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beatniks

  1. Members of the “beat” movement in the United States in the 1950s. Beatniks frequently rejected middle-class American values, customs, and tastes in favor of radical politics and exotic jazz , art, and literature. The movement was often classified as bohemian . The poet Allen Ginsberg and the novelist Jack Kerouac are examples of beatnik authors.


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Notes

“Daddy-O” (a term of address); “Cool, man, cool”; and “strictly dullsville” are examples of slang expressions used by beatniks or by people trying to sound like beatniks.

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Example Sentences

As the beatniks long ago learned, out there in America hair matters, and here we were in the land of the permanent wave.

The Beats are hanging out there, and eventually attracting the beatniks.

There have always been underground movements in New York, from punks to beatniks.

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beatnikbeat off