t 03:31 PM 1/3/02 -0500, Sunder wrote:

www.m-w.com - type in punk, you get this:

Main Entry: 1punk 1 archaic : PROSTITUTE --SEE FAUSTINE; AMIEE FARR

2 [probably partly from 3punk] : NONSENSE, FOOLISHNESS --SEE CHOATE, J.; MATTD, aka VULIS

3 a : a young inexperienced person : BEGINNER, NOVICE; especially : a young man b : a usually petty gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian c : a youth used as a homosexual partner --NO COMMENT

4 a : PUNK ROCK b : a punk rock musician c : one who affects punk styles

Closest in meaning in CP; abstracted from 4 a to mean a rebellious person (see punk rock), with connotations of serious enthusiasm (see fan; afficionado; proponent) The CP etymology references an 80's cyberchick (J.M. IIRC) (see cyberchick) who referred to a prominant CP by that label. (see the archives) -A Future Linguist