# Origins of common slang & tech talk: your everyday language makes you a foul-mouthed weirdo **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870 "2011-02-02T06:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/1 "2011-02-02T06:55:57Z")
People, please, let’s remember: A “scumbag” is a used condom. A “geek” is a horrific weirdo in a circus who bites the heads off of live chickens. A “dork” is a penis. When you say something or someone “sucks” you’re referring specifically to the act of fellatio. If you describe someone as “hysterical,” you’re accusing them of acting erratically due to sexual repression, and specifically that her womb is wandering around her body in an untoward manner. Your grandmothers should wash out your mouths with soap, the lot of you! Have I forgotten anything? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/2 "2011-02-02T07:04:31Z")
Dammit, uterus, stay still! It’s ok, though because the cure for hysteria was lots and lots of orgasms. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/3 "2011-02-02T17:26:10Z")
After all, language never changes; the meaning of words is written in stone for all time. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/4 "2011-02-02T17:29:57Z")
Shucks, where did you come up with all that jazz? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/5 "2011-02-02T17:54:38Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Have I forgotten anything? Schmuck! 😃 Joke, stolen from the Joy of Yiddish. Rich Jewish guy in Miami Beach for some reason decides that riding a camel downtown would be fun. He buys one, fits it out, and proudly rides it down hotel row. But one morning he wakes up to find the camel gone. He runs to the police station to report it. Police: Weight Guy. I don’t know Police: Do you know its size? Guy: No. Police: Okay, male or female? Guy. (Emphatically) Male! Police: (surprised) How do you know Guy: Because as I was riding it, lots of people shouted 'Look at the schmuck on that camel!" ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/6 "2011-02-03T00:34:04Z")
Aussie slang Dag = a bot of poo hanging around a sheep’s hairy bum! So now daggy or dag means uncool, sometimes dag can be anti-cool. Oh the kids now call anything lame, gay. But they spell it ghey. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/7 "2011-02-03T00:37:31Z")
“You’re in like Flynn” is sometimes used innocuously; few remember it came from Errol Flynn’s “wicked wicked ways” with the ladies and the underage girls. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/8 "2011-02-03T07:10:09Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > People, please, let’s remember: > > A “scumbag” is a used condom. > > A “geek” is a horrific weirdo in a circus who bites the heads off of live chickens. > > A “dork” is a penis. > > When you say something or someone “sucks” you’re referring specifically to the act of fellatio. > > If you describe someone as “hysterical,” you’re accusing them of acting erratically due to sexual repression, and specifically that her womb is wandering around her body in an untoward manner. > > Your grandmothers should wash out your mouths with soap, the lot of you! > > Have I forgotten anything? I am sure I have heard every single word up there used by very straight-laced religious people. It’s wonderful. I assisted a youth pastor who tried to avoid similar things (“flippin’, freakin’”, etc.) & I was amused when he’d slip on somesuch word that he either didn’t realize had a bad origin or just forgot about. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/9 "2011-02-03T12:51:13Z")
the Tea Party planing to TeaBag the White House? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/10 "2011-02-03T13:27:00Z")
Shot your wad on something - do I need to explain? She’s full of spunk - spunk was originally semen ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/11 "2011-02-03T16:31:58Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Shot your wad on something - do I need to explain? > > She’s full of spunk - spunk was originally semen As Lou Grant told Mary Richards upon first meeting her: “You’ve got spunk! I \*hate \*spunk.” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/12 "2011-02-03T17:42:35Z")
_Gay_ went from happy to homosexual to stupid in one century. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/13 "2011-02-03T20:23:16Z")
Wow, I had no idea about scumbag. Really gives it clarity considering my 55 year old mom uses it all the time to describe one brothers’ friends. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/14 "2011-02-03T21:40:07Z")
I didn’t realize until fairly recently that if you pat somebody’s _fanny_ in England it’s a much more serious offense than it is here, but it explains where people wear Fanny Bags. I loved the episode of _Arrested Development_ in which whenever Michael’s English girlfriend called him a _pussy_ it wasn’t bleeped but if an American did it was due to context. Anyone know what the Brit equivalent to calling somebody a _pussy_ (i.e. total wimp, coward, but with female sexual connotation) would be in America? ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/15 "2011-02-03T21:54:30Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Anyone know what the Brit equivalent to calling somebody a _pussy_ (i.e. total wimp, coward, but with female sexual connotation) would be in America? A pansy? ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/16 "2011-02-03T21:57:02Z")
Also, let’s not forget “wanker”… something used a lot more in the UK than the US. Obviously, it’s a chronic masturbator. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/17 "2011-02-03T22:43:08Z")
Are _dirtbag_ and _dweeb_ “clean” euphemisms for _scumbag_ and _dork_? ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/18 "2011-02-03T23:35:04Z")
Wasn’t rock’n’roll a not so cleverly disguised euphemism for gettin’ jiggy? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/19 "2011-02-03T23:43:03Z")
“Male” and “female” connectors make ordinary, everyday tech work downright filthy. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870/20 "2011-02-03T23:52:30Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > If you describe someone as “hysterical,” you’re accusing them of acting erratically due to sexual repression, and specifically that her womb is wandering around her body in an untoward manner. This implies that the womb could wander in a toward manner, I’m gonna have to ask for a cite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-common-slang-tech-talk-your-everyday-language-makes-you-a-foul-mouthed-weirdo/569870.md?page=2)