Jitterbug is another way of saying "swing dancing." At various points and locations throughout the jitterbug/swing dance craze, the term was used to describe one of many forms of swing, including lindy hop, East Coast swing, West Coast swing, the whip or shag. Jitterbug was also used as a blanket term for swing dancing in general.
Before its use as a dance phrase, "jitterbug" was probably used to describe various things. The most common definitions include a person experiencing alcohol- or drug-related nervousness or a sexually active person suffering from syphilis (coming from the British term "bugger"). It may have also been used as a way to describe the characteristic bouncy movements of the dance.
The jitterbug is a partner dance typically performed to big band music. It consists of a variety of steps, turns, kicks and jumps that are based on set basic movements. These basic movements form the various dances under the jitterbug umbrella, such as Hollywood style, East Coast or West Coast. Dancers learn various movements associated with each specific dance style and can dance with any partner who also knows the moves.
The coining of the phrase and the craze was the result of various people. Trumpeter Edwin Swayzee overheard the use of the word by Harry Alexander White, and he recorded the song "The Jitterbug." In 1934, Cab Calloway recorded this song and brought it to the American audiences. Soon after, Benny Goodman performed live at the Los Angeles Palomar Ballroom, and this is considered the first recorded event marking the beginning of the jitterbug craze.
"The Jitterbug" was also the name of a song that was recorded for "The Wizard of Oz" that was omitted from the final cut. Famous dancer and teacher Arthur Murray said a distant relative to the jitterbug was Germany's group dance the allemande.