I work at a college (one that’s adamantly not a university) in the UK, and over the summer, while the students are out, I’ve been doing a fair bit of work for the academic department. I’ve been bringing in my internet dongle to use with my laptop most days, as the laptop’s new and not hooked up to the college wifi yet. Our last IT guy was hired three weeks ago, but he only lasted one day. I’m not surprised – when I asked him to set up my college email account on my college computer, he went through all the motions I already had, then spent his time clicking on all the empty grey space in a textbox that had popped up, studiously avoiding both the two blue hyperlinks and the OK and cancel buttons. Then told me he couldn’t help me because he didn’t know our internet provider.
But that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post is, at some point during the last week my internet dongle went missing. Which meant that I had to go around to each of our receptionists, and my fellow English teacher, asking “Have you seen my dongle?”. Said English teacher and I were unable to get through this conversation without drawing it out to 15 minutes and smirking at each use of the word “dongle”. We finally dissolved into laughter, just as the big boss came out of his office (yes, yes, we’re very immature). She then turned and asked him, “Have you seen Johnny’s dongle?” - though luckily with English as his second language, he didn’t get it – that sort of thing is definitely frowned upon by the powers that be!
My question is this: what is it about the word dongle that makes it sound so much like a penis? Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a slang word for penis that really resembles it. Granted, that could be because every time I try, all I can come up with is…dongle.
And of course, if any Dopers here want to share some more funny/awkward words to use in a conversation, they’re more than welcome! I’ll give out bonus points for embarrassing anecdotes ;).
*To any who want to point out that I could simply have said “internet stick” my reply is categorically: where’s the fun in that?
Ah! :smack: The word dongle crowded that right out of my mind (I think it’s a mostly American term, but I really should have picked up on it).
Well, that brings my second question to the forefront; anyone have any good anecdotes to share about words that don’t mean quite what they sound like they should?
I’m not sure that’s an official answer, I never really thought about it either. That just seems like the way it must be working in my own head.
I don’t have an anecdote that fits the bill, but I have a cute story.
When I was in junior high, there was a kid with the last name Bush. The other kids sometimes called him that, and sometimes a different name. I was a little confused about which was his real name, and just decided to go with one. So one night I was telling my parents a story about him and what happened at school that day. “So, there’s this kid at school named Douche…”
I had a patient once who was referred to a movement disorder specialist. The diagnosis : Stiff Man Syndrome
None of us so-called professionals could keep a straight face about it and none of us dared Googling it from work.
!ut we couldnkt stop mentioning it in report or any time we had to discuss the patients care needs.
In the 80’s there was a govt program to create planned urban developments (PUD’s). I thought the word sounded funny but at least consciously, didn’t know the slang meaning. So I kept making comments goofing on how stupid it sounded. Finally someone pointed out the fact that it is synonymous with penis (and sometimes clitoris). I was a little embarrassed, but from that point on could at least make competent double entendres like - ‘wow, the storm last night really pounded that PUD near the river.’
Type anything enough times, and it starts looking really weird.
Signed,
the former data entry clerk
P.S. I would have had a difficult time keeping a straight face if you said dongle to me repeatedly in the context of “Have you seen my dongle?”, even in the office.
