Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

A lady (and I use the word in its best sense) I used to work with once
told me she "had to go see a man about a mule".  It took a while for me
to figure out that she went to the bathroom.


>
> What! Wilson surely you go back to "powder my nose" (if not
> "straighten the seams on my stockings").
>
> dInIs
>
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: Whiz
> >-------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
> >--------
> >
> >I once heard a woman say, "take a dump." It sounded gross.
> >Fortunately, I've not had the displeasure of hearing a woman
> use any of
> >the other forms. That may seem a little prissy, but, once
> upon a time,
> >even hearing a woman say, "I have to go to the bathroom,"
> >grossed me out. The only proper usage for women for me, at one time,
> >was, "Excuse me."
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >
> >On 9/26/07, Charles Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> >>  Subject:      Re: Whiz
> >>
> >>------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
> >>---------
> >>
> >>  OK, a person (at least a male; do the same expressions commonly
> >>refer to female activities of the corresponding sort?) can
> "take a X";
> >>X can be "whiz" or "leak" or "piss" or "pee" or "shit" or "dump" or
> >>"dooky" or possibly other eliminations of a nether sort--but NOT
> >>*"turd" or *"urine."
> >>
> >>  The object of "take" designates an action (an act of X-ing), not
> >>just the substance deposited. Even though the permissible X's are
> >>clearly nouns (preceded by the definite article), the allowable X
> >>words can, in other environments, function as verbs, whereas "turd"
> >>and "urine" can't.
> >>
> >>  There must be exceptions or outright contradictions to
> this little
> >>hypothesis!
> >>
> >>  And then there are upper-body eliminations: We can't
> *"take a spit"
> >>or *"take a vomit." In our expressions, "take" seems to imply
> >>premeditation, deliberation, perhaps even a certain formality.
> >>
> >>  --Charlie
> >>  _____________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> >--
> >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange
> complaint to
> >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >-----
> >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
> --
> Dennis R. Preston
> University Distinguished Professor
> Department of English
> Morrill Hall 15-C
> Michigan State University
> East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org