Props

[Clothahump]

What’s the origin of ‘props’, as in “I’ll give him props for doing that.”?

I know it means kudos or brownie points, but where does the ‘props’ come from?

[archmichael]

I believe it is short for ‘proper respects’

[anson2995]

@archmichael

I believe it is short for ‘proper respects’

Which is confirmed by the folks at Random House and the Online Etymology Dictionary.

[Clothahump]

Thanks, y’all.

[Excalibre]

Listen to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. She demands that you give her her “propers” when she gets home. Apparently an intermediate form. It’s not all that new an expression.

[Padeye]

Based on the interview I saw with her and Ed Bradley I think she was singing about something a bit more specific than generic “proper respect.”

sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me [/Queen of Soul]

[Excalibre]

@Padeye

Based on the interview I saw with her and Ed Bradley I think she was singing about something a bit more specific than generic “proper respect.”

sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me [/Queen of Soul]

What would that be?

“Proper respect” seems to fit perfectly in the context of the song to me.

[anson2995]

@Padeye

Based on the interview I saw with her and Ed Bradley I think she was singing about something a bit more specific than generic “proper respect.”

sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me [/Queen of Soul]

The Queen of Soul herself addressed this very question, as reported by NY Times “On Language” columnist William Safire (bolding is mine):

Franklin is having none of that. Her use of propers (which many heard as profits) in the lyric was her own, not in the words originally written and performed by Otis Redding in 1965. ‘‘I do say propers,’’ says the queen of soul. ‘‘I got it from the Detroit street. It was common street slang in the 1960’s. **The persons saying it has a sexual connotation couldn’t be further from the truth. ** ‘My propers’ means ‘mutual respect’ – what you know is right.’’