# Origin of
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 5, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599 "2001-06-05T00:24:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Badbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badbug)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/1 "2001-06-05T00:24:29Z")
Obviously not the usual use of the term but in my attempt to not offend I have tried to be decent. We at work use this word liberally in its more derogatory form and have occasionally wondered what it really, meant, how it came into being.
Would appreciate any info or even educated guesses would be entertaining.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/2 "2001-06-05T00:51:59Z")
You have tried TOO HARD not to offend, and have left too much to the imagination. I’m making an educated guess and guess that you left out the word.
That is, unless I am missing something.
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### Author:  [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/3 "2001-06-05T00:56:44Z")
I bet that he tried to put quotes around it in the title. That would make it disappear.
Otherwise he really is being too decent.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/4 "2001-06-05T01:12:31Z")
Do us a favor and post the word to the thread. We won’t be offended, we promise. Hell, we’ve already done the finer points of the meanings of the words ‘tits’ and ‘cunt.’
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/5 "2001-06-05T01:28:07Z")
No, no, it’s MUCH more fun to guess. Let’s see now…
My guess is going to be “fuck”. Does it fit the parameters?
> [@](#):
>
> We at work use this word liberally in its more derogatory form…
Yep. Anybody else?
Ah. A quick poll of the dining room here (population 2). The Better Half, upon having the OP read aloud to him, immediately responds, “Of course. It’s gotta be the f-word.”
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/6 "2001-06-05T01:47:03Z")
Oh Boy! A guessing thread.
I vote for smoo (with no punctuation except this one.)
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/7 "2001-06-05T01:56:19Z")
I’m guessing **liberal** , a word that still has the power to send certain people into apopleptic fits at its mere mention. ( **Jeffords** was going to be my second guess…)
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of/67599/8 "2001-06-05T03:49:17Z")
_Dubya_ is the regional pronunciation of the word double-U. It is the middle initial of our current president. He has tended to refer to himself by that (middle) initial to differentiate himself from his father who wound up with two middle initials: aitch dubya.
You can go ahead and post the more derogatory form; we’re pretty tough around here.