groove n.2
1. a way of life, a way of thinking and dealing with people, events etc.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | ‘You Can Do It!’ 🎵 Your wife says you’d better your income improve [...] And get out of that horrible public house groove. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 6 Mar. 1/6: Just the groove to rake in quidseys / What will pay to them their screw. | |
| Pitcher in Paradise 133: [He] declared himself to be so fully persuaded that he had struck his proper groove that he had decided to give up brasswork altogther. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Kingdom of Swing 119: I guess I was in kind of a bad groove mentally at the time . | |
| Indiscreet Guide to Soho 49: A boy from Eton who was apparently keener to get into the ‘groove’ than the Classical Sixth. | |
| Death of a Barrow Boy 80: Oh, getting back into the groove! | |
| Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 205: We had to get away from not having a groove. We had to get with somebody and something. | |
| Runnin’ Down Some Lines 97: You gonna [...] try to let ’im understand what groove you in. |
2. the rhythm, both lit. and fig.
| Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 23 July 11/1: Pigmeat Markham [...] is in a righteous groove and all set to trilly to Canada. | |
| On The Road (1972) 128: The white line [...] hugged our left front tyre as if glued to our groove. | |
| Carlito’s Way 41: I was just getting back into the groove. | |
| Life and Times of Little Richard 57: Once those guys hit a groove you could go on all night. | |
| Rivethead (1992) 17: They closed down St. Michael’s. Shit, I thought, right when I was gatherin’ a groove. | |
| Shame the Devil 65: The band locked into a killer groove on ‘Terminal Crush’. | |
| Locked Ward (2013) 141: Yeah, you’re hip to the groove. | |
| Price You Pay 203: This probably won’t hurt me. [...] Unless Karenina’s got her groove back. | |
| Back to the Dirt 123: ‘“Ole Jim had the groove, was white-boy blues back in the day’. |
3. a delight, a pleasure, anything enjoyable.
 | Big Book of Swing 124: A groove: swell, good to hear. | |
| Candy (1970) 103: Aren’t they [i.e. paintings] a groove [...] they’re so funny! | |
| Awopbop. (1970) 90: So hit me one time, that’s a groove, that’s nice. baby, ooh mammy-o. | |
| Memphis-Nam-Sweden 91: The flight to the hospital was a lovely groove. | |
| New Musical Express 17 Nov. n.p.: I think it’s a groove, I think it’s fabulous, man! | |
| It (1987) 755: SHOPLIFTING IS NOT A ‘KICK’ OR A ‘GROOVE’ OR A ‘GASSER!’. | |
| (con. late 1960s) Zap Comix 13 in Coffee Table Art Book (1997) 32: Man, this new side by the ‘Stones’ is a funky get down stone groove!! | |
| (con. 1964-65) Sex and Thugs and Rock ’n’ Roll 91: ‘What a fucking groove,’ I said out loud. | |
| Campus Sl. Apr. 2: catch a groove – have an extremely good time. |
4. an amusing or attractive person.
| (con. 1958) Been Down So Long (1972) 94: She’s a real groove, baby. | |
| Cannibals 225: He’s a groove. |
5. a party.
| et al. CUSS 130: Groove A wild party. | |
| Indep. Rev. 13 June 7: I’m off to an all-night groove at the Hairy Pie in Clerkenwell. |
6. (US) a record or cassette recording.
| [ | | Encyc. Britannica XXXI. 679/1: In the first phonograph a spiral groove was cut on a brass drum fixed on a horizontal screw]. |
| Warriors (1966) 15: The radio announced [...] And now, for all the boys of the Paradise Social and Athletic Club, these grooves . . . it’s los Beatles, boys and girls. | |
| Rolling Stone 3 Feb. 35: Those guys who charge $13+ for European grooves [HDAS]. | |
| Guardian Guide 29 May–4 June 31: United by a love of ‘craic’ and killer grooves. | |
| Fortress of Solitude 441: Once in a blue moon Dose [...] placed the tone-arm over a groove Barry hadn’t aired in ten years. |
In phrases
1. (US campus) to annoy someone.
| Love Is a Racket 46: Someone else rushing me along so they could get served, busting my groove. | |
| Campus Sl. Fall 2: BUST SOMEONE’S GROOVE – annoy someone. |
2. to break a mood.
| ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] Don’t worry, I’m not here to bust up the groove you having going oveer there,’ Nya commented, referring to the chicks Don was with. |
(US black /drugs) to become pleasurably intoxicated with a drug.
| ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 26 Apr. 9/7: Just one minute and don’t you move, while I falls in the groove. |
1. to get going, to dance.
| Campus Sl. Dec. 3: Get one’s groove on – act composed, move, start an action: ‘Go, Angie, get your groove on to this song’. | |
| Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 get (one’s) groove on v 1. to dance. Also get (one’s) swerve on. | |
| Dirt Cheap, Real Good 73: A cushy suite for four people goes for around $100 and includes a hearty breakfast to help you get your groove on in the morning. | |
| ‘Could Have Been’ 🎵 Get your groove on bitch. Go & get fucked. | |
| Crongton Knights 227: ‘I’m getting my groove on.’ Saira and Venetia started to dance. |
2. (US black) to have sexual intercourse.
| ‘Unstoppable Sl.’ in Columbia Missourian 19 Oct. 1A; 8A: getting your groove on – hitting on the opposite sex. | |
| Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 get one’s groove on Definition: to have sex. Example: See you beeitches later, I gotsta go get my groove on with Chiquita down on 3rd and Main. | |
| ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s Cellar’ in Pulp Ink [ebook] It was advertised as passionate and fiery, making one want to get the groove on. |
1. (also in a groove) carried away by music.
| Melody Maker Oct. 836/1: Having such a wonderful time which puts me in a groove [OED]. | |
| ‘At the Swing Cats’ Ball’ 🎵 Tomorrow night at the Swing Cats’ Hall. / Get in the groove with everybody. | |
| ‘Are You All Reet?’ 🎵 Are you all reet? / Jump in the groove and go! | |
| Young Wolves 53: You deb’s looking for you. She’s over there with Irene. Let’s get in the groove. | |
| ‘In the Evening’ 🎵 (Spoken:) Do you remember when this number first come out, man? [...] I’d get in the groove, and... and this is what I would say, man, with that gal on my left... I’d let her know that I was no square, that I was hip. | |
| ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ 🎵 Don’t care if you’re young or old, get in the groove, / Let the good times roll. |
2. (also in a groove) perfect, ideal, performing to one’s best.
| ‘A Musician’s Word List’ in AS XII:1 46: in the groove. Playing especially well. ‘He’s really in the groove tonight.’. | |
| ‘Reet, Petite and Gone’ 🎵 She’s in the groove, right on the ball, she’s reet, petite and gone. | |
| Who Live In Shadow (1960) 48: Jimmy was ‘in a groove’ as far as the fly chicks, the prostitutes, and their sweet men were concerned. | |
| Absolute Beginners ‘Oh, no!’ cried the Dean, really getting in the groove now. | |
| Bug Jack Barron 30: Right in the old groove tonight, baby. | |
| Penguin Bk of All-New Aus. Jokes 50: I’ll have a glass of beer. But not too hot. And not too cold. But right in the groove. | |
| Straight Dope [ebook] I was in a groove and what I was seeing was really getting onto the paper. |
3. functioning properly.
| ‘Phoney Shakedown’ Dan Turner - Hollywood Detective Feb. 🌐 It must have been all of two or three minutes before my functions got back in the groove. | |
| Carlito’s Way 71: I got back into the groove real quick-like. [...] I was getting plenty of pussy out of there. |
4. aware, up to date.
| ‘How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth’ in Keep It Crisp 140: Get in the groove, fatso. I don’t latch on to that long-hair schmaltz. | |
| Rock 47: This boy don’t know which way to turn. He ain’t in the groove. | |
| Campus Sl. Oct. 3: in the groove – socially or intellectually up to date. |
satisfactory, working properly.
| Oz 9 8/1: When we’ve got the communes on the groove, we’ll support and expand the whole of Hipville. |