strong like ball

[Jonathan Lighter]

Citing a 1935 source, Mencken reported the following year that "guts" was one of the words forbidden from use in motion pictures.

According to E. R. Hunter & B. E. Gaines,"Verbal Taboo in a College Community" (AS 1938, pp. 96-107), a survey of nearly 400 students and faculty at "a coeducational college in East Tennessee" in 1936-37 revealed that the use of "guts" was frequently avoided - along with "bastard," "bitch," "belly," "sex," "stink" and "whore," and several others.  Words deemed highly offensive today were apparently impossible to ask about.

JL

Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: strong like ball
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On Mar 1, 2005, at 7:37 PM, Gordon, Matthew J. wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: "Gordon, Matthew J."
> Subject: strong like ball
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> I heard a new-to-me phrase on the radio: "testicular fortitude" which
> I took to be a form of "intestinal fortitude" gone south. The context
> was a local sports program discussing a particular coach. As expected,
> Google show 11k hits for it (cf. 63k for "intestinal fortitude").
>
> While I'm at it, I'd always thought of "intestinal fortitude" as a
> humorously formal alternative to "guts."

FWIW, I've always thought the same.

> Does the evidence suggest it arose as a deliberately funny coinage?

I have no idea, but I've always assumed that to be the case from the
time that I first recall hearing it, ca. 1945-50.

> I see OED has a 1945 citation from Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy.
>
> Also, was "guts" seen as vulgar or coarse at some time?

AFAIK, no.

-Wilson Gray

> Today it seems mostly just informal.
>
> -Matt Gordon
>

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