Theriomorphism in a Los Angeles Gay Community

[Dan Goncharoff]

I always thought "twink" was short hand for young couples with lots of
disposable income: TWo Incomes No Kid, a variant of "dink" (dual income...).

I have also seen "twinky" (... no kids yet).

DanG

On 2/12/2010 9:28 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter<wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Theriomorphism in a Los Angeles Gay Community
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Tuesday's _Millionaire Matchmaker_ (Bravo), Patti branched out to include
> gay millionaires.  A  twentysomething interviewee explained that potential
> partners are designated according to the following _schema_:
>
> Bears: lots of body hair
> Cubs: younger or smaller than bears, less hairy
> Otters: mustache
> Twinks: young, innocent, none of the above
>
> HDAS files have _twink_ from 1962. (But astoundingly a lone British source
> from 1874/75 where it means literally and simply "a child.")
>
> FWIW, GB provides this from 1946 (allegedly):
>
> Starkle, starkle little twink,
> Who the hell you are I think.
> I'm not under the alcofulence [sic] of incohol.
> I'm not as drunk as some thinkle peep I am
> And besides, I've only had tea martoonies,
> And anyway, I've all day sober to Sunday up in.
>
> Variants can be found for a number of years following, esp., it seems, as a
> filler in industrial publications.
>
> JL
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>

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