Skanks (& sluts)

[sagehen]

>At 11:30 AM -0500 2/21/03, sagehen wrote:
>>  >>A slut is a girl you don't take home to mom.
>>
>>An older definition of slut was that of a woman of slovenly habits, not
>>necessarily involving sexual promiscuity.  An old neighbor of ours (b.
>>before WWI) who was, himself a thief, given to violence and drunkenness,
>>nevertheless had very high standards of housekeeping & general cleanliness.
>>He once, in my hearing, defined as a "slut" any woman who didn't keep her
>>skillet as clean as his.
>>A. Murie
>
>cf. _slattern_, for which the OED gives:
>
>A woman or girl untidy and slovenly in person, habits, or surroundings; a
>slut.
> while for _slut_ it has
> 1. a. A woman of dirty, slovenly, or untidy habits or appearance; a
>foul slattern.
>
>The two words do not, however, seem to be etymologically related.
> larry
~~~~~~~
Circular definitions are such fun.   A slattern is a slut, while a slut is
a "foul slattern"!
AM