# "kickin' it" - word origin?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 12, 2001, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996 "2001-10-12T06:39:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![glowbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5fc32e/32.png) [@glowbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowbug)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996/1 "2001-10-12T06:39:38Z")

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I have heard it used by Grateful Dead hippie Skippy types as well as hard core gangstas sippin’ on gin 'n juice. Where did it originate?

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**Author:** ![glowbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5fc32e/32.png) [@glowbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowbug)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996/2 "2001-10-12T06:41:35Z")

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For those of you unfamiliar with the term - it generally means hanging out, partying, or “chillin”.

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**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996/3 "2001-10-12T06:45:24Z")

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I think perhaps it’s derived from “Kickin’ back,” a phrase with a similar meaning, but I’m not sure where it came from before that.

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**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996/4 "2001-10-12T07:09:28Z")

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Agreeing with Dragonblink, I also always thought it was just a new form of _kickin’ back_.

On that note, I thought _kickin’ back_ came from the use of La-Z-Boy recliners.

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**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kickin-it-word-origin/86996/5 "2001-10-12T07:43:34Z")

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WAG: from Ebonics? But it might be in this slang database:  
[http://www.hellof.com/database.shtml](http://www.hellof.com/database.shtml)  
Good question!