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| Messages 1 - 14 of total 14 in this topic |
c4amp
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 19, 2002 - 01:39pm PT
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Anyone know? I've heard a couple of stories and be interested to hear what y'all think.
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Livin betta
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 01:42pm PT
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Lookin for a "betta" way to do it-
I got yo' "beta" right here pal-
("try not to let go!")
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Melissa
Novice climber
sf, ca
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Nov 19, 2002 - 01:44pm PT
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Most of you young'uns probably won't get it, but it comes from "betamax" video tape.
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DS
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 01:48pm PT
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Yep...That's what I've been lead to believe...The old Sony video format.
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Wade Icey
Novice climber
The Indian Room, Ahwahnee Hotel
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 02:15pm PT
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Uh, the word "beta" slightly predates the Sony Betamax.
See the greek alphabet, second letter from the left.
tenditiously,
Wade
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Dizzy
Advanced climber
People's Republic of Cambridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 02:34pm PT
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Beta, while also being the second letter in the Greek alphabet, was a term coined by the late Jack Mileski. It is indeed from Betamax. The idea being that all the specific info provided by someone who has done the climb is tantamount to having seen the video, or betamax.
Jack had a wild, colorful vocabulary which included such widely used terms as scum, as in "scum your shoulder into the groove, throw to the mammary and air the sack".
Peace,
Dizz
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DS
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 02:35pm PT
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The word beta is ofcoarse Greek in origin but we're talking about the meaning of the "slang" version of beta used as climbing vernacular.
Pretty sure it came from the Gunks and did in fact refer to beta max. As in "what gives!...do I need to show ya the betamax for that route?"
Ofcoarse, I could be 100% wrong.
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Mike
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 03:25pm PT
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Dizzy has it right, yo!
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c4
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 04:26pm PT
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"what gives!...do I need to show ya the betamax for that route?"
Sounds 'bout right. Thanks.
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Jay
Novice climber
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Nov 19, 2002 - 05:11pm PT
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The terms Alpha and Beta (first two letters of the Greek alphabet; actually they have their roots in the ancient Hebrew and Phoenician alphabets too, Phoenician being much older than both) are used a lot in the engineering realm. Synonymous with prototype they usually refer to a preview of things to come.
My guess is that the meaning of beta as climber's jargon was transferred through this definition and it's just coincidental (although probably fated to be so) that it's the first 4 letters of the word Betamax. But I'm not willing to bet money on that because I'm just guessing.
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radical
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2002 - 06:57pm PT
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So climbing borrowed it from Beta max, who borrowed it from the Greeks, who borrowed it from the Phoenicians....
Cool stuff...
That is one great explanation..
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Jason
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2002 - 08:47am PT
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Nope you boys have got it all wrong.
First up the word does not have its origins in the greek alphabet it does not even have its origins in the America.
Oh no the word beta is not even spelt B.E.T.A.
This word comes from a small northern England town called Pately Bridge.
And it is spelt BETTER it's just how you say it that sounds like B.E.T.A. The northern Yorkshire lads, the first boys to get rock climbing underway asked each other if there was a BETTER way to do a climb.
But if you are from Yorkshire then BETTER sounds like B.E.T.A. How did it get to America you ask. It all came about when a visting states man of American origin coined the term for his fellow statesmen, as they always seemed to have a BETTER WAY TO do it them him.
Thus if you listen carfully to the current President you will often hear him asking for BETA. As we all know he has not seen the video and has no idea about anything than the route from his bedroom to his bathroom. Even then he needs a team of special agents to guide him.
So young men BETTER comes from Pately Bridge.
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?
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2002 - 01:22pm PT
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You are all white punks on dope.
Clearly that BETA comes from Alpha Beta, the supermarket where some little white punks on dope went to shoplift snickers bars when they were high and had the munchies. Stoned and hungry, they shortened the phrase "Let's get over to Alpha Beta" to just "Get ta Beta" and when they started climbing (at Indian Rock or the Gunks, whichever coastal-specific version of the story you choose to subscribe to) the never went to their market until they had sent. Therefore, the term "get ta beta" was misinterpreted by an onlooker as "get the beta", and as it was overheard while these kids were desperately trying to send some problem, it was assumed to have to do w/ success in some way... And hey, the term is catchy, no? So of course it stuck.
End of story.
Betamax, please!
What a silly story that is...
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