"my Ghossips cock", 1641?

[Jonathan Lighter]

Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:
  "(And makes them both instances of fowl language.)"

  Could it be...Poulterergeists?

  JL

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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Laurence Horn
Subject: Re: "my Ghossips cock", 1641?
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At 8:50 PM -0400 4/23/08, Wilson Gray wrote:
>So, is "Pistol's cock is up" and similar phrases the source of BrE
>"cock-up," (roughly?) corresponding to AmE "fuck-up"?
>
>-Wilson

Doesn't look like it, given the OED's info--"cock(-)up" as particle
verb or nominal comes from the verb "cock", which in turn comes from
the fowl. Of course, "cock" 'penis' itself may come from the same
critter (paralleling the development of Ger. _hahn_), which makes the
two cock- formations cousins. (And makes them both instances of
fowl language.)

LH

>
>On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 3:36 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society
>> Poster: Laurence Horn
>> Subject: Re: "my Ghossips cock", 1641?
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> At 2:26 PM -0400 4/23/08, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>> >What is the sense of "cock" in the following quotation (OED2, under
>> >gossip, n., 2.a?
>> >
>> > 1641 Brome Joviall Crew ii. (1652) D2b, He makes us even sick of
>> >his sadness, that were wont to see my Ghossips cock to day; mould
>> >Cocklebread; daunce clutterdepouch [etc.].
>> >
>> >
>> >(I note that OED2 has "penis" from 1614.)
>> >
>> >Joel
>>
>> Rght, but remember: "pudoris causa, not admissible in polite speech
>> or literature". In terms of antedating, we can push it back a bit
>> farther. Farmer & Henley cite Henry V (1600), II.i, which I assume
>> is a reference to the pun in the following exchange. (Note also
>> Pistol's illeism in the relevant passage.)
>>
>> LH
>> =================
>>
>> HOSTESS:
>> Good Corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up your sword.
>>
>> NYM:
>> Will you shog off? I would have you solus.
>>
>> PISTOL:
>> 'Solus,' egregious dog? O viper vile!
>> The 'solus' in thy most mervailous face;
>> The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat,
>> And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy,
>> And, which is worse, within thy nasty mouth!
>> I do retort the 'solus' in thy bowels;
>> For I can take, and Pistol's cock is up,
>> And flashing fire will follow.
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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> -Sam'l Clemens
>
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