Nonsexual lickety-split

[Page Stephens]

Fifty or so years ago I knew that Confucius say: Boyfriend put head between
girlfriends thighs lickety split. Confucius also say: Women aviator who fly
upside down have crack up.

Confucius jokes were a little bit archaic even then, and I rarely hear them
any more.

Page Stephens

> [Original Message]
> From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Date: 9/8/2005 12:53:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Nonsexual lickety-split
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Nonsexual lickety-split
>
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>
> As an actual lexical item, sexual "lickety-split" is uncommon and, I'd
wager, almost entirely jocular. But it is obvious that a great many people
(particularly of the young male variety) find the word itself hilarious
because it can be "interpreted" as sexual.
>
> Earlier I mentioned Beavis and Butthead types in this regard.  The
"Beavis and Butthead" phenomenon has not been studied by linguists, as far
as I know. Example:
>
> 1.   _Maiden Aunt_ (oh, all right, _*Spinster* Aunt_) :  And he was gone,
lickety-split !
>
> _B or B_ : Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh.  She said :  "Lickety-split."
>
> The "B & B phenomenon" thus refers to the amused identification, aloud or
silently, of unintended scatology in the words of others.
>
> Here are two more exx. :
>
> 2.  _Ph.D_ :  Cortes was far less interested in establishing Spanish
dominion over Mexico than he was in acquiring gold and booty from the
Aztecs.
>
> _Large Lecture Hall of Undergraduates_ [_think_ ] :   Huh huh huh huh huh
huh huh huh. He said: "Booty."
>
> 3.  _Philosopher_ :  Politics makes strange bed fellows.
>
> _Foolosopher_ : Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh huh.  You said : "Bed
Fellows."
>
>
> JL
>
>
>
> David Bowie <db.list at PMPKN.NET> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: David Bowie
> Subject: Nonsexual lickety-split
>
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>
> I haven't really been following the discussion of lickety-split and its
> apparent avoidance by the mayor of New Orleans, due possibly to its
> sexual meaning (which i hadn't previously been aware of at all), but i
> just saw a non-sexual use of the term by another politician, as quoted
> in the Washington _Post_:
>
> Part of the inquiry will be allegations of price gouging, usually
> a staple of the Democratic Party, but one the Republicans must
> take up "in lickety-split time," said Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.).
> "Our constituents demand it."
>
> From an article titled "GOP agenda in Congress may be at risk:
> Katrina's costs, high fuel prices working against more tax cuts",
> appearing on page A2 of the _Post_'s Sunday, 4 September edition,
> available online at
>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301
065_pf.html
>
> It makes me wonder exactly how widespread the sexual meaning is.
>
> --
> David Bowie http://pmpkn.net/lx
> Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
> house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
> chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.
>
>
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