# Has the slang word "dick" gone down in popularity? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534 "2012-01-24T20:54:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/1 "2012-01-24T20:54:30Z")
I’m 40, and it’s interesting to see how slang has evolved in my lifetime. To cite words that have come is easy: “Whateverrr,” “issues,” “LOL,” etc. To cite words that have gone is also easy: “Groovy,” etc. But then there are the subtle cases, such as when a word used to be used more than it is now. I think maybe “dick” is one of those. It’s still used in the sense of “penis” and “jerk,” but it just seems less possible. For penis, “cock” (which is not new, of course) seems much more prevalent. People still say, “He’s being a dick,” but I think “asshole” (which again is not a new word) has become more popular. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/2 "2012-01-24T21:03:37Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I think maybe “dick” is one of those. It’s still used in the sense of “penis” and “jerk,” but it just seems less possible. For penis, “cock” (which is not new, of course) seems much more prevalent. People still say, “He’s being a dick,” but I think “asshole” (which again is not a new word) has become more popular. I’m 30, but to me, asshole has always been more popular than dick. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/3 "2012-01-24T21:05:17Z")
I’ve never called anyone a dick before. I’m aware that it is slang for offensive behavior. I do use dick as a slang word for penis. I’ve always said someone is a jerk or a-hole if I’m really angry. ---
**Author:** ![FrancisCastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b4bc9f/32.png) [@FrancisCastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrancisCastle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/4 "2012-01-24T21:18:44Z")
The only time I really use the word is to describe some asshole-y thing that someone did. Like “That was really a dick move.” When talking about a penis, I would say either penis or wiener. Wiener sounds funnier. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/5 "2012-01-24T21:19:42Z")
Also, you can’t have this discussion without talking about the rise of “douchebag” which is a) more TV friendly and b) just more fun to say. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/6 "2012-01-24T21:21:00Z")
During the 4th and 5th seasons of _Supernatural_, I swear every other word out of those guys’ mouths was “dick” this and “dick” that. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/7 "2012-01-24T21:26:48Z")
FWIW, an ngram shows ‘‘dick’’ going up and passing ‘‘asshole’’ in 1997. Asshole actually came down a bit since 2004 ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/8 "2012-01-24T21:33:42Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Also, you can’t have this discussion without talking about the rise of “douchebag” which is a) more TV friendly and b) just more fun to say. Yeah, I don’t think I ever heard this term until the late 80s at least. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/9 "2012-01-24T21:36:18Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > FWIW, an ngram shows ‘‘dick’’ going up and passing ‘‘asshole’’ in 1997. Asshole actually came down a bit since 2004 Please educate me on what an ngram is, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/10 "2012-01-24T21:44:19Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Yeah, I don’t think I ever heard this term until the late 80s at least. First time I heard the term was [this exchange](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-D9oSMLBw) (YouTube link) between Ted and Booger in in _Revenge of the Nerds_. “What are you looking at, nerd?” “I thought I was looking at my mother’s old douchebag but that’s in Ohio.” ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/11 "2012-01-24T21:52:26Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > First time I heard the term was [this exchange](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-D9oSMLBw) (YouTube link) between Ted and Booger in in _Revenge of the Nerds_. > > “What are you looking at, nerd?” > > “I thought I was looking at my mother’s old douchebag but that’s in Ohio.” Haha, yeah, I saw that movie a few years after it came out, so that might have been around the time I heard it first. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/12 "2012-01-24T21:57:09Z")
I don’t know, but I still wouldn’t want to be a Richard. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/13 "2012-01-24T22:46:46Z")
I use “dick” and “cock” interchangeably (when referring to a penis). And if the OP is only 40, how is he remembering “groovy”? that was gone by the time he was born. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/14 "2012-01-24T22:48:30Z")
I thought you were refering to a Private detective ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/15 "2012-01-24T23:06:42Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Please educate me on what an ngram is, thanks! Sorry, should have said that Google Books [Google Ngram Viewer](http://books.google.com/ngrams) gave me the results. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-slang-word-dick-gone-down-in-popularity/610534/16 "2012-01-24T23:11:21Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I use “dick” and “cock” interchangeably (when referring to a penis). And if the OP is only 40, how is he remembering “groovy”? that was gone by the time he was born. I remember it from the Brady Bunch. Yes, it almost gone even in the early 70s.