gig
GHIG
/ɡɪɡ/
A live musical performance or engagement, or more broadly, a temporary job.
Informal term originating among working musicians and now widely applied to freelance work.
The story behind the word. First documented in 1926 among African American jazz musicians in Chicago, 'gig' originally meant a single playing engagement. It expanded into modern speech to represent temporary contract work.
Word relationships
- show: 'Show' is general performance; 'gig' highlights paid musical work or temporary contract.
Commonly confused with
- jig: A 'jig' is a lively dance; a 'gig' is a performance job.
Word family
- gigger (noun): a musician or worker who performs temporary gigs
Collocations
- book a gig
- play a gig
- first gig
- paid gig
Idioms & expressions
- gig economy
Example sentences
- "The jazz quartet booked a three-night gig at a local downtown club." Musician routine
- "After playing a weekend gig, he spent Monday doing freelance graphic design work." Modern economy
Memory hook
You get a GIG to play your GHI-tar. GIG = a musician's paid show.
When not to use
Avoid in highly formal academic contexts unless discussing informal idioms.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'gig economy' was coined around 2009 during the rise of freelance digital labor platforms.
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