# Slut??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 27, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272 "2001-06-27T02:38:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272/1 "2001-06-27T02:38:20Z")

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Where does the word “slut” come from and when did it come into use?

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272/2 "2001-06-27T02:52:26Z")

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> **[Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com?date=19971215)**
>
> Committed to publishing great books, connecting readers and authors globally, and spreading the love of reading.

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**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272/3 "2001-06-27T07:49:31Z")

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I was reading my grandmother’s grammar book (yeah, I was bored… sue me) from around 1902 or so, and it mentions “slut” and “bitch” in the same context and led me to believe it was another term for a female dog…

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**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slut/70272/4 "2001-06-27T11:11:16Z")

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I understand the term originally applied to the cup-shaped thing used underneath tallow candles to catch the nasty drippings. I reckon it isn’t too far of a stretch to apply the concept to a woman thought to be a receptacle of other types of drippings.

Do they even make tallow candles anymore? They must smell like awful hell.