# Whore bath? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632 "2002-12-05T04:18:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/1 "2002-12-05T04:18:58Z")
Many moons ago I heard this phrase. Apparently, if one washes one’s upper torso while standing at a sink, one is taking a “whore bath”. I can understand the meaning. Has anyone else heard this phrase? Any ideas as to it’s first usage? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/2 "2002-12-05T04:25:27Z")
I’ve heard it before, and it was explained that it’s the only type of bath for which a prostitute might have time between clients. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/3 "2002-12-05T04:59:22Z")
The first time I “heard” it I actually read it, in a novel. I forget the title and author, but it was about some people putting on a passion play in Texas somewhere. I took it for Texas slang, but of course I’m probably wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/4 "2002-12-05T05:16:59Z")
Mike Myers uses it (the phrase, not the bath) in the first Austin Powers movie. ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/5 "2002-12-05T05:29:58Z")
My understanding is that it is washing the undercarriage (and perhaps the underarms) with a washcloth at the sink- cleans the stinky parts without too much fuss. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/6 "2002-12-05T05:33:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > **Many moons ago I heard this phrase. Apparently, if one washes one’s upper torso while standing at a sink, one is taking a “whore bath”.** Not the **upper** torso, exactly – at least according to this source (my quick Google search failed to turn up an authoritative etymology): [http://www.hairytongue.com/glossary/atoz.php3?letter=W](http://www.hairytongue.com/glossary/atoz.php3?letter=W) ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/7 "2002-12-05T08:35:27Z")
I use the phrase whore bath all the time 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/8 "2002-12-05T14:43:52Z")
I grew up in an era when Polish jokes were all the rage. There is probably a thread about the reasons for this somewhere in the SDMB archives. Anyway, when growing up, this practice was always referred to as a “Polish Shower”. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/9 "2002-12-05T15:05:32Z")
My mother-in-law, a very proper lady, surprised me one day when she called this a “PTA bath.” PTA = Pussy, Tits, Armpits. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/10 "2002-12-05T18:24:08Z")
My understanding of the term has always been that it was a dousing in perfume or cologne rather than anything to do with soap and water. YMMV. Bob ---
**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:** [December 5, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/11 "2002-12-05T18:36:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by urban1z \* > \*\*My understanding of the term has always been that it was a dousing in perfume or cologne rather than anything to do with soap and water. > > YMMV. > > Bob \*\* Please don’t use that acronym following a sentence such as that. It’s too easy to read as YUMMY. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/12 "2002-12-05T20:51:40Z")
Dousing with perfume or cologne is known as a Puerto Rican shower where I’m from ( NJ ). ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/13 "2002-12-05T20:56:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Many moons ago I heard this phrase. Apparently, if one washes one’s upper torso while standing at a sink, one is taking a “whore bath”. I can understand the meaning. > > Has anyone else heard this phrase? Any ideas as to it’s first usage? \*\* I’ve also heard it more delicately referred to as a “birdbath.” ---
**Author:** ![CasperQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@CasperQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CasperQ)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/14 "2002-12-05T23:23:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiff \* > \*\*My mother-in-law, a very proper lady, surprised me one day when she called this a “PTA bath.” > > PTA = Pussy, Tits, Armpits. \*\* If I didn’t know I wasn’t married - I’d have to wonder if you meant MY mom! She (very stiffly proper) said this one day too. Must be something taught in those Catholic schools… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/15 "2002-12-06T01:17:26Z")
We used to call Speed Stick and Drakkar Noir an Italian shower! ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/16 "2002-12-06T01:19:30Z")
This was called a “spit bath” in my family, but I was raised in an Anabaptist sect, so certain types of ladies and language were not part of our vocabulary. Oh…how far I’ve come. Grin. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/17 "2002-12-06T03:34:26Z")
Perfume-dousing is called the “Spanish bath” in my country. This is funny, everybody thinks somebody else stinks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/18 "2002-12-06T06:50:39Z")
The whole perfume-or-cologne-instead-of-bathing trick is referred to around here (Maryland) as either a “Italian Shower”, or, more racially toned, “Boofer Bath”. “Boofer” is a derogatory term for African-American. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/19 "2002-12-06T14:33:18Z")
Where I grew up, peeing into the wind was caled a Polish Shower. As for the OP, I’ve heard/read the phrase so many times, I wonder if it isn’t from very long ago. Maybe as old as the word “whore” itself. ---
**Author:** ![IMDWalrus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@IMDWalrus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IMDWalrus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-bath/140632/20 "2002-12-06T23:34:53Z")
Polish shower defined as peeing into the wind!!?? Hysterical, and I’m a Warsaw Warrior.