"Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749

[Laurence Horn]

>Perhaps "C-n-ss" means "Countess"--so represented to allow
>for a pun on "cunt" (and perhaps "ass" too, if "ass" had
>acquired the appropriate signification by 1749)?
>
>--Charlie

I was thinking "countess" too--not so much for the ineffability of
the lexical item or any clever puns but because it would have in
theory given away too much identifying information on the putative
ploughee.  Of course all this would have been tongue in cheek, since
if we're right it would be obvious to a reader at the time what the
missing letters were.

LH

>
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:50:41 -0500
>>From: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>>Subject: Re: "Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>
>>>  "We are informed that a certain Foreign . . . who makes a
>>>  very splendid Figure amongst us, has already lern'd to
>pursue
>>>  the old English Maxim of ploughing with the favorite
>Heifer,
>>>  which he thoroughly understands in the metaphorical Sense;
>>>  and that a certain Naturaliz'd C-n-ss, in Conformity to
>this
>>>  Maxim, was lately entertain'd by him with great Splendour
>and
>>>  Expense."
>>>
>>>
>
>>
>>And what is "C-n-ss"?  Surely not coonass?
>>
>
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org