# Where the F\*\*\* did “cum” come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184 "2007-01-08T18:20:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/21 "2007-01-08T19:37:58Z")
Cumming is orgasm by either a man or a woman. This helpful bit of info is supplied to you by…the 1970s? At least? Talk about being behind on the news. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/22 "2007-01-08T19:38:55Z")
All I know is that I can’t read magna-cum-laude without giggling any more. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/23 "2007-01-08T19:45:28Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] Is this a debate on which words were actually used for Quiet Riot’s greatest hit? [/QUOTE] Slade, actually. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/24 "2007-01-08T19:45:47Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] 11 people came in here inside 12 minutes. [/QUOTE] Yeah, well, you’re hot. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/25 "2007-01-08T19:47:43Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] I was introduced to the term, with this spelling, in 1974 by a Franciscan priest at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, CA. The same priest told the class that ejaculate “splashing” against a woman’s cervix was an important benefit for the woman’s pleasure, so we should be mindful of this before doing anything so inconsiderate as use a condom. Looking back, he might not have been the most reliable source of information. [/QUOTE] “Splashing,” huh? Someone should have told him that it doesn’t really splash that much when you’re practically dropping it off at the doorstep. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/26 "2007-01-08T19:49:49Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] All I know is that I can’t read magna-cum-laude without giggling any more. [/QUOTE] Summa Cum Laude is worse. I remember a bad movie I saw once where the Asian exchange student claimed he graduated “Some Cum Loudly!” ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/27 "2007-01-08T19:50:20Z")
[QUOTE=boytyperanma] I prefer people us cum when refering to semen. It seems to cause less confussion. I think there should also be a different spelling for the past tense of cum. Not sure what would work well though. [/QUOTE] Cām? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/28 "2007-01-08T19:52:17Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] “Splashing,” huh? Someone should have told him that it doesn’t really splash that much when you’re practically dropping it off at the doorstep. 😃 [/QUOTE] Yeah, but our Franciscan friend had a point about the pleasure thing. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/29 "2007-01-08T20:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] “Splashing,” huh? Someone should have told him that it doesn’t really splash that much when you’re practically dropping it off at the doorstep. 😃 [/QUOTE] Perhaps. As for me, I was in no position to furnish that insight for another four years. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/30 "2007-01-08T20:09:11Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] Slade, actually. [/QUOTE] Ah, thanks for the correction. I didn’t realize that Kevin DuBrow got his inspiration elsewhere. However, now I’ve got a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that one of their former bass players, [Dave Glover](http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/west/update_5.html), was temporarily engaged to serial killer Rose West? At least according to the Crime Library. And yes, I know this is all terribly off the topic of ‘cum,’ but I thought others might find it interesting none-the-less. :o ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/31 "2007-01-08T20:12:44Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] Ah, thanks for the correction. I didn’t realize that Kevin DuBrow got his inspiration elsewhere. However, now I’ve got a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that one of their former bass players, [Dave Glover](http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/west/update_5.html), was temporarily engaged to serial killer Rose West? At least according to the Crime Library. And yes, I know this is all terribly off the topic of ‘cum,’ but I thought others might find it interesting none-the-less. :o [/QUOTE] I was actually referring to the Hugh Grant movie. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/32 "2007-01-08T20:19:00Z")
Oh well then, color me an idiot. I’ll just take my goofy factoid and go play in a different thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/33 "2007-01-08T20:27:40Z")
…one good reason for the spelling may be that it just works better in epithets like _cumguzzler_, _cumbucket_, _cumrag_, &c. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/34 "2007-01-08T20:38:41Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] Probably the Krusty the Klown Konnotations. [/QUOTE] KKK? That isn’t good. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/35 "2007-01-08T20:44:26Z")
_Kumstain? Kumbucket? Kumguzzler?_ It don’t work, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/36 "2007-01-08T20:50:00Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Yeah, well, you’re hot. [/QUOTE] I am now. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/37 "2007-01-08T20:52:17Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] All I know is that I can’t read magna-cum-laude without giggling any more. [/QUOTE] Magna cum laude? Heh. Yo’ mamma cum laude! 😛😃 I’m so sorry ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/38 "2007-01-08T21:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] I was introduced to the term, with this spelling, in 1974 by a Franciscan priest at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, CA. The same priest told the class that ejaculate “splashing” against a woman’s cervix was an important benefit for the woman’s pleasure, so we should be mindful of this before doing anything so inconsiderate as use a condom. [/QUOTE] It would have been worth the beating to ask him about the comparative benefits of splashing on the face. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/39 "2007-01-08T21:32:18Z")
I don’t mind “cum” for orgasm, but there’s at least one poster in GQ who persists in writing OPs with titles like “Howcum this thing or that happens?” STOP IT! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184/40 "2007-01-08T21:52:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sierra Indigo] I don’t mind “cum” for orgasm, but there’s at least one poster in GQ who persists in writing OPs with titles like “Howcum this thing or that happens?” STOP IT! [/QUOTE] Oddly enough, there was an old strip in the funny pages, called _There Oughta Be a Law_, that made frequent use of the supposedly comical rhetorical convention, “Howcumzit”? As in, for instance, “Howcumzit? The ice cream factory makes a big deal about how their product is created in the most hygienic of conditions, untouched by human hands, but when it gets to the ice cream parlor, it’s scooped up by hairy-armed gorillas who don’t even wear gloves!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-f-did-cum-come-from/387184.md?page=3)