# Origin of phrase "Making Winkies" as euphemism for urinating

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-making-winkies-as-euphemism-for-urinating/143740>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 19, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-making-winkies-as-euphemism-for-urinating/143740 "2002-12-19T04:33:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-making-winkies-as-euphemism-for-urinating/143740/1 "2002-12-19T04:33:41Z")

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[A certain doper who shall remain nameless](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=913) recently used the term “making winkies” as a euphemism for taking a leak. I had never heard the term before, despite growing up in a home with three older brothers all of whom had a colorful vocabulary for such things. The only thing connection I could come up with is that the Winkies in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (the book, not the movie) were yellow.

A google search and a board search revealed nothing of any use. Can anyone clue me in on the origin of this phrase (presuming, of course, the above unnamed doper didn’t just make it up)?

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-phrase-making-winkies-as-euphemism-for-urinating/143740/2 "2002-12-19T05:16:39Z")

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It may also be a natural evolution of “[tinkle](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=tinkle).”

“Tinkywink” is a pretty common thing to call a toddler, esp. in the britain.

“Tink” and “Wink” seem to be natural substititions, too… Rudyard Kipling has a fun poem called the Song of the Banjo, the first line of the chorus of which changes between

“With my tinky tinky tinky ta” and “With my willy-nilly winky winky pa!” etc.  
The only part I remember with any clarity is

> [@](#):
>
> _I’m the Prophet of the Utterly Absurd,  
> Of the patently impossible and vain–  
> And when the thing that couldn’t has occurred,  
> Give me time to change my leg and go again._

(Not that that part has any particular relevance, but I love it.)