# She's full o' spunk **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153 "2000-08-04T19:13:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/1 "2000-08-04T19:13:41Z")
To have **spunk** , as I understand the meaning of the word here in the States, is to be full of pluck, determination and good cheer. Is it true that this word means something _drastically_ different in the U.K.? Something along the lines of, oh, say … ejaculate? Say it ain’t so! ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/2 "2000-08-04T19:23:03Z")
Well, I don’t know whethre they use the term that way in England, I do know I’ve used the term to mean ejaculate and I live in Minnesota. so yes, Spunk=Semen ---
**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:** [August 4, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/3 "2000-08-04T19:26:17Z")
“spunk” has both meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/4 "2000-08-04T19:27:17Z")
Yes, it means ejaculate in the UK. A friend was at a pub (in the UK) when she was asked her opinion of the beer. She chose to describe it as “spunky.” Hilarity ensued. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/5 "2000-08-04T19:32:08Z")
It also means wht you originally thought it to mean as well. Here’s the link to a UK Slang Dictionary for it… [http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/s.htm](http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/s.htm) ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/6 "2000-08-04T22:50:19Z")
Wow! I had no idea. I’ve grown up in Minnesota all my life and always heard that term used to describe strength and fortitude. I still hear it used today: “Boy, that kids’ got spunk!”. Thanks for the enlightenment. I hasten think what people might _really_ have been meaning all this time. Ughh. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/7 "2000-08-05T00:43:48Z")
It meant “spark” first, in the mid 16th century. The meaning evolved into “spirit” by the late 18th century. It didn’t come to mean “semen” until the late 19th century. Source: **The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary** ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/8 "2000-08-05T01:15:46Z")
All I now is that it generally means semen in most parts of the US I’ve been to… ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/9 "2000-08-05T01:46:56Z")
As far as I understand from fairly varied travels, the State’s is the only English speaking country where it could mean something other than semen - the Aussies have more interesting alternatives than most. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/10 "2000-08-05T02:23:22Z")
Yeah Aussies say things like he is a real spunk or she is spunky meaning attractive. Drawing a blank 😉 on what euphenisms we have for semen though. My glory days as a surfie chick are obviously too far behind me… primaflora ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/11 "2000-08-05T03:18:41Z")
Jees, Primaflora - I think we must swim in very different waters. To the Sydney rugby crowd i spent far to much time with, spunk only meant one thing. Mind you, almost everything meant the same one thing. I suspect you must be a little more refined. Interesting that it originally derived from “spark” - had no idea. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/12 "2000-08-05T03:35:44Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve grown up in Minnesota all my life and always heard that term used to describe strength and fortitude. I still hear it used today: “Boy, that kids’ got spunk!” But the connection is fairly natural. Semen has always been the (literally) seed of life. The Victorian euphemism for orgasm was “to spend,” indicating that one had “spent” one’s “strength.” A lot of rather silly beliefs regarding sex boil down to the idea that too much of it sapped one’s “vital energy” (rather than just being physically exhausting). ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2000, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/13 "2000-08-05T07:41:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*Jees, Primaflora - I think we must swim in very different waters. To the Sydney rugby crowd i spent far to much time with, spunk only meant one thing. Mind you, almost everything meant the same one thing. I suspect you must be a little more refined. > \*\* refined??? Ummm no. The lot I hung out with were not refined so as you would notice. Hate to say it but it probably is more a generation thing. It was 20 years or more ago I was moving in those circles primaflora feeling old… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/14 "2000-08-06T00:25:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Primaflora \* > **Yeah, Aussies say things like ‘he is a real spunk’ or ‘she is spunky’, meaning attractive.** Yeah, this is exactly right. We say this in NZ too. It also means semen, and it also means pluck or fortitude. See? We’re all nuts down under. ---
**Author:** ![Dystopos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@Dystopos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dystopos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/15 "2000-08-06T02:43:42Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* \*\* > [@](#): > > See? We’re all nuts down under.\*\* Nuts? ---
**Author:** ![Hedgemeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hedgemeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedgemeister)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/16 "2000-08-07T00:48:09Z")
Aren’t nuts where spunk comes from? ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shes-full-o-spunk/28153/17 "2000-08-07T02:01:26Z")
Huh learn something new everyday. Osip