"my Ghossips cock", 1641?

[Wilson Gray]

So, is "Pistol's cock is up" and similar phrases the source of BrE
"cock-up," (roughly?) corresponding to AmE "fuck-up"?

-Wilson

On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 3:36 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
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>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>  Subject:      Re: "my Ghossips cock", 1641?
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>  At 2:26 PM -0400 4/23/08, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>  >What is the sense of "cock" in the following quotation (OED2, under
>  >gossip, n., 2.a?
>  >
>  >  1641 Brome Joviall Crew ii. (1652) D2b, He makes us even sick of
>  >his sadness, that were wont to see my Ghossips cock to day; mould
>  >Cocklebread; daunce clutterdepouch [etc.].
>  >
>  >
>  >(I note that OED2 has "penis" from 1614.)
>  >
>  >Joel
>
>  Rght, but remember: "pudoris causa, not admissible in polite speech
>  or literature".  In terms of antedating, we can push it back a bit
>  farther.  Farmer & Henley cite Henry V (1600), II.i, which I assume
>  is a reference to the pun in the following exchange.  (Note also
>  Pistol's illeism in the relevant passage.)
>
>  LH
>  =================
>
>  HOSTESS:
>  Good Corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up your sword.
>
>  NYM:
>  Will you shog off? I would have you solus.
>
>  PISTOL:
>  'Solus,' egregious dog? O viper vile!
>  The 'solus' in thy most mervailous face;
>  The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat,
>  And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy,
>  And, which is worse, within thy nasty mouth!
>  I do retort the 'solus' in thy bowels;
>  For I can take, and Pistol's cock is up,
>  And flashing fire will follow.
>
>
>
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