In Cahoots! (With a little help from my friends)

A Friend in need..."With a Little Help From My Friends", written by Lennon and McCartney, but sung by Ringo Starr (there's your Jeopardy tidbit for today), first appeared on their 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band". With all due respect, my favorite rendition is that by Joe Cocker, especially that from Woodstock in 1969 (upon reflection, I wonder if that is what inspired me to obtain this 3 album set as my very first vinyl purchase, and still wonder whether Cocker's trademark gravelly voice and spasmodic movements were enhanced by the rarified air at this historic music festival). In any case, the producers of "Wonder Years" shared my affection, making JC's version their intro music, which we enjoyed consuming for five years, from 1968-1973.

Wonder Years, In Cahoots: A staple of my household growing up during the years depicted in the Wonder Years was overhearing my father early in the morning, while he was burning his eggs or oatmeal while also listening to the news on the radio, using the word cahoots with a sense of urgency, frequently in conjunction with some other 'urgent' words, almost always in reference to certain factions of the government and society being unduly influenced in a direction of destruction: "...they're in cahoots, selling us down the river to the commies!" (another phrase for another post, perhaps). This was often followed by animated debate between my father and sister at the dinner table (she playing devil's advocate, me the moderator, in discussing the factors behind the Vietnam War and the economy, mostly...a decade later our brother heard "cahoots" in another context, I presume).

Cahoots, Roots: The etymology of this word is not easily pinned down (it's a conspiracy!). There are two basic takes from word geeks. One by the Oxford English Dictionary is that the English got the expression from the Scots (maybe one that shares my family tartan?), and in turn with a little help from the French. The OED further indicates the word "cahoot" is probably derived from the French word "cahute" (shack, hut) and another French word "cahorte" (companion). Logical enough, I wonder whether my dad ever looked this up ; his instinctual usage was certainly right on...

Contemporary Cahoots: Fast forward to 2020 and we can readily observe two ongoing manifestations of 'cahoots'. One of which is the perpetual reference way before and during the recent election (and probably after the inauguration as well), of the 'Russian Connection". If the frequency and decibel level with which this accusation is being thrown in both directions across the aisle is any measure, the Russians may actually have more influence on our current collective psyche than even they,  themselves know. The second cahoots experience has been more recent to emerge, consisting of accusations of the undue political and financial influence (e.g., "courting favor") in both how and when a COVID-19 vaccine might finally come to us. Accusations which again are bidirectional, with the press happy to fan the flames of controversy. A novel featuring these dynamics is undoubtedly being written as I write this (whoever you are, I am willing to commiserate, more than willing to be in cahoots in bringing your ideas to fruition).

Cahoots, Contortions: "Contortion", or the act of twisting or wrenching (see Joe Cocker at Woodstock and elsewhere for a demo), is from another Old French word "contorsion" as well as the Latin "contortionem". Perhaps with just a little help from our friends we might contort, change the connotation of "cahoots", to once again bring this word into prominence but in a more 'conciliatory conspiracy': "They were all in cahoots when they came together to solve a humanitarian problem even in the midst of a pandemic!"