![]() ![]() Some say it was uttered for the first time at a California surf break where Monterey cypress and Torrey pine grew. So, interestingly, "gnarly" evolved from something that is twisted to the epitome of cool.Īccording to historians, California surf culture adopted the term in the 1960s and 1970s, and it spread throughout other anglophone nations such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. But suddenly, some crazy people who enjoy walking on water gave it another linguistic dimension. "Gnarled" is an 18th-century variant of "knarled," which derives from "knar" - a knot or protuberance on a root or tree trunk.įor around 200 years (1750-1950), the word kept its literal meaning. The Origins of the WordĮtymologists believe that the expression originates from the word "gnarled," which means knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age. Let's take a deep dive into the origins and meanings of a word that is pretty much an exclamation mark in itself. ![]() However, you might also have witnessed it being used in a derogatory way.īut what does "gnarly" mean? When was it used for the first time? And why does it have good and bad meanings? The expression often comes out of a surfer's mouth when something simultaneously spectacular and unexpected occurs. When the swell is pumping and surfers are shredding out the back, then we know something gnarly is taking place. Wave riders have been using it for decades. The word "gnarly" is one of the most commonly used expressions in surf slang.
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