Ameliorated words of offensive origin

[Baker, John]

        With some words (especially in the sexual and excretory arenas)
there seems to be a pattern of relatively inoffensive words being demonized,
while the older terms become antiques and thus lose their offensive power.
There's a famous example from 1655, included in the OED under Prick:  "The
Frenchmen call this Fish the Ass's Prick, and Dr. Wotton termeth it grosly
the Pintlefish."  These days prick has become more offensive, while pintle
is probably the least offensive term for penis.  In fact, I believe there
was a company a few years ago that sold objects made from the penes of
slaughtered bulls and chose the word pintle as the most acceptable way to
market their somewhat eccentric products.

John Baker