User:Eurodog/sandbox450

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Terp

“ Terps Dance Past Virginia ” — Baltimore Sun, March 8, 2004 

Terpsichore:

pronounced:

TERP-see-coar

terp sik' ore

TERP-SIK-OR-EE

Terp as a double entendre

Sportswriters occasionally exploit the layered meanings of the word "terp" for playful headlines. For example, the Baltimore Sun ran a 2004 NCAA Tournament headline — "Terps Dance Past Virginia" — which simultaneously referenced the University of Maryland Terrapins, their advancement in "the Big Dance," and perhaps winked at the older slang sense of "terp" as a dancer. This kind of wordplay, whether intentional or incidental, reinforces the term's cultural elasticity.

• Terp (music industry jargon).

Terp Ballroom

From May 25, 1938, to December 1946, the Terp Ballroom in Austin, Minnesota (opened May 25, 1938), was owned and operated by Carl John Fox (1895–1973) and his wife, Emma Gertrude Emerick (maiden; 1896–1979) of Clear Lake, Iowa, who also owned and operated the Surf Ballroom (venue of Buddy Holly's last performance) at Clear Lake (opened in April of 1933) and the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul, Minnesota (opened February of 1941).

Two bands opened at the Turn May 25, 1938: Doc Lawson (né Warren Lee Lawson; 1903–1954) and Paul Moorhead.

In December of 1946 Carl Fox sold the Surf Ballroom, the Prom Ballroom, and the Terp Ballroom to Prom, Inc., of Chicago for a reported total of $1,300,000.19 Prom, Inc. also owned the Trianon Ballroom and the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

Terpsichore Street, New Orleans

Just above Tivoli Circle (formerly Lee Circle), lie streets, in sequential order, bearing names of muses.

New Orleans has streets of Nine Muses:

1. Calliope Street – Calliope
2. Clio Street – Clio
3. Erato Street – Erato
4. Polymnia Street – Polyhymnia
5. Thalia Street – Thalia
6. Urania Street – Urania
7. Terpsichore Street – Terpsichore
8. Euterpe Street – Euterpe
9. Melpomene Street – Melpomene
10. Euphrosine Street – Euphrosyne

• There used also to be the Street of the Naiads, and

• Calliope Street
• Terpsichore Street (before 1850s, Basin Street)
• Goodchildren Street (renamed St. Claude Avenue, St. Claude neighborhood)
• Felicity Street (Lower Garden District)
• Piety Street (Desire Area)
• Rue Bourbon
• Tchoupitoulas Street

1. Desire Street
2. Misery Street
3. Despair Street
4. Insanity Street

• Madness
• Law Street
• Virtue Street (On November 19, 1911, Virtue Street's name was changed to North Rocheblave Street)
• Magistrate Street is backed by Liberal Force. Agriculture and Industry yield Abundance and Pleasure — Benefits Humanity. In tlie vicinity of Dublin and Vienna dwell Socrates, Byi'on,Cato and Brutus; and finally, in soldierlyarray are drawn up all the generals of the Mexican war.

• Professor Longhair (1918–1980), pianist, composer, and singer, lived at 1738–40 Terpsichore Street, from 1979 until his death. The building serves triple-duty as the Professor Longhair Museum, an informal concert hall and home to Longhair’s daughter, Pat Byrd (née Patricia Byrd). In 2023, three blocks of Terpsichore Street (along the 1600, 1700, and 1800; from St. Charles Avenue to Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard) in honor of Henry "Professor Longhair" Roeland Byrd, have been named "Professor Longhair Lane."

• R&B singer "Scarface" John Williams (1938–1972) was raised on Terpsichore Street.
• Benny Singer (né Benjamin Singer; 1897–1988), musician, lived in the 1920s, at 1821 Terpsichore Street, known for "I Wonder If You Still Care for Me" and "Tuck Me To Sleep."

Professor Longhair Museum dedication, April 29, 2015.

Professor Longhair's house, 2010.

Professor Longhair's house, 2009.

• Lichtenstein, Grace; Dankner, Laura (1993). Musical Gumbo. Comments on Professor Longhair by jazz saxophonist Anthony Arnold "Tony" Dagradi (born 1952). W.W. Norton. pp. 80–87. Retrieved June 14, 2025. LCCN 92-30690; ISBN 0-3930-3468-2, 978-0-3930-3468-4

Keep

Keep – This article does not violate WP:NOTDICTIONARY. While brief, it provides more than a definition: it traces etymology, historical industry-specific usage, and source citations from trade publications. "Terp" is not just any slang—it was professional jargon in American music and entertainment media, appearing frequently in Billboard, Variety, and others, especially in mid-20th century coverage.

Re: "virtually devoid of content" – That’s not accurate. The article includes:

• A verified etymology tied to Terpsichore, with usage in Variety's "Slanguage Dictionary" (2000), which defines "terp" and "terper."
• Multiple reliable, independent sources, including a direct usage cluster in just one issue of Billboard magazine (Oct 8, 1949), where the term appears five times. These aren't passing mentions—they reflect trade usage.
• Examples of the word in situ, in professional contexts.

Re: "could be merged at dance" – This is not realistic. The term has a distinct historical and insider connotation, which general-audience articles like "Dance" or "Jazz terminology" are unlikely to contextualize properly. And a redirect to "dance" would lose the specific value of documenting the term’s legacy in performance and music criticism.

As someone who has spent over 20 years improving music-related content (especially jazz), I found "terp" consistently used but not well documented on Wikipedia—hence the effort to write it up. This is exactly the kind of encyclopedic niche content Wikipedia does well when properly sourced. It’s not "clutter”; it's cultural language preservation.

This could easily be expanded into a broader article on performance-related entertainment slang if desired. But as-is, it is sourced, contextual, and valuable.

• ""Slanguage Dictionary"". Variety . February 23, 2000. Retrieved January 30, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |magazine= (help) OCLC 44287800 (all editions).

• "Terp" on 5 pages, here . Billboard. Vol. 61, no. 41. October 8, 1949.

Bibliography

Instances of "terp" in Billboard

• Billboard (weekly). Cincinnati – via Google Books. Retrieved June 5, 2025. ISSN 0006-2510.

1. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 1. January 6, 1945.
2. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 2. January 13, 1945.
3. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 3. January 20, 1945.
4. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 4. January 27, 1945.
5. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 5. February 3, 1945.
6. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 6. February 10, 1945.
7. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 7. February 17, 1945.
8. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 8. February 24, 1945.
9. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 9. March 3, 1945.
10. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 10. March 10, 1945.
11. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 11. March 17, 1945.
12. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 12. March 24, 1945.
13. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 13. March 31, 1945.
14. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 14. April 7, 1945.
15. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 15. April 14, 1945.
16. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 16. April 21, 1945.
17. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 17. April 28, 1945.
18. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 18. May 5, 1945.
19. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 19. May 12, 1945.
20. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 20. May 19, 1945.
21. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 21. May 26, 1945.
22. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 22. June 2, 1945.
23. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 23. June 9, 1945.
24. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 24. June 16, 1945.
25. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 25. June 23, 1945.
26. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 26. June 30, 1945.
27. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 27. July 7, 1945.
28. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 28. July 14, 1945.
29. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 29. July 21, 1945.
30. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 30. July 28, 1945.
31. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 31. August 4, 1945.
32. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 32. August 11, 1945.
33. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 33. August 18, 1945.
34. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 34. August 25, 1945.
35. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 35. September 1, 1945.
36. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 36. September 8, 1945.
37. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 37. September 15, 1945.
38. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 38. September 22, 1945.
39. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 39. September 29, 1945.
40. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 40. October 6, 1945.
41. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 41. October 13, 1945.
42. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 42. October 20, 1945.
43. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 43. October 27, 1945.
44. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 44. November 3, 1945.
45. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 45. November 10, 1945.
46. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 46. November 17, 1945.
47. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 47. November 24, 1945.
48. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 48. December 1, 1945.
49. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 48. December 1, 1945.
50. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 49. December 8, 1945.
51. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 50. December 15, 1945.
52. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 51. December 22, 1945.
53. Search: "Terp". Vol. 57, no. 52. December 29, 1945.
54. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 1. January 5, 1946.
55. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 2. January 12, 1946.
56. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 3. January 19, 1946.
57. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 4. January 26, 1946.
58. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 5. February 2, 1946.
59. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 6. February 9, 1946.
60. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 7. February 16, 1946.
61. Missing. Vol. 58, no. 8. March 2, 1946.
62. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 9. March 2, 1946.
63. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 10. March 9, 1946.
64. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 11. March 16, 1946.
65. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 12. March 23, 1946.
66. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: "Outdoor Equipment Review". Vol. 58, no. 13. March 23, 1946.
67. Search: "Terp". Spring Special. Vol. 58, no. 13. March 30, 1946.
68. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 14. April 6, 1946.
69. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 15. April 13, 1946.
70. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 16. April 20, 1946.
71. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 17. April 27, 1946.
72. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 18. May 4, 1946.
73. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 19. May 11, 1946.
74. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 20. May 18, 1946.
75. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 21. May 25, 1946.
76. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 22. June 1, 1946.
77. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 23. June 8, 1946.
78. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 24. June 15, 1946.
79. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 25. June 22, 1946.
80. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 26. June 29, 1946.
81. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 27. July 6, 1946.
82. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 28. July 13, 1946.
83. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 29. July 20, 1946.
84. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 30. July 27, 1946.
85. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 31. August 3, 1946.
86. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 32. August 10, 1946.
87. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 33. August 17, 1946.
88. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 34. August 24, 1946.
89. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 35. August 31, 1946.
90. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 36. September 7, 1946.
91. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 37. September 14, 1946.
92. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 38. September 21, 1946.
93. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 39. September 28, 1946.
94. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 40. October 5, 1946.
95. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 41. October 12, 1946.
96. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 42. October 19, 1946.
97. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 43. October 26, 1946.
98. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 44. November 2, 1946.
99. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 45. November 9, 1946.
100. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 46. November 16, 1946.
101. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 47. November 23, 1946.
102. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 48. November 30, 1946.
103. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 48. November 30, 1946.
104. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 49. December 7, 1946.
105. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 50. December 14, 1946.
106. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 51. December 21, 1946.
107. Search: "Terp". Vol. 58, no. 52. December 28, 1946.
108. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 1. January 4, 1947.
109. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 2. January 11, 1947.
110. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 3. January 18, 1947.
111. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 4. January 25, 1947.
112. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 5. February 1, 1947.
113. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 6. February 8, 1947.
114. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 7. February 15, 1947.
115. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 8. February 22, 1947.
116. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 9. March 1, 1947.
117. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 10. March 8, 1947.
118. Missing. Vol. 59, no. 11. March 22, 1947.
119. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 12. March 22, 1947.
120. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: "Outdoor Equipment Review". Vol. 59, no. 13. March 22, 1947.
121. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 13. March 29, 1947.
122. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 14. April 5, 1947.
123. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 15. April 12, 1947.
124. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 16. April 19, 1947.
125. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 17. April 26, 1947.
126. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 17. May 3, 1947.
127. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 18. May 10, 1947.
128. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 19. May 17, 1947.
129. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 20. May 24, 1947.
130. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 21. May 31, 1947.
131. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: NAMM Convention. Vol. 59, no. May 31, 1947.
132. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 22. June 7, 1947.
133. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 23. June 14, 1947.
134. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 24. June 21, 1947.
135. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 25. June 28, 1947.
136. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 26. July 5, 1947.
137. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 27. July 12, 1947.
138. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 28. July 19, 1947.
139. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 29. July 26, 1947.
140. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 30. August 2, 1947.
141. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 31. August 9, 1947.
142. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 32. August 16, 1947.
143. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 33. August 23, 1947.
144. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 34. August 30, 1947.
145. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 35. September 6, 1947.
146. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 36. September 13, 1947.
147. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 37. September 20, 1947.
148. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: "NAB Convention". Vol. 59, no. 38. September 20, 1947.
149. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 39. October 4, 1947.
150. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 40. October 11, 1947.
151. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 41. October 18, 1947.
152. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 42. October 25, 1947.
153. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 43. November 1, 1947.
154. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 44. November 8, 1947.
155. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 45. November 15, 1947.
156. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 46. November 22, 1947.
157. Search: "Terp". 8th Annual Special Edition: "Cavalcade of Fairs". Vol. 59, no. November 22, 1947.
158. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 48. November 29, 1947.
159. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 49. December 6, 1947.
160. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 50. December 13, 1947.
161. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 51. December 20, 1947.
162. Search: "Terp". Vol. 59, no. 52. December 27, 1947.
163. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 1. January 3, 1948.
164. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 2. January 10, 1948.
165. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 3. January 17, 1948.
166. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 4. January 24, 1948.
167. Search: "Terp". Sect. 2: "Juke Box Supplement". Vol. 60, no. 4. January 24, 1948.
168. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 5. January 31, 1948.
169. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 6. February 7, 1948.
170. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 7. February 14, 1948.
171. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 8. February 21, 1948.
172. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 9. February 28, 1948.
173. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 10. March 6, 1948.
174. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 11. March 13, 1948.
175. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 12. March 20, 1948.
176. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect 2: "Outdoor Equipment Review". Vol. 60, no. 13. March 20, 1948.
177. Search: "Terp". Spring Special. Vol. 60, no. 13. March 27, 1948.
178. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 14. April 3, 1948.
179. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 15. April 10, 1948.
180. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 16. April 17, 1948.
181. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: "Personal Appearances". Vol. 60, no. 17. April 17, 1948.
182. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 17. April 24, 1948.
183. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 18. May 1, 1948.
184. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 19. May 8, 1948.
185. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 20. May 15, 1948.
186. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 21. May 22, 1948.
187. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 22. May 29, 1948.
188. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 23. June 5, 1948.
189. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 24. June 12, 1948.
190. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 25. June 19, 1948.
191. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: "NAMM Convention". Vol. 60, no. 25. June 19, 1948.
192. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 26. June 26, 1948.
193. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 27. July 3, 1948.
194. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 28. July 10, 1948.
195. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 29. July 17, 1948.
196. Missing. Vol. 60, no. 30. July 31, 1948.
197. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 31. July 31, 1948.
198. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 32. August 7, 1948.
199. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 33. August 14, 1948.
200. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 34. August 21, 1948.
201. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 35. August 28, 1948.
202. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 36. September 4, 1948.
203. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 37. September 11, 1948.
204. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 38. September 18, 1948.
205. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 39. September 25, 1948.
206. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 40. October 2, 1948.
207. Search: "Terp". Sect. 2: "Disk Jockey Supplement". Vol. 60, no. 40. October 2, 1948.
208. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 41. October 9, 1948.
209. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 42. October 16, 1948.
210. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 43. October 23, 1948.
211. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 44. October 30, 1948.
212. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 45. November 6, 1948.
213. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 46. November 13, 1948.
214. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 47. November 20, 1948.
215. Search: "Terp". 9th Annual Special Edition: "Cavalcade of Fairs". Vol. 60, no. 48. November 20, 1948.
216. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 48. November 27, 1948.
217. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 49. December 4, 1948.
218. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 50. December 11, 1948.
219. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 51. December 18, 1948.
220. Search: "Terp". Vol. 60, no. 52. December 25, 1948.
221. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 1. January 1, 1949.
222. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 2. January 8, 1949.
223. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 3. January 15, 1949.
224. Search: "Terp". Sect. 2: "Juke Box Supplement". Vol. 61, no. 4. January 15, 1949.
225. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 4. January 22, 1949.
226. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 5. January 29, 1949.
227. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 6. February 5, 1949.
228. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 7. February 12, 1949.
229. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 8. February 19, 1949.
230. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 9. February 26, 1949.
231. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 10. March 5, 1949.
232. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 11. March 12, 1949.
233. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 12. March 19, 1949.
234. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 13. March 26, 1949.
235. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 14. April 2, 1949.
236. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 15. April 9, 1949.
237. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 16. April 16, 1949.
238. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 17. April 23, 1949.
239. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 18. April 30, 1949.
240. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 19. May 7, 1949.
241. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 20. May 14, 1949.
242. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 21. May 21, 1949.
243. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 22. May 28, 1949.
244. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 23. June 4, 1949.
245. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 24. June 11, 1949.
246. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 25. June 18, 1949.
247. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 26. June 25, 1949.
248. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 27. July 2, 1949.
249. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 28. July 9, 1949.
250. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 29. July 16, 1949.
251. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 30. July 23, 1949.
252. Search: "Terp". Supplement; Sect. 2: NAMM Convention. Vol. 61, no. 31. July 23, 1949.
253. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 31. July 30, 1949.
254. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 32. August 6, 1949.
255. Missing. Vol. 61, no. 33. August 20, 1949.
256. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 34. August 20, 1949.
257. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 35. August 27, 1949.
258. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 36. September 3, 1949.
259. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 37. September 10, 1949.
260. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 38. September 17, 1949.
261. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 39. September 24, 1949.
262. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 40. October 1, 1949.
263. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 41. October 8, 1949.
264. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 42. October 15, 1949.
265. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 43. October 22, 1949.
266. Search: "Terp". Section 2: "Disk Jockey Supplement". Vol. 61, no. 43. October 22, 1949.
267. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 44. October 29, 1949.
268. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 45. November 5, 1949.
269. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 46. November 12, 1949.
270. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 47. November 19, 1949.
271. Search: "Terp". 10th Annual Special Edition: "Cavalcade of Fairs". Vol. 61, no. 48. November 19, 1949.
272. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 48. November 26, 1949.
273. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 49. December 3, 1949.
274. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 50. December 10, 1949.
275. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 51. December 17, 1949.
276. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 52. December 24, 1949.
277. Search: "Terp". Vol. 61, no. 53. December 31, 1949.

Variety

• Variety.

1. 33 instances of the word Terp. Vol. 192. December 2, 1953 – via Internet Archive.

Usage in sports journalism

The term Terpsichorean has appeared in sports journalism in connection with the University of Maryland Terrapins, whose nickname Terps coincides with the first syllable. Examples include headlines such as:

• "Maryland in Terpsichorean Tizzy" (Orlando Sentinel, 1980)
• Photo captions like "Terp-sichorean" (Boston Globe, 1949).”

• Guest, Larry (November 28, 1980). "Maryland in Terpsichorean Tizzy Over Tangerine Bowl". Sentinel Star. Vol. 104, no. 333. pp. D1 & D3. Retrieved June 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. LCCN sn82-15031; OCLC 8377285 (all editions).

• "Terp-Sichorean – Terrapin Left End Elmer Wingate". The Boston Daily Globe (photo caption). Vol. 156, no. 134. November 11, 1949. p. 20. Retrieved June 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. LCCN sn83-45484; OCLC 1536853 (all editions).

See Elmer Wingate

Other references

• Dalzell, Thomas (Tom) Moore III (born 1951), ed. (2008). "Terper". The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English (limited preview). Taylor & Francis. p. 981. Retrieved June 19, 2025 – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) LCCN 2008-5409; ISBN 0-2038-9513-4 (e-book; 2008), ISBN 978-0-4153-7182-7, 0-4153-7182-1 (print); OCLC 192042195 (all editions).

• Partridge, Eric (1894–1979); Dalzell, Thomas (Tom) Moore III (born 1951); Victor, Terry, eds. (2013). The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge. p. 2239. Retrieved June 19, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) LCCN 2011-30924

See A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English

• Sergel, Sherman Louis (1923–1981) (1973). The Language of Show Biz. The Dramatic Publishing Company.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 73-173320; OCLC 725960 (all editions).

• Murray, James Augustus Henry, Sir (1837–1915); Burchfield, Robert William (1923–2004), eds. (1933) [re-printed 1961, 1970, 1978]. "Terpsichore". The Oxford English Dictionary – Being a Corrected Re-Issue With an Introduction, Supplement, and Bibliography of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society. Vol. 11 (of 13): "T–U". Oxford: The Clarendon Press. p. 208. Retrieved June 19, 2025 – via Internet Archive (University of Allahabad).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) LCCN a33003399.

• "Dance Party Honors Tunes of the Past". Austin Daily Herald (Blog ed.). April 15, 2025. Archived from the original on April 17, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.

• "Music and Dance Styles Change: Phil Golberg Notes His 27th Year as Manager of the Terp Ballroom". Austin Daily Herald. Vol. 82, no. 119. March 30, 1974. p. 18B. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

(né Johnel Emlin Phil Golberg; 1907–1985)

• "Terp Slated for Opening Wednesday – Beautiful New Ballroom To Be Celebrated; Tickets Now on Sale". Austin Daily Herald. Vol. 67, no. 121. Austin, Minnesota. May 23, 1938. p. 1. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. LCCN sn83-16503; ISSN 0746-9713.

• Weiner, Richard (1927–2014) (1996). Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications (Revised ed.). New York: Macmillan Inc. p. 613. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 96-12949; ISBN 0-0286-0611-6.

• Mencken, Henry Louis (1880–1956) (1945). The American Language; An Inquiry Into the Development of English in the United States. Supplement I (4th ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 338. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 36-27236; OCLC 322214 (all editions).

• Berrey, Lester Vincent (né Lester Vincent Berry; 1904–1981); Van den Bark, Melvin Oliver (1897–1974) (1953). "Dancing" (p. 365). "Dancer" (p. 583). "Chorus Girl" (p. 583). The American Thesaurus of Slang: A Complete Reference Book of Colloquial Speech in the English Language (2nd ed.). New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 52-10837; OCLC 319462 (all editions).

• Trapido, Joel, ed. (1985). "Terp, Terper, Terpsichorean". An International Dictionary of Theatre Language – via Internet Archive (Kahle/Austin Foundation). LCCN 83-22756; ISBN 0-3132-2980-5

• Granville, Wilfred (1952). "Terp". The Theater Dictionary – British and American Terms in the Drama, Opera, and Ballet. New York: Philosophical Library. p. 200. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via Internet Archive (Kahle/Austin Foundation).

• Preston-Dunlop, Valerie Monthland, ed. (1995) [ebook published January 2016]. Dance Words (1st ed.). London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315077468

LCCN 99-521798

"Dance Words". Choreography and Dance Studies. ISSN 1053-380X (Vol. 8)

ISBN 978-3-7186-5601-1, 3-7186-5601-9 (1995 hardcover)

ISBN 978-3-7186-5605-9, 3-7186-5605-1 (1995 softcover)

ISBN 978-1-1343-6122-9, 1-1343-6122-X (1997 hardback)

ISBN 978-1-1343-6136-6, 1-1343-6136-X (2016)

ISBN 978-1-1343-6129-8, 1-1343-6129-7 (2016 ebook)

ISBN 978-1-3150-7746-8, 1-3150-7746-9 (2016 ebook)

OCLC 936331693 (all editions).

• Bart, Peter (2006). Boffo! How I Learned to Love the Blockbuster and Fear the Bomb. New York: Miramax Books – via Internet Archive.

• Wilmeth, Don B. (né Donald Burton Wilmeth; 1939–2020) (1981). "Terp Team," "Terper," "Terpery," "Terps." The Language of American Popular Entertainment : A Glossary of Argot, Slang, and Terminology. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 271 – via Internet Archive (limited preview).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 80-14795; ISBN 0-3132-2497-8, 978-0-3132-2497-3; OCLC 6277647 (all editions).

• Green, Abel; Laurie, Joe, Jr. (1892–1954) (1951). "Glossary". Show Biz: From Vaude to Video. New York: Henry Holt & Company.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 51-13791 (1951), LCCN 51-13791, LCCN 82-49223; OCLC 577390 (all editions).

1. Via Pdf (PDF). Retrieved June 12, 2025 – via World Radio History (worldradiohistory.com); David E. Frackelton Gleason (born 1946), Cleveland.
2. Via Internet Archive. Retrieved June 12, 2025.

• Freeman, William Myron (1913–1990) (May 11, 1973). "Abel Green, Editor of Variety and Language Stylist, 72, Dies" – "Architect of Showbiz Prose Wrote of Entertainment and Its Personalities". New York Times (The). Vol. 122, whole no. 42111. p. 42.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

1. Via New York Times (blog ed.). Retrieved June 12, 2025.
2. Via TimesMachine. Vol. 122, whole no. 42111 (print ed.). p. 42. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
3. Permalink via TimesMachine (print ed.). Retrieved June 12, 2025.
4. Pdf via TimesMachine (print ed.). Retrieved June 12, 2025.

• Variety.

1. Green, Abel (1900–1973) (January 3, 1933). "Roxy, N.Y.". Vol. 109, no. 4. p. 68 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. "Newsreels: Capitol, N.Y.". Vol. 109, no. 8. January 31, 1933. p. 13 – via Internet Archive.
3. "RKO Roxy". Vol. 109, no. 9. February 7, 1933. p. 14 – via Internet Archive.
4. "State, N.Y.". Vol. 109, no. 9. February 7, 1933. p. 45 – via Internet Archive.
5. "Night Club Reviews: Waldorf-Astoria". Vol. 110, no. 7. April 25, 1933. p. 57 – via Internet Archive.
6. "Downtown, L.A.". Vol. 110, no. 11. May 23, 1933. p. 40 – via Internet Archive.
7. "Stage Mother". Vol. 112, no. 4. October 3, 1933. p. 15 – via Internet Archive.
8. "Lincoln, Lincoln". Vol. 112, no. 9. November 7, 1933. p. 17 – via Internet Archive.
9. "Pitt, Pitts'Bg". Vol. 112, no. 12. November 28, 1933. p. 22 – via Internet Archive.

• Variety. Vol. 127, no. 9. August 16, 1937.

"Seymour Felix has assisted with the dance numbers, of which the ensemble in brown, featuring Rocco, pianist, and Saulter, soprano, with a group of terp dancers, is the most elaborate and effective. Lighting effects achieved on the dark skins of the scantily dressed girls are startling and beautiful. It's something new in the use of color."

• Beckett, Arthur W. (June 1895). "Dancers, Dances, and Dancing." "By a Disciple of Terpsichore". The Westminster Review. 143 (6). New York: Leonard Scott Publication Company: 675–677.

1. Via Google Books – via Google Books (Wisconsin).

• "Marga Waldron" – "One of the Best Classical Steppers in Show Business". New York Star (advertisement). Vol. 28, no. 20 (whole no. 722). July 29, 1922. p. 12. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via Google Books (Michigan).
  Re: "Marga Waldron (Margaret Elliot Waldron; maiden; 1902–1993) and George Halprin (1890–1966) → "Miss Waldron handles the terps with Mr. Halprin at the grand [piano]."

• "New Shows This Week" → "Palace". Variety. Vol. 67, no. 9. June 21, 1922. p. 19 – via Internet Archive Media History Digital Library.

• Whitney, William Dwight (1827–1894), ed. (1889–1891). The Century Dictionary – An Encyclopedic Lexicon of the English Language (6 Vols in 24 Parts ed.). New York: The Century Company.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)

Main article: Century Dictionary
1. Vol. 6, Part 22: "Term – Trust". p. 6244 – via Internet Archive (Robarts).

• Emery, Hulbert George (1877–1941); Brewster, Katharine Grant (maiden; 1915–2009), eds. (1927). The New Century Dictionary of the English Language – Based on matter selected from the original Century Dictionary and entirely rewritten, with the addition of a great amount of new material, and containing the great mass of words and phrases in ordinary use. 12,000 quotations. 4,000 pictorial illustrations. With supplements of synonyms and antonyms, foreign words and phrases, biographical names; geographical names, etc. New York and London: The Century Co., publisher. New York: P.F. Collier & Son Company, sole distributors.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link)

1. Vol. 3: "Stone-blind – Zymurgy and Supplements" – via Google Books (Michigan).

• Gastit, Horace Dodd (pseudonym of John Kendrick Banes; 1862–1922) (July 5, 1913). Banning, Kendall (1879–1944) [at Wikidata] (ed.). Re: "Terpsichologist." "New Dances for the Blase". Judge. Vol. 65, no. 1655. Wales, James Albert (1852–1886), late founding editor. New York: Leslie-Judge Company.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

1. Via Google Books (Michigan).

• Lambrecht, Gary [Conrad] (born 1962) (March 8, 2004). "Terps Dance Past Virginia". Baltimore Sun. Vol. 167, no. 68. pp. 1D, 6D. Retrieved June 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

• Dolgan, Bob (2006). America's Polka King: The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic and His Music. Cleveland: Gray & Company. ISBN 1-5985-1026-6, 978-1-5985-1026-3 (paperback).

1. Re: "Terp Ballroom" (Austin, Minnesota) (limited preview) – via Google Books.

• "Origin of Terp Ballroom Fire Still Mystery – Damage is Estimated at $100,000". Globe-Gazette. Vol. 52, no. 39. Mason City, Iowa. November 23, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved June 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

"The fire alarm came 14½ hours after the ballroom was locked up from previous use. The fire apparently started in the attic of the tile building and quickly spread through the frame interior. An alarm was sounded shortly after 6:30 Thursday morning, but firemen found it too late to save the structure. The roof collapsed and the walls began caving in. Firemen tore down what walls were left standing to prevent any accidents. Manager Clifford M. Nesbet said the building itself, without fixtures, cost $87,000 when built shortly before the war. From May 25, 1938, to December 1946, the Terp ballroom was owned and operated by Carl John Fox (1895–1973) and his wife, Emma Gertrude Emerick (maiden; 1896–1979) of Clear Lake, Iowa, who also owns and operates the Surf Ballroom (venue of Buddy Holly's last performance) at Clear Lake and the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul, Minnesota."

• Keller, Gary D[ennis] (1943–2020). "Bilingualism, Biculturalism, and the Cisco Kid Cycle". Bilingual Review / La Revista Bilingüe (September–December 2004–2007). 28 (3): 195–231. Retrieved June 9, 2025.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 74-645066 (publication); ISSN 0094-5366 (publication); JSTOR 25745869 (article); OCLC 425415059 (article).

• Ostler, Rosemarie (2003). Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers: A Decade-by-Decade Guide to the Vanishing Vocabulary of the 20th Century. Oxford University Press. LCCN 2003-8302; ISBN 0-1951-6146-7, 978-0-1951-6146-5 (hardback), ISBN 0-1951-8254-5, 978-0-1951-8254-5 (ebook).

1. 1900–1919: "Terp team" – via Internet Archive.
2. 1900–1919: "Terp team" (limited preview) – via Google Books.

• Shepherd, John (born 1947) (1982) [2016; 2017]. "Glossary of Musical Terms". Tin Pan Alley (1st ed.). Routledge.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

LCCN 82-229817 (1982 ed.);

ISBN 978-1-1381-9432-8 (set; 2016),

ISBN 978-1-3156-2255-2 (ebook set; 2016),

ISBN 1-1386-4976-7, 978-1-1386-4976-7 (hardback, Vol. 10; 2016),

ISBN 1-3156-2394-3, 978-1-3156-2394-8 (ebook, Vol. 10; 2016),

ISBN 1-1386-5289-X, 978-1-1386-5289-7 (print, Vol. 10; 1st ed; 2017),

ISBN 1-3172-2751-4, 978-1-3172-2751-9 (ebook; 2016),

ISBN 1-3172-2752-2, 978-1-3172-2752-6 (ebook; 2016),

ISBN 1-3172-2753-0, 978-1-3172-2753-3 (ebook; 2016),

ISBN 0-7100-0904-6, 978-0-7100-0904-3 (hardback; 1982);

OCLC 8808354 (all editions).

1. Via Google Books (borrow unavailable; limited preview).
2. Via Google Books (borrow unavailable; limited preview).
3. Via Internet Archive (borrow unavailable; limited preview).

• Terpsichore in Sneakers: Post-Modern Dance, by Sally Banes, Wesleyan University Press (1987), pg. xi ("Preface"); OCLC 48139465

• "Side Lines: Movie Talk". Forbes. Vol. 71, no. 4. February 15, 1953. Retrieved June 6, 2025 – via Internet Archive.

• Kukla, Barbara Joan (born 1940), ed. (1991). Chapter 10: "The Dancers – Taps and Terpsichore" [re: Reese LaRue]. Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925–50. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 72.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) LCCN 91-3176, LCCN 2001-48796; ISBN 978-0-8772-2874-5, 0-8772-2874-4; OCLC 23386575 (all editions).

• Ayto, John [at Wikidata]; Simpson, John (1992). "Terp": The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Claremont School of Theology). ISBN 0-1986-6181-9.

1. Via Internet Archive. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

Spartanburg (S. Carolina) Herald Donna McKechnie is the best dancer in the musical comedy theater (one dance critic tripped over his typewriter when he suggested Donna can't terp) (1974)."Donna McKechnie". Spartanburg Herald. April 19, 1974. p. 8 [Abbreviation of terpsechorean [sic] adjective of, dancing.]

• Ayto, John [at Wikidata] (1999) [1998]. "The Arts, Entertainment, and the Media" – "Terp": The Oxford Dictionary of Slang. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Boston Public Library). ISBN 0-1928-0104-X.

1. Via Internet Archive (borrow unavailable; limited preview).

• Tyson, Raymond (December 1937). "Variety". American Speech. Vol. 12, no. 4. Duke University Press. pp. 317–318. Retrieved June 7, 2025. JSTOR 452230.

• Billboard (weekly). Cincinnati – via Google Books. Retrieved June 5, 2025. ISSN 0006-2510.

1. Orodenker, Maurie Harris (1908–1993) (January 6, 1945). "Night Club Reviews" – "Village Barn, New York (PDF). Vol. 51, no. 1. p. 18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Terp twain of Don Loper and Maxine Barrett" [Dance duo Don Loper (1906–1972) and Maxine Barrett]. "Twain" is a literary or theatrical synonym for "pair" or "duo" (from Old English twēon, related to "two").

No

• Gottschild, Brenda Dixon (2000). Waltzing in the Dark – African American Vaudeville and Race Politics in the Swing Era. Palgrave Macmillan New York. doi:10.1057/9780312299682; ISBN 978-0-312-21418-0 (hardcover: August 20, 1999); ISBN 978-0-312-29443-4 (softcover: April 4, 2002); ISBN 978-0-312-29968-2 (ebook: April 29, 2016).

New as of June 20, 2025

• Veale, Scott (February 25, 2001). "Word for Word / Variety 'Slanguage"' – "Show-Biz Tubthumping: How to Tell The Socko From the Whammo". New York Times. "Week in Review" (Section 4). Vol. 150, no. whole no. 51675. p. 7. Retrieved June 20, 2025.

1. Blog ed.
1. Via New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015.
2. Via ProQuest 2232717051 (subscription required) (U.S. Newsstream database).
2. Print ed. (digital).
3. Via TimesMachine (print ed.).
4. Permalink via TimesMachine (print ed.).
5. Via ProQuest 431663740 (subscription required) (U.S. Newsstream database).

• Bream, Jon (February 6, 2021). "Streetscapes: Surf's Up in Clear Lake, Iowa – The Ballroom Where Buddy Holly Played His Final Show Is Now a Historic Landmark". Minnesota Star Tribune. "Variety" (Section E). Vol. 39, no. 308. Minneapolis. p. 1. Retrieved June 20, 2021. ISSN 0895-2825.

1. ProQuest 2486878640 (subscription required) (U.S. Newsstream database).
2. Via Newspapers.com.

• Trapido, Joel; Langhans, Edward A.; Brandon, James R., eds. (1985). "Terp, Terper, Terpsichorean, Terpsichorienne, Terpsichorine". An International Dictionary of Theatre Language. Greenwood Press. p. 866. Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Internet Archive (limited preview). LCCN 83-22756; ISBN 0-3132-2980-5.

• Kroon, Richard Wayne (born 1964) (2014) [2010]. Re: "Terp," "Terper." A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms (2 Vols.). Jefferson, North Carolina and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 681. Retrieved June 21, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 2009-50021; ISBN 978-0-7864-4405-2 (2010 ed.), ISBN 978-0-7864-9556-6 (2014 ed.); OCLC 7982614452 (ID for the term, "terp", 2014 ed.).

Terp tempo

• Adams, Greg (August 19, 2014). "What's a Terp Tempo?". Music Weird. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2025.

• Will Osborne (1905–1981) – "They Say It's Wonderful" (May 4, 1946)

"Sticking to an easy terp tempo, ork furnishes smooth support for Eileen Wilson's [1923–2018] soothing singing."

• Tex Williams (1917–1985) – "Tulsa Trot" (February 17, 1951)

"Williams hands a danceable ditty his usual virile rendition while the ork maintains a fine terp tempo via swinging strings."

• Bobby Smith (né Robert Lewis Smith; 1907–1995) and Orchestra – "Dash Hound Boogie" (February 24, 1951)

"Smith ork essays a boogie instrumental in okay terp tempo with neat keyboard and baritone sax solos."

• Bob Dewey (né Dewey Bergman; 1900–1971) Orchestra – "Vilia," from The Merry Widow (March 10, 1951)

"The Guy Lombardo-Sammy Kaye style ork does the [Franz] Lehár [1870–1948] standard in smart terp tempo with soprano [Sally] Sweetland [1911–2015] giving the lyric a sweet-voiced reading."

• Ramón Márquez (1914–1997) Orchestra – "Mambo O.K." (November 22, 1952)

"The ork pounds it out with verve and at a fine terp tempo."

• The Commanders – "Cornball No. 1" (July 2, 1955)

"A bouncy instrumental with an amusing theme and an okay terp tempo."

• Bebo Valdés Orchestra – "Hot in Haiti" ("Merengue, Me Gusta Más"), written by Padú del Caribe (1920–2019) and Rufo Wever (1917–1977) (January 14, 1956)

"Tasteful merengue instrumental in a pleasant Latin-American ditty with a good terp tempo."

• Benny Strong (1909–1991) Orchestra – "You Call Everybody Darling" (February 23, 1957)

"A danceable version of the tender oldie with catchy group vocal work by the Mellomen and a strong swingy terp-tempo."

• Budd Morro – Buddy Morrow and His Golden Trombone (April 29, 1957)

"Morrow deserts his usual rock and roll dance groove on this LP, which features a group of dreamy instrumentals, spotlighting a smooth terp tempo and topflight trombone solo work by Morrow."

• Guy Lombardo Orchestra – Berlin by Lombardo (June 16, 1958)

"Interesting photo of bandleader on cover gives LP display value, while contents should appeal to Berlin fans and lovers of Lombardo's bouncy terp tempo."

• Eddie Platt – "Chi-Hua-Hua" (May 12, 1958)

"Eddie 'Tequila' Platt serves up another good version of the provocative instrumental theme with a solid terp tempo."

• The Quarter Notes – "Record Hop Blues," written by Anthony Sperry (January 19, 1959)

"Swinging instrumental side with fine rockin' terp tempo."

The band featured Tony Sperry on keyboards, Johnny Shiedo on sax, and sometimes Gary Vallet. The band formed around Sperry's Quarter Note Lounge (which Tony's father owned) and played there regularly.

• Edmundo Ros – "Shall We Dance-Conga" (January 26, 1959)

"Swinging congo-tempo version of the 'King and I' standard. Interesting jockey side with infectious terp tempo."

• Alden & the One Nighters – "Theme from Love-O-Meter" (March 30, 1959)

"Raucous rocker-instrumental with eerie space music effects and good terp tempo."

• Gloria Matancera – The Soul of Cuba (March 7, 1960)

"The group (trumpets, rhythm section and vocalists) features and easy terp tempo and play Guajiras, San Montimas, Guaraches and Guaguagances all with a cha cha or mambo beat."

• Strangers – "Young Maggie" (March 14, 1960)

"Lively rocking instrumental version of 'When You and I Were Young, Maggie,' with a solid terp tempo."

• Tony Pastor (né Antonio Pestritto; 1907–1969) – Let's Dance with Tony Pastor and His Orchestra (September 5, 1960)

"The veteran ork leader provides bouncy, verveful treatments of listenable oldies — all with a bright terp tempo, with pleasant vocal stints by Pastor's son Guy (né Guy Louis Pestritto; 1936–1992) and Beth Harmon."

• Andy Rose – "The Bootie Green," w&m by Laura Adams and Tony Middleton (né Anthony Wilbert Middleton; 1934–2024) (December 4, 1961)

"Showmanly chanting by Rose on bouncy rocker with solid terp tempo."

• Donnie Charles (né Charles Senn) – "Jumpsville, U.S.A.," written by Terry Thompson (né Curtis Terry Thompson; 1941–1965) (December 25, 1961)

"Exuberant reading by Charles and group on a happy, rocking tune with lively terp tempo."

response

Keep (still). This is not a dictionary entry; it is a compact, well-sourced article documenting a historically specific trade term used for decades in professional music and entertainment journalism. Terp is attested in Billboard, Variety, and trade glossaries such as Show Biz (1951) and The American Thesaurus of Slang (1953), appearing as noun, verb, and adjective—part of a recognised “slanguage” with defined professional meaning.

Some objections apply WP:NOTDICT too rigidly. The policy does not forbid articles about terms; it cautions against pages that do nothing but define. When this AfD opened the piece was closer to that line, but it has since been expanded: the article now provides etymology, trade-press usage, lexicographic treatment, and documented decline, all cited to independent reliable sources.

Wikipedia already hosts entries on historical vocabulary with enduring cultural footprint—e.g. truthiness, affluenza, squee, Macedonia (terminology). If those survive on sourcing and cultural relevance, it is difficult to argue that terp—pervasive in mid-century entertainment language and covered in multiple reference works—does not merit similar treatment.

Deleting the article in its present, expanded form would set an unnecessarily narrow bar for well-sourced industrial terminology.

References

• The tassle-terper was Sally Keith, the stage name of Stella Sally Katz (1915–1962), who briefly had been married to her manager, Jack Parr, and later, in 1963, married Arthur Brandt.

"Choreography." The Music Index: A Subject-Author Guide to Music Periodical Literature, Annual Cumulation. Vol. 53. Sterling Heights, Michigan: Harmonie Park Press. 2001. p. 285 (col. 3, bottom). Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Internet Archive. LCCN 50-13627; ISSN 0027-4348; ISBN 978-0-8999-0110-7, 0-8999-0110-7; OCLC 1643737 (all editions).

1. Entry: "Noises off: Astaires tap terps. C. Isherwood. Variety, 383:55 May 21, 2001".

• Johnson, Jay (December 6, 1950). "Band Reviews: Stan Kenton Orch". Variety. Vol. 180, no. 13. p. 42. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Internet Archive.

"Kenton is still playing his concert repertory of special numbers, such as "Intermission Riff" and "Viva Prado," in the terpery spots. The customers can't two-step to; this type of music, unless they go in for jazz choreography, but Kenton throws in enough standards, with terpable rhythms to hold his franchise as a dance band."

• The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. p. 644. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Internet Archive.

LCCN 2007-28776

ISBN 0-4152-1259-6, 978-0-4152-1259-5 (hardback)

ISBN 0-2039-6211-7, 978-0-2039-6211-4 (ebook)

ISBN13: 978-0415-21259-5 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0203-96211-4 (ebk)

• Lewin, Esther (née Esther Shirley Isabel Schaffer; 1922–2008); Lewin, Albert E[lmer] (1916–1996), eds. (1995). The Wordsworth Thesaurus of Slang. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. New York: Facts on File. pp. 66, 95, 140–141. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) ISBN 1-8532-6360-5, 978-1-8532-6360-6; OCLC 60273427.

1. "Choreographer n. terper". p. 66.
2. "Dancer n. ... terper ...". p. 95.
3. "Entertainer n. 3. ... terper ...". pp. 140–141.

• Babcock, C[larence] Merton (1908–1988), ed. (1961). Chapter 10: "Word-Spinning and Patterns of Innovation." "Abel Green From Variety." The Ordeal of American English. Houghton Mifflin Research Series No. 9. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 144. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Internet Archive (Widener Library).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: editors list (link) LCCN 61-1405; OCLC 319434 (all editions).

• Cagliero, Roberto; Spallino, Chiara (1999). Dizionario di slang americano – dall'hip-hop a Internet i linguaggi del nuovo millennio [Dictionary of American Slang – From Hip-Hop to the Internet: The Languages of the New Millennium] (in Italian). Milano: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. pp. 526–527. Retrieved June 24, 2025 – via Internet Archive (Kahle/Austin Foundation). ISBN 978-8-8044-6729-8, 8-8044-6729-0.

In italiano
1. terp verbo (teatrico) danzare.
2. terper sostantivo (teatrico) ballerina, ballerino

English translation:

1. terp verb (theatrical) to dance
2. terper noun (theatrical) ballerina, dancer

• Billboard. "Music Popularity Charts" – via Google Books. ISSN 0006-2510.

1. "New Records: Will Osborne". Vol. 58, no. 18. May 4, 1946. p. 33.
2. "Popular; Record Reviews: Bob Dewey Ork". Vol. 63, no. 10. March 10, 1951. p. 30.
3. "Rhythm & Blues Record Reviews: Bobbie Smith Ork". Vol. 63, no. 8. February 24, 1951. p. 31.
4. "Country & Western (Folk) Record Reviews: Tex Williams". Vol. 63, no. 7. February 17, 1951. p. 75.
5. "Folk Record Reviews; Latin American: Ramón Márquez Ork". Vol. 64, no. 47. November 22, 1952. p. 42.
6. "Reviews of New Pop Records".
1. "The Commanders". Vol. 67, no. 27. July 2, 1955. p. 44.
2. "Bebo Valdés Ork". Vol. 68, no. 2. January 14, 1956. p. 50.
3. "Benny Strong Ork". Vol. 69, no. 8. February 23, 1957. p. 63.
7. "Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums".
1. Buddy Morrow and His Golden Trombone. Vol. 69, no. 18. April 29, 1957. p. 37.
2. Berlin by Lombardo. Vol. 70, no. 24. June 16, 1958. p. 18.
3. The Soul of Cuba. Vol. 72, no. 10. March 7, 1960. p. 32.
4. Let's Dance With Tony Pastor and His Ork. Vol. 72, no. 34. September 5, 1960. p. 38.
8. "Reviews of New Pop Records".
1. "Eddie Platt Ork". Vol. 70, no. 19. May 12, 1958. p. 40.
2. "The Quarter Notes". Vol. 71, no. 3. January 19, 1959. p. 53.
3. "Shall We Dance-Conga". Vol. 71, no. 4. January 26, 1959. p. 48.
4. "The One Nighters". Vol. 71, no. 13. March 30, 1959. p. 51.
5. "Strangers". Vol. 72, no. 11. March 14, 1960. p. 40.
9. "Reviews of New Singles".
1. "Andy Rose". Vol. 78, no. 48. December 4, 1961. p. 28.
2. "Donnie Charles". Vol. 78, no. 51. December 25, 1961. p. 19.
• Green, Abel (April 7, 1937). "Night Club Reviews: Rainbow Room, N.Y." Variety. Vol. 126, no. 4. p. 56 (column 2). Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Internet Archive (Media History Digital Library).

See Rainbow Room.

Elinor Sheridan is a sub for Renee de Jarnette [né Gail Manners DeJarnette; 1915–2007], who dropped out. Miss Tyner [né Evalyn Lucinda Tyner; 1901–1982] is a marathon holdover with her pianologistic interludes on the Steinway. Dr. Ross [aka Sydney Ross; né Sallie Rosenbloom; 1901–1986] (currently doing a 'command' White House performance at the White House) is another who is now something of an institution with his card manipulations at the tables. Eddie LeBaron [ne Edward Albaclini Gastine; 1906–1983] at the helm of his Continental-type orchestra is a personable personality who should be accorded more platform space to prance around in, as he keeps terp tempo to his own tunes, just as he did at the Sert Room [at the Waldorf Astoria].
• Quigg, H.D. (October 30, 1954). "United Press Extras ...". Editor & Publisher. Vol. 87, no. 45. p. 36. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
"What the heck is mambo? We'll probably never know, exactly – although it seems to be all around us, like the air, or chlorophyll, or Author Godfrey. Damaso Pérez Prado doesn't seem to know, and he's the man who claims to have invented the thing. 'Yanks Dig That Mambo Beat,' said a headline across the front page of the show business paper Variety recently. And a smaller headline said: 'Puerto Rico Terp Tempo Spreading.' Perez Prado isn't a Puerto Rican. He's a Cuban ..."
• Gross, Mike (June 16, 1954). "Yanks Dig That Mambo Beat." "Puerto Rico Terp Tempo Spreading". Variety. Vol. 195, no. 2. pp. 1, 63. Retrieved June 23, 2025 – via Internet Archive (Media History Digital Library).