There’s a Facebook group called Misogyny Overheard at Oxford University. It’s an open group, so its content is public. (Our Alex is a member, because he’s been an Oxford student.)
It has this poster, which has appeared at university poster sales.
First things first, eh?
That’s cheating, I can see five tits on there. I was always sure this is one where we have the drop on women, synonyms for male bits outnumber women’s? Although looking at the timeglider for both I’m not so sure, and I can’t find one for breasts. Some of the names are great, I recommend the 1600s! Interesting how some years there are explosions in names, like the 60’s and early 70’s. Although nothing like the early internet.
http://timeglider.com/timeline/194b572e19fd461b
http://timeglider.com/timeline/07f47d6b843da763
One for the cunt etymology apologists as it is by far and away the oldest term to refer to female genitalia. Men get ballocks first, but the earliest penile reference I can see is “pin” … O_o
Could also be a good pub quiz game, which are synonyms for which?
I like “Devil’s Dumplings.”
“Bangers”? A banger is a sausage, as in “bangers & mash.”
Stacy @ 2,
I think you mean “ear muffs”.
I suppose it’s possible it existed as a slang term for breasts before appearing on Blackadder, but I doubt it. Maybe what was overheard was akin to people reciting the Dead Parrot sketch. Unoriginal perhaps, but not clearly misogynistic.
Was the overheard user consciously echoing the original which poked fun at puritanical attitudes to normal anatomy? Did they just think “Ha! Yeah, that’s a funny way to talk about breasts”? Or were they an uptight idiot who thinks the devil uses women and their sinful bodies to tempt righteous men away from the light of Jesus?
I don’t think the first is misogyny at all. The last (although unlikely) would be good evidence they’re a religiously inspired “dictionary” misogynist. In between hints at an underlying attitude of disrespect to women (#EverydaySexism).
It should not have taken me as long as it did to find “dirty pillows”.
@1. oolon : “That’s cheating, I can see five tits on there.”
“Boobs” is on there more than once too as is is “coconuts” and at least a few others as well.
I’m probably missing something obvious here but I’m not sure what the point of this poster is – yes there are a lot of colloquial terms of mammary glands just as there are for most body parts especially those (formerly?) considered “dirty” by a lot of people.
I’m also not sure whether this poster was produced by that ‘Misogyny Overheard’ fb group or whether its something they’ve seen and are objecting to instead?
So I’m confused by this one and would really appreciate a clarification here, sorry.
Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples
Song of Solomon 7:7-8
Bible porn.
@AsqJames, ah, it was coined on Blackadder, was it?
I did not know that. I just found it funny (in the first sense you mentioned.)
I’m with you and StevoR, in that I don’t see any misogyny here. If they were terms used disparagingly, that would be something else.
“‘tits’ is such a friendly sounding word….” –George Carlin
I can’t help being reminded of Minchin’s Confessions.
Five tits? That’s odd.
So are breasts like clusters of grapes. Low-hanging? Many-fruited? *confused*
Bazookas? Seriously? Bazookas?
Funny, yes. Misogynist?? We need a bit more background to get the gist of the argument.
Bee stings? Shouldn’t that be “wasp stings”?
I’ve heard other euphemisms for breasts, but I would feel tacky mentioning them.
UnknownEric the Apostate (#12) –
After Peter Wolf left the band, the J Geils Band released an atrocious song called “Concealed Weapons”. The tasteless video left no possibility of mistaking what it referred to.
‘Hooters’ is funny, a hooter is a nose, no? And ‘headlamps’ are missing. I like that tone, it brings back fond memories.
And anthropologists think Eskimo’s are special with their ’50 words for snow’!
Which is a myth, of course, as they have about a dozen depending on how you define ‘Eskimo’ and how you define ‘snow’, and English has far more terms (sleet, pack, blizzard, black ice, etc).
There might be some truth in the notion that the number of words for something indicates its importance to the culture. There are, according to Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct (IIRC) there are more wordsin English for penis than vagina but more still for sexually promiscuous women.
I nominate this one for weirdest simile ever.
I need new glasses. I read Silentbob @18 as talking about smiles, clicked on the link, and was really confused.
Don’t worry about about it. I wasn’t expecting smiles and I was still confused.
😯