I always assumed the lyric “toddlin'” in “Chicago, Chicago” published by Fred Fisher in 1922 was used to infer the term strut, a pompous, self-important gait, meaning Chicago was “It” in the Clara Bow-Elinor Glyn, Roaring 20s sense of the word. The Darktown Strutters Ball and Stomping At The Savoy also come to mind as describing happening, lively places full of action and movement, rather than being quiet, dull or sedate.
Denise Rose:
June 30th, 2011 at 3:49 am
Wasnt “The Toddle” a dance of the 20s ? I thought that’s what the word means in the song lyric !
scott anderson:
November 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I was also curious about the origins of “that toddlin’ town”; came across your website, but still no luck. Then I recalled hearing somewhere that the “toodle-oo” in “East St. Louis Toodle-oo” was once pronounced something more like, “toddle -o”. I found this site/page: http://www.jstor.org/3448348?seq=1
It seems to shed some more light if you don’t mind wading through the scholarly verbiage. Looks like ” toddlin’ “could be a sensual dance/tottering walk/approach to life.
Ben:
April 21st, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Just a thought, but as America’s “Second City,” it’s not inconcievable that Fisher imagined Chicago “toddling along” in the shadow of its “fully grown” counterpart in New York.
Doug:
June 24th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Denise is correct. The Toddle was a style of dancing used with the jazz music of the 20’s when this song was written. It was popular in Chicago, and a variation of the style was even called “the Chicago.” The song is about Chicago’s jazz-oriented night life during the flapper era. “You’ll lose the blues” and have the time of your life — maybe even dance with your wife!
Pete Lacaba:
July 6th, 2014 at 11:40 am
This dance website says that the toddle was a dance that had “a smack of jazz” and was “an offshoot of the foxtrot”:
Ben,
Second city refers to the chicago fire which resulted in most of chicago being rebuilt – today’s chicago is the second city.
Not New Yorks little brother.
Toddlers are young and growing. Chicago fit the bill
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Geoffrey:
November 19th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I always assumed the lyric “toddlin'” in “Chicago, Chicago” published by Fred Fisher in 1922 was used to infer the term strut, a pompous, self-important gait, meaning Chicago was “It” in the Clara Bow-Elinor Glyn, Roaring 20s sense of the word. The Darktown Strutters Ball and Stomping At The Savoy also come to mind as describing happening, lively places full of action and movement, rather than being quiet, dull or sedate.
Denise Rose:
June 30th, 2011 at 3:49 am
Wasnt “The Toddle” a dance of the 20s ? I thought that’s what the word means in the song lyric !
scott anderson:
November 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I was also curious about the origins of “that toddlin’ town”; came across your website, but still no luck. Then I recalled hearing somewhere that the “toodle-oo” in “East St. Louis Toodle-oo” was once pronounced something more like, “toddle -o”. I found this site/page: http://www.jstor.org/3448348?seq=1
It seems to shed some more light if you don’t mind wading through the scholarly verbiage. Looks like ” toddlin’ “could be a sensual dance/tottering walk/approach to life.
Ben:
April 21st, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Just a thought, but as America’s “Second City,” it’s not inconcievable that Fisher imagined Chicago “toddling along” in the shadow of its “fully grown” counterpart in New York.
Doug:
June 24th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Denise is correct. The Toddle was a style of dancing used with the jazz music of the 20’s when this song was written. It was popular in Chicago, and a variation of the style was even called “the Chicago.” The song is about Chicago’s jazz-oriented night life during the flapper era. “You’ll lose the blues” and have the time of your life — maybe even dance with your wife!
Pete Lacaba:
July 6th, 2014 at 11:40 am
This dance website says that the toddle was a dance that had “a smack of jazz” and was “an offshoot of the foxtrot”:
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3todle1.htm
rob:
April 10th, 2015 at 1:26 pm
Ben,
Second city refers to the chicago fire which resulted in most of chicago being rebuilt – today’s chicago is the second city.
Not New Yorks little brother.
PJB:
April 25th, 2016 at 5:27 pm
Concur with the people who say it was the dance, “the Toddle.” Chicago appears to have been the center of “Toddling.”
http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2016/04/gimme-shimmy-hold-shiver-why-chicago.html
PJB:
May 3rd, 2016 at 6:44 pm
Chicago was the center of “the Toddle” dance craze:
http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2016/04/gimme-shimmy-hold-shiver-why-chicago.html
Anonymous:
May 27th, 2020 at 9:57 pm
Toddlers are young and growing. Chicago fit the bill