# Phrases that sound "dirty" but aren't... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 22, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922 "2013-10-22T12:13:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/1 "2013-10-22T12:13:17Z")
I first heard about this from a well-known David Letterman Top 10 list. Phrases like “Jumping the Turnstyle” or “Tethering the Blimp” which sound like they mean something sexual but actually don’t mean anything. So, I was behind a family minivan this morning. It had a bumper sticker which read: “We \ Back Door Donuts” Okay then. After Googling it, it seems to be a shop in Massachusetts - but still… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/2 "2013-10-22T12:40:08Z")
“Take Exit 69 onto Big Beaver.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/3 "2013-10-22T13:54:11Z")
Wankel Rotary Engine Dick’s Last Resort ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/4 "2013-10-22T14:25:51Z")
Blew my wad. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/5 "2013-10-22T14:51:13Z")
summa cum laude ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/6 "2013-10-22T14:55:34Z")
> [@Lendervedder's Bloated Corpse](#): > > “Take Exit 69 onto Big Beaver.” Actually, I think I can make it sound even dirtier: “Take 69 to Big Beaver and get off.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/7 "2013-10-22T14:57:53Z")
“Hoist by his own petard.” ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/8 "2013-10-22T14:59:44Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > Blew my wad. No - that actually _is_ dirty. I mean, I know these days it simply means “spent all my money” or thereabouts, but it’s origin is sexual… I seem to recall a scene where someone said “conjugating irregular verbs” with an arched eyebrow, but can’t recall where… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/9 "2013-10-22T15:02:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Hoist by his own petard.” Again - it isn’t sexual/dirty these days - it means “done in by their own scheming” or so. But didn’t Cecil explain that it’s origin has to do with farting? Or perhaps the bomb that is referred to as a _petard_ - which would hoist you if you set it off too early - was nicknamed using the word for fart, _petard_ (like that Fartiste fellow, Le Petomane…) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/10 "2013-10-22T15:21:29Z")
Arranging financing on a big SUV: paying for a hummer. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/11 "2013-10-22T15:24:23Z")
> [@Lendervedder's Bloated Corpse](#): > > Actually, I think I can make it sound even dirtier: > > “Take 69 to Big Beaver and get off.” You misunderstand. Big Beaver Road is an actual road in Troy, Michigan. It intersects I-75, and the exit from the highway to Big Beaver Road is actually exit #69. [Looky-looky.](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=W+Big+Beaver+Rd,+Troy,+MI&hl=en&ll=42.562753,-83.154981&spn=0.011964,0.013475&sll=42.27332,-83.737689&sspn=0.192308,0.215607&oq=big+beaver+road&hnear=W+Big+Beaver+Rd,+Troy,+Michigan&t=m&z=16) Rather reminds me of [Big Bone Lick State Park.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bone_Lick_State_Park) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/12 "2013-10-22T15:27:46Z")
Dongle plug. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/13 "2013-10-22T15:28:19Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You misunderstand. Big Beaver Road is an actual road in Troy, Michigan. It intersects I-75, and the exit from the highway to Big Beaver Road is actually exit #69. [Looky-looky.](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=W+Big+Beaver+Rd,+Troy,+MI&hl=en&ll=42.562753,-83.154981&spn=0.011964,0.013475&sll=42.27332,-83.737689&sspn=0.192308,0.215607&oq=big+beaver+road&hnear=W+Big+Beaver+Rd,+Troy,+Michigan&t=m&z=16) > > Rather reminds me of [Big Bone Lick State Park.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bone_Lick_State_Park) I don’t misunderstand. I live by it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/14 "2013-10-22T15:48:52Z")
[Slipper Dick’s Halfway Inn](http://www.skinnydicksak.com/) (completely work safe). Well, there is a suggestive logo for the place. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/15 "2013-10-22T15:49:32Z")
With the properly arched eyebrow, ANY thing you say can sound dirty. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/16 "2013-10-22T15:50:25Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > With the properly arched eyebrow, ANY thing you say can sound dirty. Oh yeah, but “conjugating irregular verbs” just sounded good that way… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/17 "2013-10-22T16:20:58Z")
Hiking the Appalachian Trail. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/18 "2013-10-22T16:36:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Hoist by his own petard.” Etymologically, “petard” derives for a word meaning “fart,” so it’s a little dirty to begin with. There are phrases in French that seem very dirty if said right. “Changement de vitesses” is one example. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/19 "2013-10-22T16:54:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Especially if you’re the governor of South Carolina 😉 - but then, it does kinda become dirty at that point… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922/20 "2013-10-22T17:04:55Z")
Riding bareback. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-sound-dirty-but-arent/671922.md?page=2)