Poets in power ties? Dear Word Detective: When most people are
looking for work they are trying to “get hired,” but when a
musician or band is looking for employment, they are trying to
get a “gig.” What gives? Where did “gig” come from? — Ron J.
Dude, get with the program. Every job is a “gig” today. Calling
your job a “gig” is a way of saying “I’m not really emotionally
invested in my job, which I find boring and soulless, and I’m
only doing it so I can act/write novels/play jazz saxophone on
the weekends.” And it’s not just laconic “baristas” at
Starbucks. I’ve heard corporate lawyers describe their positions
as “gigs.” Personally, if I had a job that paid a half-million a
year, I’d superglue myself to that “gig.” Considering that it’s
such a short little word, you certainly get your money’s worth
with “gig.” Counting both noun and verb forms, the Oxford
English Dictionary (OED) lists and defines thirteen separate
“gigs.” Some of these “gigs” are clearly related, but the trick
is figuring out exactly how.