Memphis mod

English translation: Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and l

19:04 Oct 25, 2011
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
English term or phrase: Memphis mod
Cooper van Epp. Standing in his room—the entire fifth floor of a Hicks Street brownstone—trying to beat-match John Lee Hooker with some piece of trip-hop horror. On twenty thousand dollars’ worth of equipment he doesn’t know how to use.

“This is the blues, man!” he crows. “It’s Memphis mod.” He pauses to pour himself his second scotch of the morning. “It’s like then and now. Brooklyn and Beale Street all at once. It’s like hanging at a house party with John Lee. Smoking Kents and drinking bourbon for breakfast..."

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I found a definition of "mod": http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mod
and a definition for Memphis blues: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_blues
...but I seem to be having a hard time putting two and two together. What exactly is the boy saying? The terms seem to come from different eras culture-wise.

Also, I understand that Beale Street is an important place in the history of blues, but what about Brooklyn? Why is he mixing them into one here? I think it's connected with the initial question, but if you guys insist I can post it separately.

Thanks in advance.
zmejka
Local time: 09:49
Selected answer:Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and l
Explanation:
Collins Cobuild (Dictionary) 5: Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and like soul music. Many young people were mods in the early 1960s.

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Note added at 13 hrs (2011-10-26 08:30:30 GMT)
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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
Mod /mɒd/ US /mɑːd/
noun [C]
a member of a group of young people, especially in Britain in the 1960s, who wore stylish clothes and rode scooters (= small motorcycles):
Mods and Rockers
Selected response from:

Abouzar Oraki
Local time: 10:19
Grading comment
thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and l
Abouzar Oraki


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
memphis mod
Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and l


Explanation:
Collins Cobuild (Dictionary) 5: Mods are young people in Britain who wear a special kind of neat clothes, ride motor scooters, and like soul music. Many young people were mods in the early 1960s.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2011-10-26 08:30:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
Mod /mɒd/ US /mɑːd/
noun [C]
a member of a group of young people, especially in Britain in the 1960s, who wore stylish clothes and rode scooters (= small motorcycles):
Mods and Rockers

Abouzar Oraki
Local time: 10:19
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
thanks for your help!
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