But the word itself has negative connotations nowadays, defining someone useless, lazy, wild, lacking introspection, unable to make their own decisions.

[4] By 1950 the wearing of patent leather shoes, parfumes, lipsticks, make-up and nail varnish and other "selfish fashion items" were considered "bourgeois habits".

[5] They generally wore colorful ties, platform shoes, plaid blazers or leather jackets, zoot suits, a red speckled scarf, and their hair was cut to rockabilly.

A lot of Hungarian slang is derived from it, for example fakabátos ("wooden coater") describes policemen (the name is a reference to sentry boxes).

Although most jampec were known to be apolitical and simply a follower of western dance culture and fashion, in the larger Hungarian cities of the 1950s they often formed gangs, carried guns and attacked police officers, especially in the 30s.

[8] Their cultural icon was Tóni Swing (played by Imre Pongrácz), a character in the 1950 Hungarian musical film Singing Makes Life Beautiful.