# Which profession was the male equivalent of prostitution. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-profession-was-the-male-equivalent-of-prostitution/652096 "2013-03-05T16:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-profession-was-the-male-equivalent-of-prostitution/652096/61 "2013-06-17T08:12:56Z")
That’s not quite the same thing. It’s saying soldiers were drawn from the “scum” of society, but is actually contrasting that with what becomes of them as soldiers. It doesn’t quite support the statement that soldiers and/or the British Army were known as the scum of the earth. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-profession-was-the-male-equivalent-of-prostitution/652096/62 "2013-06-17T11:14:53Z")
It implies that they were selected from the lower order, the mot desperate. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-profession-was-the-male-equivalent-of-prostitution/652096/63 "2013-06-17T12:57:49Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Another profession I just thought off is traveling minstrel. I still think “garbage picker” would rank below that. Unless you’re suggesting that the music business is filled with rejects from the dumpster-diving profession. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-profession-was-the-male-equivalent-of-prostitution/652096.md?page=3)