# Inoffensive words that make immature people snicker **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690 "2013-12-19T03:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/81 "2013-12-20T17:24:50Z")
There was someone up for election 'round these parts with a ridiculous last name. Something like “Cuntz.” Every time we drove past the sign, I’d yell, “It’s pronounced Coonts!” ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/82 "2013-12-20T17:41:36Z")
The country of _Niger._ ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/83 "2013-12-20T17:48:29Z")
> [@Doyle](#): > > The country of _Niger._ Reminds me of a joke. Q: If people from Nigeria are called Nigerians, what are people from Niger called? A: Nigerien (infrequently Nigerois). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/84 "2013-12-20T17:51:42Z")
There’s a big German connector manufacturer named [Assmann](http://assmann.us). Sounds like a Seinfeld sketch… ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/85 "2013-12-20T18:44:39Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > “I swear BY MY BALLS that it really happened!” This is the actual origin of the words “testify” and “testimony”. Heh, if only that were true. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/86 "2013-12-20T18:55:43Z")
People rearing their children. (I know I’m sick.) Defenestration sounds like something unspeakably evil and snort-worthy. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/87 "2013-12-20T19:29:28Z")
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the one that has had generations of boys in Sunday school giggling -riding on an ass. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/88 "2013-12-20T19:54:22Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > “I swear BY MY BALLS that it really happened!” This is the actual origin of the words “testify” and “testimony”. Actually it’s not. But it’s close : all three words \*are \*derived from the same Latin word, “testis”. The problem (for your folk etymology that is) is that “testis” means “witness” or “third party”. So what do balls have to do with witnessing ? Probably a euphemism : testicles are “witnesses for a man’s intact virility”. IOW they always get to idly watch while you pound away :D. Pointless related etymological trivia : orchids and avocados ? Also testicle-related. Both bear their names because they look like balls (respectively orkhis in Greek, ahuacatl in… Quechua I think ?). Well, in the orchids’ case, it’s the root that looks vaguely gonad-ish, but there you go. ETA : my bad, it’s Nahuatl, not Quechua. You’d think the ending of the word would have given me a clue… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/89 "2013-12-20T21:35:29Z")
[Omemee, Ontario](https://www.google.ca/maps/preview#!q=Omemee%2C+Kawartha+Lakes%2C+ON&data=!4m15!2m14!1m13!1s0x89d5849ef806c35b%3A0xc345695017674e7a!3m8!1m3!1d49990!2d-78.8633404!3d43.924131!3m2!1i1339!2i835!4f13.1!4m2!3d44.299023!4d-78.5568909) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/90 "2013-12-20T21:43:29Z")
Titter ye not, but Brits of a certain age grew up on the “Carry On” films. “I am a silly constable” was probably nearest to the knuckle… ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/91 "2013-12-20T21:45:04Z")
They may have even grown up near Lickey End, Worcestershire. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/92 "2013-12-20T22:02:47Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Condiments > > Putty > > Seamen David Seaman played in goal for England (soccer). We had a game against France, who were fielding a striker named Condom. Which (phonetically) was rather unusual… ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/93 "2013-12-20T22:10:12Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > I used to chuckle every time someone mentioned University of Northern Texas…is there a campus radio station? Yes, It’s [KNTU](http://www.kntu.com/), Why? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/94 "2013-12-20T22:34:14Z")
Pahrump (a town in Nevada). ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/95 "2013-12-20T22:36:57Z")
How about Cumming, GA? Uranus Balsey Dewitt Titmouse Titmice ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/96 "2013-12-20T22:51:02Z")
Butte. As in Butte county, CA. Or Butte, Montana. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/97 "2013-12-20T22:58:00Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Butte. As in Butte county, CA. Or Butte, Montana. Also the grocery chain formerly called “H. E. Butt” (I think it’s called “HEB” now–they don’t have it where I live, but they were a customer of a company I worked for). When I lived in southern(ish) CA as a kid/teen, there used to be a local auto dealer chain called “Butts \,” (for example, “Butts Buick.”) Their license plate frames always made me giggle. The top had the name of the town, and the bottom (heh) had “BUTTS” (for example, “Monterey BUTTS”). ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/98 "2013-12-20T23:18:56Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Joystick actually went the other way. It originally was dirty, then eventually wound up being the name for something children the world over used quite innocently. Ha Ha. You said “went the other way”! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/99 "2013-12-21T00:43:24Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > “Moist” seems to do it for some people. It does it for my sisters and me, every time and is what I came in here to post. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690/100 "2013-12-21T02:16:08Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Duty “Duty” is funny by itself, but it can get even funnier. Heavy Duty. On Duty. Its your Duty. Duty bound. Duty Free. Duty calls. Duty Time. Active Duty. Duty Station. Double Duty. Duty log. Off duty. In the line of duty. Relieve one of one’s duties. Any more “duty” phrases? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inoffensive-words-that-make-immature-people-snicker/676690.md?page=6)