Did we get "balls" from Italian immigrants?

[pizzabrat]

In Italian, they use their word for balls (palle) as a slang word for testicles, just like we do. Sounds natural, but it's not universal - Spanish-speakers use "eggs" (which are closer to testicles in shape), and even the British are more likely to use "bollocks".

So does anyone know whether our adoption the slang term "balls" coincides with the Italian immigration era?

[Gary T]

Probably predates it by centuries. "Bollocks" essentially means "little balls." It's the same suffix used in hillock and bullock.

[CynicalGabe]

Probably predates it by centuries. "Bollocks" essentially means "little balls." It's the same suffix used in hillock and bullock.

Lubbock?

[RealityChuck]

The OED says it dates from around 1325, over a century before any Italian set foot in the Western hemisphere.

[pizzabrat]

The OED says it dates from around 1325, over a century before any Italian set foot in the Western hemisphere.

Who are we named after, again?

JK

[pizzabrat]

Who are we named after, again?

JK

Scratch that. I misunderstood what you said.

[pizzabrat]

IOW, snarked to soon.

:smack:

[GorillaMan]

...and even the British are more likely to use "bollocks".
Yes - but we have other uses for 'balls' as an expletive, which I doubt are imports from American. I'm particularly thinking of "balls-up", synonymous with "screw-up", including tenses, e.g. "I really ballsed this up".