Sketch
Posted by Marian on January 06, 2002
In Reply to: sketch posted by masakim on January 06, 2002
: : My kids are
home from college at the moment. They say that the word 'sketch' is in use among
their friends there as an adjective. So far as I can tell, it means 'questionable;
may even prove unsavory upon further examination.' I asked for examples of the
word's use. They gave me these:
: : "We drove up to a hostel in Chicago. It
was pretty sketch," one said. "What do you mean?" I asked. "It looked run-down.
We weren't even sure we wanted to check it out." Another:
: : "An Internet
friend can be sketch."
: :
: : Is anyone familiar with this term? On a
slightly different tack, could this be an example of a "flash in the pan," which,
as I understand the phrase, refers to something or someone that only momentarily
basks in popularity before it fades into obscurity?
: From Cassell's Dictionary of Slang by Jonathon Green:
: sketch adj. [1980s+] (US campus) risky,
dangerous [SKETCHED OUT]
: sketched adj. [1980s+] (US campus) bad, bizarre,
weird [SKETCHED OUT]
: sketched out adj. [198os+] (US campus) suffering paranoia
due to the effects of hallucinogenic drugs; thus _sketching_, coming down from
a drug-induced high. [SKETCHY ]
: sketchy adj. 1 [late 19C+] flimsy, insubstantial,
vague. 2 [1980s+] (US campus) confused, unstable, strange, unsettling.
Thank you for that very complete answer.