# The greatest refernce note in the history of english.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 12, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289 "2013-07-12T05:03:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289/1 "2013-07-12T05:03:15Z")

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So I was bored, and ended up trying to explain to an idiot for reason I am not sure of why Peni as plural for Penis wasn’t really an actual word. I typed “etymology of Penis”{small clue to what follows, text only, if you are at work} into Google and found, on page 2, the best sentence I have ever read, in a scientific manner,at the very bottom of the page, that actually had a reference note .

> **[penis | Search Online Etymology Dictionary](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=penis&page=1)**
>
> The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible...

DUCK FUCKER. The man who has the care of the poultry on board a ſhip of war. [“Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue,” 1796] okay so I unbowdlerized FUCKER, I left the screwy “s” in ship"

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289/2 "2013-07-12T12:23:03Z")

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And I see that in the 13th Century there was someone named John le Fucker. He must have been some fucker, to have it named after him.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289/3 "2013-07-12T12:45:35Z")

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Hey, it’s better than Odo, so smelly they named it after them.

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**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:** [July 12, 2013, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-refernce-note-in-the-history-of-english/663289/4 "2013-07-12T12:53:14Z")

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> [@Ludovic](#):
>
> Hey, it’s better than Odo, so smelly they named it after them.

[http://www.daisydownunder.com/images/TLds95.jpg](http://www.daisydownunder.com/images/TLds95.jpg)