Why was the word "funky" so popular in the 1970s?

[Deja Q]

Read these definitions of "funky" and wince:

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, n.
One who funks; a shirk; a coward. Colloq.

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, v. t.
1. To funk at; to flinch at; to shrink from (a thing or
person); as, to funk a task. Colloq.

2. To frighten; to cause to flinch. Colloq.

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, v. i.
1. To emit an offensive smell; to stink.

2. To be frightened, and shrink back; to flinch; as, to funk
at the edge of a precipice. Colloq. --C. Kingsley.

To funk out, to back out in a cowardly fashion. Colloq.

To funk right out o' political strife. --Lowell
(Biglow
Papers).

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, Funking Funk"ing, n.
A shrinking back through fear. Colloq. ``The horrid panic,
or funk (as the men of Eton call it).'' --De Quincey.

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, n. OE. funke a little fire; akin to Prov. E. funk
touchwood, G. funke spark, and perh. to Goth. f?n fire.
An offensive smell; a stench. Low

"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Funk Funk, v. t.
To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke. Obs. --King.

Do you really want to go to Funkydown, now that you've read all that?! :scared: Peeeee-yeeeww!

[Demit]

1. I think it came from that kind of black music. Funk was a kind of R&B

[MADem]

2. Well, the F word was getting big during those times

It was still scandalous to say it, but people liked to because it had a certain shock value to it. Nowadays, geezers in FL, to say nothing of geezers on the Senate floor, will tell you to go F yourself!

"FUNK" had three of the four letters of fuck, but it was just different enough so that you could say, and sing, it on tee-vee! Oh, how very....NAUGHTY!

That, in my experience, had something to do with the popularity of the word!

[Deja Q]

3. Ah! Like Funk and Wagnall, the dictionary dudes!

:D

[MADem]

7. Shades of "Laugh In!"

Look that up in yer Funk and Wagnall's!!!

[deutsey]

4. I also heard that "funk" was slang for the smell in the air

after sex. I don't know if that's really the case, but someone said that on a radio program I was listening to a couple years ago.

Even in that case, it makes you wonder how "funk" became so popular and positive.

Reminds me of what an instructor told us in college about the word "jazz": apparently it was originally slang for jism, if I remember correctly. "Rock and roll" was also slang for sex at one time.

[Atlas Mugged]

5. Funk is the German word for radio

I've often wondered if there's some connection there, since the term gained widespread use during the Vietnam war, and there were many American soldiers stationed in Germany. You see "Funk Taxi" everywhere - it means radio dispatched taxi. I go into Barry White overkill whenever we need a taxi.

[progmom]

6. I blame this man