Whatever floats your boat (1981)

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>FLOATS YOUR BOAT--37,400 Google hits, 43,700 Google Groups hits
>
>Can it be that this is not in the Historical Dictionary of American Slang

Yes, since headwords beginning in "W" aren't in the volumes published so far.

>and not in the Cassell Dictionary of Slang?

No. It's there, with a "1980's" date.

"Whatever turns you on" -- which I believe was the model and which is/was
usually exactly synonymous (I think) -- dates from 1970 by N'archive and
has "1970's" in the Cassell book.

Aside from the rhyme, why did the boat-floating version appear at all? Is
it 'euphemistic' (since "turns you on" appears to be related to drugs
and/or sex)? Is there some reference which I've missed?

-- Doug Wilson