well-endowed

[Roger Shuy]

on 5/26/05 5:26 AM, Dennis R. Preston at preston at MSU.EDU wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: well-endowed
>
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> A student asked me the other day when the phrase=20
> "well-endowed" took on its current anatomical=20
> meaning and began referring only occasionally to=20
> gifts providing abundant financial resources. Of=20
> course, I did not know.
> One on-line dictionary shows the financial sense=20
> has indeed slipped to third place (below, and=20
> this is also the line-up in the AHD). Another had=20
> only the reference to female anatomy and no=20
> mention of males or money.
>
> well-en=B7dowed (wln-doud)
> adj.
> 1.  Having large breasts.
> 2.  Having large genitals. Used of a male.
> 3.  Having a large endowment or amount of money.
>
> dInIs
> --
> Dennis R. Preston
> University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
> Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
> A-740 Wells Hall
> Michigan State University
> East Lansing, MI 48824
> Phone: (517) 432-3099
> =46ax: (517) 432-2736
> preston at msu.edu
>
A brief google search turns up 250 instances of "well endowed universities,"
those on the ball and that keep abreast of the times.

Roger Shuy