Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sock hop

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.55 in modern English

Syllables: sock- hop
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

In the 1950s, informal sponsored dance at American high schools, typically held on the grounds of the high school itself in the gymnasium or cafeteria.

American usage

Example Sentences

"But unlike any other nostalgia film, American Graffiti has been able to supply the details and step quickly beyond them—after the opening scenes, they're just assumed pieces of background. The words are there […] and the staging of a sock hop in the gym is virtually flawless, but they are part of a total experience, not the experience itself."
"I had no idea then how boys wooed girls. I guessed it was a matter of joshing and shared nothings and hours of scuffing through autumn leaves and even more hours of clenches during the slow numbers at the sock hop."
"“I Knew You Were Trouble,” one of the year’s great pop songs, begins like a sock-hop anthem, with jaunty guitars."

Etymology

Because dancers were required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor of the gymnasium.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

sock hops (plural) sockhop (alternative) sock-hop (alternative)

Questions

What does sock hop mean?: In the 1950s, informal sponsored dance at American high schools, typically held on the grounds of the high school itself in the gymnasium or cafeteria.
Where does sock hop come from?: Because dancers were required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor of the gymnasium.

How to pronounce sock hop

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sock hop”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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