Originally Posted By: Notes Norton


Was always curious about 'gig' but never found a satisfactory etymology to figure out where that one came from.

Insights and incites by Notes


when I first moved to the south, I heard people use the word GIGGING as a term for going out at night with a stick to catch food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigging

If you compare that to the musician who goes out at night with his instrument to earn a meager living, its close enough in concept to fit as a possible origin of the term. Especially if you consider the terminology that was probably common among poor rural musicians with a subsistence lifestyle, living on whatever nature made available.

Also, telling the wife you were out all night "gigging" might be better received than telling her you went out to play music in a beer joint.

interesting to note that the terms AXE and WOODSHED also work back to the lifestyle of poor rural musicians.