What was an 'ickie'?

[Haydn]

Bolero At The Savoy by Anita O'Day/Gene Krupa talks about 'ickies', and compares them unfavourably with jitterbugs -

"There's a new dance called the New Bolero,
At the Savoy;
It's a killer with a new kind o' joy,
It's takin' the town!
Night after night,
While the ickies wonder what it's about,
All the jitterbugs are beating it out,
And swingin' on down."

What was an 'ickie'?

[lipi]

What was an 'ickie'?

the closest modern american term is probably "square". someone not into the swing scene, a boring person, an annoying person, etc.

in calloway's "hepster's dictionary" it's defined as "one who is not hip, a stupid person, can't collar the jive."

[penguin]

So it's like a "Muggle" then, right?

[Cyrano de Maniac]

Lest someone be tempted to bring 'ickie' back into currency, I ran across an article on Wikipedia yesterday that indicates 'iky' is (was?) an ethnic slur against Jews. It might be best to avoid using the word 'ickie' in reference to people, just in case.

Brent

[anton]

"All the ickaroos, corny jiggaboos, they go <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap>" (claps on 1-3-5-7)

Bob Chester - Clap Your Hands on the Afterbeat [1940]

[Haydn]

"All the ickaroos, corny jiggaboos, they go <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap>" (claps on 1-3-5-7)

Bob Chester - Clap Your Hands on the Afterbeat [1940]

"But the guys who know how the jive should go they go <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap>" (claps on 2-4-6-8 )

[CountBasi]

..and..

" don't you be that ickaroo/ Get hep, come on then, and follow through,'"

from The Jumping Jive (Hep Hep) - Cab Calloway