# Arse/ass
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 11, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189 "2000-04-11T19:26:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Paul\_Coleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_Coleman)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/1 "2000-04-11T19:26:00Z")
Is it pure coincidence that these two one-syllable words starting with “a” make mildly crude reference to the posterior? The former seems most prevalent in England and former/members of the British Commonwealth, whereas people sit on the latter in the US. Did one come from the other? Did Americans drop the former along with the tea tax in revolt? Or, are the origins entirely separate, the latter stemming from the donkey in some way? If you know, get off your whatever and start typing…
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/2 "2000-04-11T19:57:00Z")
What I have heard is that _ass_ used to be a polite substitute for _arse_, but somehow in the mists of memory, _ass_ became the ruder term, and _arse_ has become a polite substitute for it.
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/3 "2000-04-11T20:01:00Z")
Well, I’ve also heard that people in Britain sometimes refer to a hoss as a “horse”.
Seriously, though, I think the real coincidence is that the Yanqi pronunciation of arse, that is, shortening the “a” and dropping the “r”, happens to sound the same as another word for donkey. When American words are different from British words, the American words are often simpler, thus being quicker to say, which is important because we Yanqs are always in a hurry. Where we’re going is anybody’s guess.
British American
alumin **i** um aluminum
perambulator stroller
scrum scrimmage
wireless telephone radio
excellent idea, old chum aww yeah
telly God
* * *
Screaming at a wall is certainly futile.
It can also be very satisfying, particularly if it involves a lot of profanity.
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/4 "2000-04-11T20:08:00Z")
Okay, so I fell off the ass trying to make up my cutesy trans-Atlantic glossary. Honestly, I put a ton of spaces in between my Yank term and my Limey term. And some feature of something or other parsed them to death. Here is an example, after this colon I will hit the space bar five times: there, how did that work?
* * *
Screaming at a wall is certainly futile.
It can also be very satisfying, particularly if it involves a lot of profanity.
---
### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/5 "2000-04-11T20:08:00Z")
“Arse” was the original term for the buttocks. During Victorian times, it was considered improper to refer to such things, so the similar-sounding “ass” was adopted as a euthemism for “arse”. “Ass” was originally not a naughty word at all, referring as it did to nothing but a donkey. The word “donkey” was itself relatively rare before “ass” became a naughty word. “Ass” became so naughty over time that people started using “arse” again, thinking it was a euphemism for “ass” when actually it’s a kind of dysphemism. Lord Macaulay said something along the lines of “The terms that are delicate in one generation are coarse in the next.”
By the way, when someone is calling you an ass, it’s usually not a euphemism for asshole. He’s saying you’re as stupid and stubborn as a donkey. If you want to say he’s an anus in return, go all the way and call him an asshole, or arsehole. Likewise, when you say something is “bull”, that’s not a euphemism for “bullshit”. “Bull” has meant “nonsense” ever since Protestants have started ignoring Papal Bulls.
* * *
Work is the curse of the drinking classes. (Oscar Wilde)
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/6 "2000-04-11T20:13:00Z")
Dysphemism! I haven’t heard that word used in … ever. Thanks for clearing that up, Bibliophage and Johnny.
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/7 "2000-04-11T20:23:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Honestly, I put a ton of spaces in between my Yank term and my Limey term. And some feature of something or other parsed them to death.
When you positively, absolutely have to have embedded blanks, type the characters & nbsp (with no blank between the amper and the “n”) for **each** blank you need to insert except the last one. There is no tab available and the five character string for “non-breaking space” will make your pre-submitted post look rather strange, but it will work.
One further note: do not join the “nbsp” to any characters following, the leading amper will make UBB think you attempted a much longer symbolic and it will resolve to nothing at all.
Examples (substituting # for & in the “typing” example):
to display this:
Ta Da!
type this:
#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp Ta Da!
## Do not type this: #nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbsp#nbspTa Da! because it will give you this: Ta Da!
Tom~
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/8 "2000-04-11T21:40:00Z")
Thanks a bundle Tom. I’ve flirted with UBB code from time to time but it always ends up slapping my face.
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### Author:  [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2000, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/9 "2000-04-11T21:45:00Z")
British American
aluminium aluminum
perambulator stroller
scrum scrimmage
wireless telephone radio
excellent idea, old chum aww yeah
telly God
[crossing fingers]
* * *
Screaming at a wall is certainly futile.
It can also be very satisfying, particularly if it involves a lot of profanity.
---
### Author:  [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2000, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/10 "2000-04-12T12:51:00Z")
Boris B,
Try using the {code} & {/code} UBB tags (substituting the { for [and } for].
\\code:\\\
American British
TV Telly
truck lorry
cigarette fag
ass arse
```auto
------------------
Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You'll find it an effective combination.
```
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### Author:  [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arse-ass/10189/11 "2000-04-13T05:45:00Z")
Well, what about these?
American: elevator
British: lift
Am: apartment
Br: flat
And let’s not even get _into_ the whole “suspenders” question.
* * *
I’m your only friend
I’m not your only friend
But I’m a little glowing friend
But really I’m not actually your friend
But I am