The Origins of Slang Words For Sex and Body Parts
Cassandra, the main character in The Rock Star’s Wife series, often discusses sex, and when she does, she generally uses the slang for sex and body parts. (Content Warning: This blog contains language some people may find offensive.)
I know all the slang words for body parts and sex acts thanks to the dozens of erotic books I’ve read over the past year, so of course my guess is the correct one. – Chapter 12, Sexual Awakening
Have you ever stopped to think about the origins of these words? Most have been part of the English language for centuries. Since Cassie has a habit of pondering the origin of idioms, she probably has given the topic of slang more than a passing fancy.
The Origins of Sexual Slang Used in the Series
Here are the origins of four words commonly used in The Rock Star’s Wife series:
Cock: The word for a man’s penis is connected to the term for a rooster, a cock. Variations of the word appear in multiple languages: French (coq), Latin (coccus), Old English (cok), Old German (kukko) and Old Norse (kok). Roosters were used to get people up from sleep, so somewhere along the line, the connection was made to a sexual organ that “gets up.”
The word first appeared in print in 1618. “Oh, man, what art thou when thy cock is up?”
Source: Psychology Today
Dick: The origins of dick are not as straightforward as it has both sexual and nonsexual meanings. The use of it as a nickname for a penis began around 1836 and was popularized by military men in the 1880s.
Source: Chicago Tribune and Wikipedia
Fuck: While many of us were told fuck was an acronym for “for unlawful carnal knowledge,” etymologists say this is not true. One of the most versatile words in the English language, it entered the dictionary in 1598. It is closely related to the Old German words ficken and fucken, which are related to the Latin words for prick and puncture.
The word, once considered extremely vulgar, was banned for a time from the Oxford English Dictionary and became rare in print between the 18th century and 1960.
Source: Dictionary.com
Pussy: Women are often equated to cats in poetry and in other ways. The term “catty,” for example. The sexual term pussy originates from a term for a cat (puss) and the Old Norse and Old German term for a pouch (pusa). Eventually, pusa came to mean a pouch-like anatomical structure.
The word first appeared in print in 1664. “Here’s good health to thee, good company, and good pussy.”
Source: Psychology Today
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Do you prefer the slang terms for sex and body parts, or do you use the clinical terms? Leave a comment below. Comments close after 90 days.
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Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to The Rock Star’s Wife, a series about sex, family, and rock & roll. The series has elements of chick lit, romance and erotica and is best compared to The Vagina Monologues for its frank talk of sex and its consequences. The series follows Cassandra from her teenage years into her 40s as she navigates relationships (both romantic and platonic) — all with music playing a prominent roll.
Book three, Rock Star Romance, debuts February 2024: Cassandra swore off men to recover from an amicable, but heart wrenching, breakup. Nathaniel endured a nasty, gut wrenching breakup and hasn’t dated since. When they meet, sparks ignite. Will they mend each other’s broken hearts?
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Melina Druga
Melina Druga is a multi-genre author with a lifelong love of music, books and writing. She is the author of the Rock Star's Wife series, six historical fiction novels and nine nonfiction books. Based in the Midwest, Druga lives with her husband, daughter, black cat and CD collection.
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