# eBay question -- emo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578 "2003-07-19T14:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/1 "2003-07-19T14:37:29Z")
I can figure out most of the abbreviations on eBay, but this one has flummoxed me. It appears with T-shirts, and for the life of me I can’t even come up with stupid possibilities. (Evidently must … uh… excellent marks … especially marvelous… um…) Help! ---
**Author:** ![Dawne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Dawne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dawne)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/2 "2003-07-19T14:49:38Z")
If you’re referring to the music genre I’m pretty sure that it stands for emotive, inclusing bands like Saves the Day, etc. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/3 "2003-07-19T14:54:51Z")
Well, that would explain “punk, indie…” in [this](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2844060885&category=28022&rd=1) headline – what the hell am I not understanding here? Do emo types wear a particular kind of T-shirt? (and if one of you goes in there and outbids me I’ll be pissed.) ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/4 "2003-07-19T15:05:44Z")
Did you try checking ebay site map or boards? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/5 "2003-07-19T15:07:00Z")
Site map yes, boards no. Thanks for the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/6 "2003-07-19T15:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*Well, that would explain “punk, indie…” in [this](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2844060885&category=28022&rd=1) headline – what the hell am I not understanding here? Do emo types wear a particular kind of T-shirt? (and if one of you goes in there and outbids me I’ll be pissed.) \*\* I would say that they do wear a particular style of t-shirt, usually a thin fitted tee, and by fitted i do mean quite tight and sexy. That would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/7 "2003-07-19T15:40:52Z")
oh, its an XL. . . um, maybe just thin. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/8 "2003-07-19T15:56:58Z")
Thanks **twicks**. kiddoeaddi, instead of just _telling_ me what emo is, insists that I listen to several selections (since she has to put up with “that fiddle and banjo crap” of mine). Pray for me, will you? ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/9 "2003-07-19T16:38:31Z")
I gather everyone posting in this thread hasn’t been in highschool for quite some time 🙂 Emo is just another trend the kids these days are into. It stands for “emotional” and refers to music wherein rich suburban white kids whigne about how they don’t have girlfriends. Yes, emo-types do wear certain kinds of clothing, just as do the rock types or the goth types. Personally, I can’t stand it. ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/10 "2003-07-19T17:12:08Z")
Sorry, but youre all WRONG. Sorry, this is a topic that is quite dear to me as i have been listening to punk/hardcore and numerous variants there of for better than 18 years! :eek: “Emo” is short for emocore. Emocore was originated by bands like embrace, sunspring, rites of spring out the late 80s DC hardcore scene. These bands were by all definitions hardcore bands that had lyrics concerned with non-traditional (for hardcore) topics, such as loss, vulnerability, heart-break, basically “emotional” topics. A few years, later more traditional hardcore bands started playing more melodic music that wasnt as “hard” but still had a very strong hardcore influence. This new style of music was later deemed “post-hardcore.” As the emocore scence matured it also mutated and adopted some of the more melodic influences of post-hardcore. This more melodic form of emocore was referred to as simply emo. A number of years pass (maybe 8-10, all while emo still maintains a clear definition) and suddenly “radio punk” is now dead, so what do the kids listen to if theyre not listening to this watered down punk anymore? Simple, according to numerous magazines, emo. Now this is where things get VERY fuzzy. As this word has been thrown around entirely too much and has really lost all meaning (at least for me ☹ ). Bands that are not even close to being “emo” label themselves as such to get attention. Label execs slap a great big “this is emo” sticker on their latest piece of watered down pop-punk and hope the kids will buy it for that. And they do, and they believe this is “emo.” Sadly, nope. Its pop-punk with lyrics about girls and breaking up. Sure, i listen to alot of this stuff, but i dont call it emo. I hope this helps clarify some things. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/11 "2003-07-19T19:51:55Z")
I know a guy who does a lot of vintage tee shirt auctions, and he labels a lot of his shirts “emo” as well. Judging from some of the input here, and his pictures (he models them for the pics), which you can see if you do a seller search for big\_sexy, I’m thinking emo-style shirts are what **grettle** said: thin, sexy, tight. Maybe vintage plays into it, but I’m not sure. Gotta remember to ask him next time I run into him. Vintage tees seem to be a lucrative item at the moment. Who knew. Most of mine are shredded and doing duty as dust cloths. Best, karol ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/12 "2003-07-19T19:52:25Z")
I think it actually refers to a style of dressing that is sorta retro-quirky. The usual things you see labeled as “Emo” on eBay are stuff like bowling shoes, beer-can hats, 70’s track suits, etc. (Think of Beck or the Beastie Boys.) I always think “Emo Phillips” when I see it but I can pretty much guarantee it has nothing to do with him, heh. I know it’s also a style of music, but as far as I can tell eBay-wise it’s descriptive of clothing. (Mod, Punk, Retro, Emo, Goth, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/13 "2003-07-19T23:12:43Z")
Hi gang, I’m back. Well, I did try out **Violet** ’s suggestion of checking out the message boards at eBay – searches for “abbreviations” brought up sites that either were defunct or didn’t include the term “emo,” which, if y’all are right about the music/style connection, isn’t an abbreviation at all, which explains… something, to someone. Thanks for the explanation of the evolution of the musical genre, **homercles** – except it doesn’t really address what the word has to do with this particular T-shirt. **Voguevixen** seems to be on track with it, or at least has come up with a plausible explanation – I guess it’s just a general description of a fashion style, and not an abbreviation along the lines of “NWT” or “MIB.” This is good – after bidding, I started worrying that it meant something along the lines of “Yeah, a cat peed on it, but most of the smell has washed out, honest.” I look forward with great delight to confusing the hell out of any emo-ites I should encounter while wearing my new acquisition – I can only hope it will go with my purple suede sneakers which, one of my young friends told me, had been intended for the skateboarding crowd before they got marked down to $13. (And **koeeoaddi** – thanks for taking the bullet for the geezer team – really! :D) ---
**Author:** ![homercles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@homercles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homercles)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/14 "2003-07-20T00:55:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*Thanks for the explanation of the evolution of the musical genre, **homercles** – except it doesn’t really address what the word has to do with this particular T-shirt. \*\* Yep, damn. Sorry, i guess its kinda tough to see the OP from way up there on my soap box. 😉 However, it actually does have something to do with my last post with respect to no one really knows what “emo” means anymore. At some point, there was a fairly clearly defined style/method of dress for the emo scene, but this has also given way to confusion. The trucker cap/down vest/white trash manifestation is one of the older off shoots of the “[traditional](http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jan/08/il/il01a.html).” Personally, i prefer to sport the skater/emo/old school look, but thats just me–the old guy by scene standards. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-emo/189578/15 "2003-07-20T12:27:27Z")
Well, I got outbid at the last minute on the T-shirt, so it’s all for naught – until the next time an “emo” T-shirt comes up. Thanks for your help, everyone!