# Origins of the word 'hep'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-the-word-hep/71655>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 8, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-the-word-hep/71655 "2001-07-08T01:37:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Thursday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Thursday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thursday)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-the-word-hep/71655/1 "2001-07-08T01:37:18Z")

</div>

I was just reading in the archives and came across the ‘hep’ controversy. In Bill Bryson’s book _Made In America_ (a history of the English language in the USA), he claims that there is a Wolof (an Africanlanguage) word ‘hepicat’, meaning ‘one who is aware of his surroundings, has his eyes open’.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-the-word-hep/71655/2 "2001-07-08T02:18:47Z")

</div>

Assuming you have read [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69476) you will see that we don’t all accept Mr. Bryson’s explanations.

Read my last post, where I quote from JE Lighter. He flat-out says there is no credible evidence that hep comes from hepicat. If you can provide something other than Mr. Bryson’s assertion, then the world will be grateful.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-the-word-hep/71655/3 "2001-07-09T18:47:44Z")

</div>

The moderator of this forum has asked that posters include a link to the Staff Report or Mailbag Item that is being discussed.

To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

The Staff Report can be found on-line at this link:  
[What’s the origin of “hip”? (01-May-2001)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhip.html)

* * *

moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»