Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“The idea of playing really quiet music became something really radical.”
- Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore on playing softer music after years of loud rock. (Spin)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
a drastic change from tradition; an unexpected return to fundamentals
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
You may have heard people say that something is rad or radical in order to say that it’s cool or something they like. This is an appropriate use of radical and it’s covered in this member lesson. People probably started using radical this way because things that break with tradition or do something totally unexpected are often, in fact, cool or likeable.
The music Thurston Moore started making with Sonic Youth in the 1980s was considered radical because it was so loud, noisy, and experimental. But now, years later, it’s what is expected of him and his band. At this point it’s radical for them to play softer, quieter music.
Playing acoustic music is actually radical for another reason as well. The word radical comes from the Latin word, radicalis which means “having roots.” The word “radish,” the name for a tasty root that grows in the ground, also comes from this word. So if you want to say that something “has roots” or has a long history, you can say it’s radical. Since quiet, acoustic music has been around a lot longer than noise rock, it’s radical for Thurston Moore to be playing it for that reason too.
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“The new mayor may seem really boring, but she has a lot of radical ideas like legalizing public nudity.”
“The Internet-only marketing strategy seemed radical, but it worked.”