# "Blowing your wad"...obscene? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 29, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680 "2004-02-29T00:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/21 "2004-02-29T18:59:26Z")
> [@SlyFrog](#): > > Incidentally, another possible origin I have heard is that in the heat of battle, one would often forget to accomplish every part of the drill necessary to fire a weapon (put in powder, put in wad, put in bullet, etc.). Because soldiers often forgot to put in the bullet, they would fire the gun and “shoot the wad”, basically meaning that they would fire it off harmlessly with no effect. That was the story I heard, too. Unfortunately, I can’t really say whether it’s true or, like so many cute entymologies, it’s just a legend. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/22 "2004-02-29T19:42:21Z")
Certainly I grew up with both “shot his wad” (did all he could) and “blew his wad” (spent all his money) being G-rated phrases. Given the history of the word “wad” it’s pretty clear the pr0n meaning came from the G-rated phrase, not vice versa. Now what’s _really_ interesting is the way you’re beginning to find the phrase “money shot” in places like the New York Times… ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/23 "2004-02-29T19:45:02Z")
Whatever the origin of the phrase or phrases in question, all of them would bring sexual connotations to _my_ mind. Perhaps I’m dirty-minded, but I don’t watch porn, and I still always assumed “to blow ones wad” and “to shoot ones wad” were metaphors for male ejaculation. Even if that’s not their origin, though, I’d be careful using them; I make sure not to use those phrases in polite company or in front of my mom. The real issue here, though, is your dismissal of one of the greatest works in musical theater - why, just thinking about it has “Life is a Cabaret” going through my head right now. _tsk tsk tsk_ ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/24 "2004-02-29T23:51:53Z")
Honestly, I had heard the term “Shot their wad” quite a bit, and never thought that it had any sexual connotations until that ill-fated staff meeting. > [@Ringo](#): > > No, I’m not kidding. And I’ve heard both professional men and women use both phrases. The board’s quite the cultural crossroads, isn’t it? > > I remember a thread several years ago that revealed quite divergent understandings of “skanky.” And another regarding “shag” (where I grew up it was used to mean to retrieve balls sent off into the weeds during athletic practice, hence the quite innocent “shag balls”). In North Carolina, “shag” also refers to a type of dancing. We had some Brit friends that nearly killed themselves laughing a few years ago at a picture in the newspaper that was captioned “Governor judges shagging contest”, and sent copies to all their friends back home. ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/25 "2004-03-01T01:09:17Z")
I believe it “means”, “being done”. It may be derived from spewing all over someone’s face but, it have the meaning of “being done”. So, I belive that you are correct that the show was “done” after the first number. If that offends someone, it’s THEIR problem. ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Bannon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Race\_Bannon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Bannon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/26 "2004-03-01T01:43:34Z")
I have to say that I always thought the phrase came from the gunnery connotation. I grew up in a rural area, and used to hunt. Sometimes if you shoot your shotgun high and into the wind, the “wad” (a plastic thing) will actually blow back and land nearby. I thought the porn thing came later. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/27 "2004-03-01T02:52:55Z")
Since we’re about fighting ignorance, one fine point note: > [@](#): > > That was the story I heard, too. Unfortunately, I can’t really say whether it’s true or, like so many cute entymologies, it’s just a legend. Cute entymolgies would refer to insects that one views as attractive. If it’s language and linguistic form about which you speak, etymologies would apply. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680/28 "2004-03-01T18:38:05Z")
> [@SlyFrog](#): > > Incidentally, another possible origin I have heard is that in the heat of battle, one would often forget to accomplish every part of the drill necessary to fire a weapon (put in powder, put in wad, put in bullet, etc.). Because soldiers often forgot to put in the bullet, they would fire the gun and “shoot the wad”, basically meaning that they would fire it off harmlessly with no effect. As someone who grew up around muzzle loading weaponry, this was always the explanation given for that phrase. From the prevalence of the phrase, I’m more inclined to believe that it’s been around much longer than the wide availability of porno movies (which date from what, the late 60’s at most?). Hell, my grandpa uses the phrase, and he’s certainly not the one to either watch porn and pick up phrases from them or to use phrases of relatively recent origin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-your-wad-obscene/231680.md?page=1)