of fabric dress with fewer feathers, and they just came up with the term, "straight".

The "gentleman" description, I'm guessing, came either from the announcers or the powwow program writers...or both. It then caught on. Personally, I don't get it. Maybe, somebody thought the broadcloth suit was like a tuxedo. Har de har.