What exactly does "woke" mean?

@indexer I fear I also share some characteristics of the hipsters, I also always use Casio watches.

Thanks for the hipster link. It looks as though I have certain hipster characteristics without even knowing it - I always use Casio watches, for example!

Have a look at the photo I added to my comment above. This is what the typical hipster looks like. :-)

That's interesting. I agree with you that it seems to have become fashionable to despise anyone with views to the left of centre, especially when they favour anything that smacks of alleviating poverty or making life easier for the "have nots".

@porwest Those are not attitudes that I share, and I think that this typifies a major difference between American and European mindsets. We see the state as having a major role to play in providing social and welfare services and in making sure that safety nets exist so that the worst off in society do not suffer unduly. We believe in the mixed economy - capitalist at heart but also aware of the needs of all levels of society, with services funded from general taxation. It does not always work as we might like, and there are still many problems to be solved, but our politics varies between the emphases placed on the extent to which the state operates in providing public services.

@indexer The left here does not espouse any of that. They encourage welfare programs that keep the poor poor, and right now the party is pretty on the side of socialism. Alleviation of poverty only occurs when businesses are allowed to thrive and provide jobs and opportunity for people to make it on their own. I could go on, but I already know you lean left of center and so there's no point. lol Although I WILL say, I don't mind helping the helpless. I mind helping the clueless, and there are more clueless than helpless these days. As for the haves and the have nots? The rich work VERY HARD for their money. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot force him to drink... That pretty much explains the have nots. As for the poor in general, I have earned every penny I have. It's not yours. Stay out of my wallet. If I can go get it, so can you.

The word is used as an adjective, not a verb. Somebody is described as being woke, or having woke tendencies. I spent three days in Berlin last October - I don't recall seeing all that many hipsters!

@indexer Then you were in the wrong districts. You find them in Kreuzberg and at night in the famous nightclub Berghain.

@indexer ( woke: adjective, Slang. (often used in the phrase stay woke) actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights: In light of recent incidents of police brutality, it’s important to stay woke. He took one African American history class and now he thinks he’s woke. aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously): The moon landing was staged. Stay woke! A tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Stay woke. awake: I had to drink lots of coffee this morning to stay woke.

Yes, that makes sense. I'll buy that notion!

I don't think that's it! I have only been aware of the word over the past few months, and presumably you left school some time before that?!

@indexer Oh yes, its been over a decade. But what I know ''woke'' is the past of wake.