"Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749

[Joel S. Berson]

Perhaps the representation was to allow this interpretation--such
ribaldry was not uncommon.  But perhaps unlikely in a struggling
provincial paper of the time.  Cranfield (my source for this and the
phrase itself; "The Development of the Provincial Newspoaper,
1700-1760) writes that there were serious fears of libel suits, as
well as cases lost by printers.

Joel

At 6/6/2006 02:11 PM, you wrote:
>Perhaps "C-n-ss" means "Countess"--so represented to allow
>for a pun on "cunt" (and perhaps "ass" too, if "ass" had
>acquired the appropriate signification by 1749)?
>
>--Charlie
>
>
>
>---- Original message ----
> >Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 12:50:41 -0500
> >From: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> >Subject: Re: "Plough with the favorite heifer", 1749
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >
> >> "We are informed that a certain Foreign . . . who makes a
> >> very splendid Figure amongst us, has already lern'd to
>pursue
> >> the old English Maxim of ploughing with the favorite
>Heifer,
> >> which he thoroughly understands in the metaphorical Sense;
> >> and that a certain Naturaliz'd C-n-ss, in Conformity to
>this
> >> Maxim, was lately entertain'd by him with great Splendour
>and
> >> Expense."
> >>
> >>
>
> >
> >And what is "C-n-ss"?  Surely not coonass?
> >
>
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org