Akimbo
Encyclopedia
Akimbo is a human body position
in which the hand
s are on the hips and the elbow
s are bowed outward, or bent or bowed in a more general sense .
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One suggestion is that it comes from the Icelandic
phrase in keng boginn, "bent into a crook", and it is possible that this phrase, or its close cognate in another North Germanic language
, was borrowed in the meaning of hands bent to the waist.
Other suggestions trace akimbo to another Middle English
word, cambok, "a curved stick or staff" (from Medieval Latin
cambuca) or to a cam bow, "in a crooked bow". However, there is no extant form of akimbo spelled with cam; and the earliest form of the word, kenebowe, is a long way from cam. The bo part of the word is presumably related to bow, but no connection has ever been documented.
The Middle English Dictionary
, with some noted uncertainty, proposes that akimbo might be related to Old French
chane or kane "pot" or "jug" respectively, combined with Middle English boue, "bow". In that case, the word akimbo originally meant "bent like the handle of a jug"; however, there is no evidence for this, either. In spanish, "arms akimbo" can be adequately translated as "brazos en jarra", which means "arms like a jar".
Another possible origin of the word comes from the Kongo language
. The ancient "bakhimba" society of the Kongo people
are the guards who supposedly watch their posts with their hands on their hips in "akimbo" pose. Additional evidence for this line of argument comes from the use of the term "bakimba" for this posture in the Black Bahamas community, and many other African-American communities. (Thompson, Robert Farris. 1988. "The Circle and the Branch": Renascent Kongo-American Art.)
Until recent times (the 1980s or thereabouts), the term was almost exclusively arms akimbo, with little involvement of the legs; it seems that it was first creatively used to describe sitting cross-legged. More recently, the term has been adapted still further, giving a second sense of limbs being splayed out rather than merely bent. A good example of an Akimbo stance can be seen on the Akimbo Financial, Inc logo.
, the character Elaine Benes
played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, was dancing with her "limbs flailing and arms akimbo".
Following the success of Action Quake 2
, from 1998 the word was adopted into computer gaming in reference to the dual wielding of two weapons. It was mentioned prior to 1998 in the game Blood, as a power-up called the "Guns Akimbo". For example, in a first person shooter
game, the player might choose a "pistols akimbo" option to wield one gun in each hand. In Far Cry Instincts
when a player is dual-wielding weapons it is called Akimbo, and in Left 4 Dead
there is an achievement for playing a campaign with only pistols, called Akimbo Assassin, and in Counter Strike:Source there is an achievement: Akimbo King. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
feature an experience reward called Akimbo Pistols, which are the only dual wield weapons in the games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
features dual-wielding pistols and other one handed weapons, with the Akimbo attachment, found on Submachine Guns, Handguns, Machine Pistols and sawed-off shotguns.
During the 1990s the phrase gained comic notoriety in the UK when comics The League of Gentlemen
used it for the name of a children's educational theatre company, Legz Akimbo. In addition, a contortionist named "Legs Akimbo" was a featured character in Howie Schneider's comic strip, "The Circus of P.T. Bimbo."
The term appears again in the animated television series Freakazoid!
. In the show, one of the many camp
-style villains featured was Arms Akimbo, who is a spoiled model turned extortionist with an Edward G. Robinson
-esqe voice. The origin of the character's moniker comes from his backstory: After years of posing, he was left with his arms frozen in a jaunty pose, hands on hips, and would strike with his over sized elbows in combat.
In 2003, alternative music band They Might Be Giants
wrote and performed a book-and-CD combination entitled Bed, Bed, Bed
. In this, the song entitled "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" features the lyric, "I'm a long-haired hippie kitten. I'm on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth. I'm sitting in my window with my kitten arms akimbo. My paw is tired from this valentines' work." (They Might Be Giants, 2003)
In his song Forgive The Child from his 2000 album Daffodils singer/songwriter Simon Hopper wrote; 'A beautiful, blond teenage girl, lying on Margaret's dining-room floor / Naked below her slender waist, legs akimbo, not saying no.' In this setting, the meaning is unambiguous, meaning splayed rather than crooked.
In The Simpsons
episode titled "Team Homer
", Mr. Burns is seen limping with Smithers
stating that he would be unable to bowl with the Pin Pals that night as his "old gimpy knee has gone akimbo again". In an attempt to prevent Mr. Burns' poor bowling skills from ruining the team's chances at victory, Moe
, disguised in a ski mask, assaults Burns' left knee with a cane. Ironically, the "precision assault popped it back into place" and enabled Mr. Burns to play that night.
On the album Headseed
, the second studio release by moe.
, the first track is called "Akimbo". These lyrics, written by Chuck Garvey
are featured in the chorus:
Human position
Human positions refers to the different positions that the human body can take.There are several synonyms that refer to the human position, often used interchangeably, but having specific flavors....
in which the hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s are on the hips and the elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
s are bowed outward, or bent or bowed in a more general sense .
Origins
The term was recorded first in the English language around 1400 in The Tale of Beryn: "The hoost ... set his hond in kenebowe." In the 17th century, the word was spelled on kenbow, a kenbow, a kenbol, a kenbold, or on kimbow, but may have other non European origins. The forms akembo and akimbo are found in the 18th century, with akimbo gradually becoming the standard.One suggestion is that it comes from the Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
phrase in keng boginn, "bent into a crook", and it is possible that this phrase, or its close cognate in another North Germanic language
North Germanic languages
The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages, the languages of Scandinavians, make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages, along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages...
, was borrowed in the meaning of hands bent to the waist.
Other suggestions trace akimbo to another Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
word, cambok, "a curved stick or staff" (from Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
cambuca) or to a cam bow, "in a crooked bow". However, there is no extant form of akimbo spelled with cam; and the earliest form of the word, kenebowe, is a long way from cam. The bo part of the word is presumably related to bow, but no connection has ever been documented.
The Middle English Dictionary
Middle English Dictionary
The Middle English Dictionary is a dictionary of Middle English published by the University of Michigan. "Its 15,000 pages offer a comprehensive analysis of lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500, based on the analysis of a collection of over three million citation slips, the largest collection...
, with some noted uncertainty, proposes that akimbo might be related to Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
chane or kane "pot" or "jug" respectively, combined with Middle English boue, "bow". In that case, the word akimbo originally meant "bent like the handle of a jug"; however, there is no evidence for this, either. In spanish, "arms akimbo" can be adequately translated as "brazos en jarra", which means "arms like a jar".
Another possible origin of the word comes from the Kongo language
Kongo language
The Kongo language, or Kikongo, is the Bantu language spoken by the Bakongo and Bandundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola. It is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca...
. The ancient "bakhimba" society of the Kongo people
Kongo people
The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...
are the guards who supposedly watch their posts with their hands on their hips in "akimbo" pose. Additional evidence for this line of argument comes from the use of the term "bakimba" for this posture in the Black Bahamas community, and many other African-American communities. (Thompson, Robert Farris. 1988. "The Circle and the Branch": Renascent Kongo-American Art.)
Until recent times (the 1980s or thereabouts), the term was almost exclusively arms akimbo, with little involvement of the legs; it seems that it was first creatively used to describe sitting cross-legged. More recently, the term has been adapted still further, giving a second sense of limbs being splayed out rather than merely bent. A good example of an Akimbo stance can be seen on the Akimbo Financial, Inc logo.
Media
In a 1996 episode of SeinfeldSeinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, the character Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, was dancing with her "limbs flailing and arms akimbo".
Following the success of Action Quake 2
Action Quake 2
Action Quake 2 is a mod for the computer game Quake II created by The A-Team. Although originally released in 1998, it still has a small player base mainly in South America, Scandinavia and especially in Finland, with active servers on several continents as of 2008...
, from 1998 the word was adopted into computer gaming in reference to the dual wielding of two weapons. It was mentioned prior to 1998 in the game Blood, as a power-up called the "Guns Akimbo". For example, in a first person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
game, the player might choose a "pistols akimbo" option to wield one gun in each hand. In Far Cry Instincts
Far Cry Instincts
Far Cry Instincts is a video game developed and published by Ubisoft for Xbox that was released on September 27, 2005. A remake of the original PC version, Instincts is less open-ended and more linear, due to the console's reduced processing power which prevents the full rendering of the PC...
when a player is dual-wielding weapons it is called Akimbo, and in Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
there is an achievement for playing a campaign with only pistols, called Akimbo Assassin, and in Counter Strike:Source there is an achievement: Akimbo King. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free and open source multiplayer first-person shooter video game set during World War II...
and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a first-person shooter video game, and is the follow-up to the 2005 title Quake 4. It is also the first game in the series to be rated T by the ESRB...
feature an experience reward called Akimbo Pistols, which are the only dual wield weapons in the games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
features dual-wielding pistols and other one handed weapons, with the Akimbo attachment, found on Submachine Guns, Handguns, Machine Pistols and sawed-off shotguns.
During the 1990s the phrase gained comic notoriety in the UK when comics The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
used it for the name of a children's educational theatre company, Legz Akimbo. In addition, a contortionist named "Legs Akimbo" was a featured character in Howie Schneider's comic strip, "The Circus of P.T. Bimbo."
The term appears again in the animated television series Freakazoid!
Freakazoid!
Freakazoid! is an American animated television series created by Steven Spielberg, Bruce Timm, and Paul Dini for the Kids' WB programming block of The WB. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character, Freakazoid, a manic, insane superhero who battles with an array of super villains....
. In the show, one of the many camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
-style villains featured was Arms Akimbo, who is a spoiled model turned extortionist with an Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
-esqe voice. The origin of the character's moniker comes from his backstory: After years of posing, he was left with his arms frozen in a jaunty pose, hands on hips, and would strike with his over sized elbows in combat.
In 2003, alternative music band They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
wrote and performed a book-and-CD combination entitled Bed, Bed, Bed
Bed, Bed, Bed
Bed, Bed, Bed is a book and EP package for children released by the musical group They Might Be Giants in 2003 through Simon & Schuster. The book is composed of the lyrics of the four songs on the album, with illustrations by Marcel Dzama...
. In this, the song entitled "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" features the lyric, "I'm a long-haired hippie kitten. I'm on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth. I'm sitting in my window with my kitten arms akimbo. My paw is tired from this valentines' work." (They Might Be Giants, 2003)
In his song Forgive The Child from his 2000 album Daffodils singer/songwriter Simon Hopper wrote; 'A beautiful, blond teenage girl, lying on Margaret's dining-room floor / Naked below her slender waist, legs akimbo, not saying no.' In this setting, the meaning is unambiguous, meaning splayed rather than crooked.
In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode titled "Team Homer
Team Homer
"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining...
", Mr. Burns is seen limping with Smithers
Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open...
stating that he would be unable to bowl with the Pin Pals that night as his "old gimpy knee has gone akimbo again". In an attempt to prevent Mr. Burns' poor bowling skills from ruining the team's chances at victory, Moe
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
, disguised in a ski mask, assaults Burns' left knee with a cane. Ironically, the "precision assault popped it back into place" and enabled Mr. Burns to play that night.
On the album Headseed
Headseed
Headseed is the second studio release of the jam band moe. The track "St. Augustine" would also appear on the band's 1996 major label debut No Doy.-Track listing:#"Akimbo" – 5:18#"Mexico" – 6:50#"Timmy Tucker" – 7:09#"St...
, the second studio release by moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
, the first track is called "Akimbo". These lyrics, written by Chuck Garvey
Chuck Garvey
Chuck Garvey is one of two guitarists for the American rock band moe.. His playing has been influenced by Frank Zappa, Mick Ronson, David Bowie, Pete Townshend, Andy Summers, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He currently lives in the Cincinnati, Ohio area....
are featured in the chorus:
- Couch...Fatboy...Arms akimbo
- Is...Fatboy...We're in limbo
- Satan...Fatboy...Arms akimbo
- Couch is Satan...We're in limbo