Yippie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young activist in the 1960s American counterculture who staged theatrical protests against the establishment ; a free-spirited young person who rejects conventional society in a hippie-like way
2. A member of the radical Youth International Party of the late 1960s known for provocative street theatre ; a carefree, unconventional youth who resembles a hippie in lifestyle and dress
3. One of the countercultural activists of 1960s America famous for flamboyant public stunts ; an easygoing, nonconforming young person with the look and attitude of a hippie

Etymology: The Yippies were a group of American radical activists whose name was built from an acronym. "Yippie" comes from the initials of the Youth International Party, which was founded in 1968 by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, with the suffix "-ie" tacked on in imitation of "hippie," the countercultural label of the period. The suffix did real work here. "Hippie" was already a familiar term for the flower-child counterculture, so attaching "-ie" made the new name sound like a cousin of it, while the party's own initials supplied the core. The result was a word that was half political organisation and half cultural mood, which suited a group that mixed street theatre with protest.