# preggers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232 "2005-09-30T18:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/1 "2005-09-30T18:31:44Z")
I’ve been hearing this word for a while, and now that I see [fellow dopers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6637576&postcount=21) using it on the board, I did a dictionary search to see what exactly the word means. It’s just a pseudonym for pregnant. It’s one of the stupidest sounding words I’ve ever heard. Those of you who use this pseudonym, please justify! ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/2 "2005-09-30T18:33:23Z")
Common usage. Though I much prefered “Bumped up” when Mrs. Butler was preggers. m’kay? ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/3 "2005-09-30T19:14:51Z")
Just a few minutes ago I posted in the minor pit thread about how I hate the term prego - which is also a way of referring to being knocked up. Susan ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/4 "2005-09-30T19:15:32Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Those of you who use this pseudonym, please justify! It’s a synonym, not a pseudonym. It rolls off the tongue more easily than “pregnant.” No offense, but I don’t feel compelled to “justify” using it just because **you** think it sounds stupid. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/5 "2005-09-30T22:09:53Z")
> [@susan\_foster](#): > > Just a few minutes ago I posted in the minor pit thread about how I hate the term prego - which is also a way of referring to being knocked up. > > Susan Sorry **Susan** but, [Prego](http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072956429/information_center_view0/) means (I think) Welcome in Italian. I’ve never heard it in any other context. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/6 "2005-09-30T22:20:33Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Sorry **Susan** but, [Prego](http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072956429/information_center_view0/) means (I think) Welcome in Italian. I’ve never heard it in any other context. But there are many, many folks who use it to mean “pregnant” - ie: “Don’t prego my eggo.” And I also hate it, and I hate preggers, but I also hate the words “checkup”, “crap”, “kernel”, “corn”, and “barbiturate”. Make of that what you will. But I don’t expect people to stop saying those words anytime soon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/7 "2005-09-30T22:54:18Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > I’ve been hearing this word for a while, and now that I see [fellow dopers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6637576&postcount=21) using it on the board, I did a dictionary search to see what exactly the word means. It’s just a pseudonym for pregnant. It’s one of the stupidest sounding words I’ve ever heard. Those of you who use this pseudonym, please justify! Preggers preggers preggers preggers preggers preggers preggers preggers preggers. Nope. Doesn’t sound stupid when I say it. YMMV 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/8 "2005-10-01T00:04:13Z")
Sorry also to tell ya, I remember hearing my Mom use the term. Forty years ago. So, it’s probably going to stick around for a while. ---
**Author:** ![zeeny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zeeny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeeny)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/9 "2005-10-01T05:07:55Z")
I always thought it was more of a British informal term, but I could be wrong about that (I didn’t look it up). Why does it bother you? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/10 "2005-10-01T05:47:00Z")
I also think it sounds really stupid. Whatever happens to “expecting” or even “knocked up”? Preggers sounds like a spaghetti sauce to me. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/11 "2005-10-01T06:55:02Z")
I fucking hate it. Along with “sammich”. Look, maybe you’re just so damn adorable that you can get away with talking baby-talk in real life but I only ever see “preggers” or “sammich” online, and it’s not fucking cute there. Jesus I hate that twee idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/12 "2005-10-01T07:36:38Z")
> [@zeeny](#): > > I always thought it was more of a British informal term, but I could be wrong about that (I didn’t look it up). My impression also. In the 70s (although it may have started earlier) there was something of a vogue among the upper classes for shortening words and bunging an “-ers” on the end: Twickenham, for instance, became “Twickers”. A few of these stuck around and spread – preggers seems to be one of them. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/13 "2005-10-01T07:45:42Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > I also think it sounds really stupid. Whatever happens to “expecting” or even “knocked up”? Preggers sounds like a spaghetti sauce to me. “Knocked up” makes me cringe/grin ever since I heard a car dealership’s commercial that had the machine gun voice announcer going like: _Come to our amazing sale! (One then hears accelerated sound clips of babies smacked (at birth?) and crying) SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! SMACK!, BWAAA!!! Here in xxxxxx dealership, we knocked out_ our competition! ( :eek: 😃 ) All the 7 dealerships in the “car avenue”!!\* \*The announcer did say “out”, but the context and the high speed of the ad made it sound like “up”, I always wondered how they got away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/14 "2005-10-01T13:46:03Z")
I find preggers and preggo annoying - the latter immeasurably more than the former. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/15 "2005-10-01T16:25:14Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > Common usage. > > Though I much prefered “Bumped up” when Mrs. Butler was preggers. > > m’kay? I’ve been told off for referring to my unborn child as “The Bump.” I now use b2b in emails to a friend (as in **b** aby **2** **b** e) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/16 "2005-10-01T16:34:56Z")
I prefer the term “fermenting a jizz-load”. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/17 "2005-10-01T17:01:08Z")
So you want to terminate this? Should we move this to GD? 🙂 > [@WotNot](#): > > My impression also. In the 70s (although it may have started earlier) there was something of a vogue among the upper classes for shortening words and bunging an “-ers” on the end: Twickenham, for instance, became “Twickers”. A few of these stuck around and spread – preggers seems to be one of them. I thought so as well. For example, “champers” for champagne. I think it sounds affected in the US, but it really doesn’t bother me that much. > [@Excalibre](#): > > I fucking hate it. Along with “sammich”. My college roommate (of one semester) said “sangwich”. I think that that, as much as anything else, was the reason I moved out of the dorm room. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/18 "2005-10-01T18:20:36Z")
My friend and I use the word “pregnito”. If someone is pregnant but not showing yet she’s “impregnito”. She started it, don’t blame me! ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/19 "2005-10-01T18:22:42Z")
Ooh also in the office where we used to work several women were pregnant and she blamed it on pregniscence in the air. She has no children yet. I can’t wait to hear how she refers to herself when she gets pregginated. ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232/20 "2005-10-02T07:43:12Z")
This is sort of odd. The other message board I go to had a thread about this earlier in the week! 😮 Are you a Lushie? Hehe. I don’t like the word “pregnant” itself. It’s the word I use anyway, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preggers/324232.md?page=2)