Antedating of "Suck"

[victor steinbok]

I must admit that my initial suggestion (butt-hole) was rather
spurious (and somewhat sarcastic). It was certainly not based on any
lexicographic evidence, just an impulsive reaction to a puzzling
appearance. The second ("bum-hole") was more introspective and
required a consideration of circumstance, but also lacked actual
evidence.

VS-)

On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 7:34 PM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> "Bunghole" and "bumhole" are both good candidates for this 1772 usage. From OED:
>
> bung-hole (under "bum" (n.1), in sense 6):
> transf.  the anus (obs.);
> 1611 COTGR., Cul de cheval, a small and ouglie fish, or excrescence of
> the Sea, resembling a mans bung-hole, and called the red Nettle [= Sea
> Anemone].
>
> bum-hole:
> slang (chiefly Brit.).
> ARSEHOLE n. (in various senses). In early use: spec. the anus; = ARSEHOLE n. 1.
> 1611 J. FLORIO Queen Anna's New World of Words at Trullo, A trill or bum-hole.
> 1665 J. PHILLIPS tr. P. Scarron Typhon i. 5 Ran as swift from Pole to
> Pole, As if h'd had at his bum-hole The God of Fire.
>
> Victor's other suggestion, "butt-hole", doesn't look as likely. There
> are 14 headword entries for "butt", but the only mention of this
> combination is far off:
>
> butt (n.3)
> 6. Comb[ination]: .... butt-hole, a blind hole, a cul-de-sac
>
> For the root sense, ibid.
> 3. A buttock. Chiefly dial. and colloq. in U.S.
> with the only British quotations (1450-1601) referring to cuts of meat.
>
> m a m
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 6:19 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm guessing "bunghole", a hole drilled into a barrel, and corked with a
>> bung.
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 6:23 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Â I was puzzled by this when it first appeared, but didn't think it
>> worthy of note, at the time. The only thing that came to mind, under the
>> circumstances, is "butthole" or "bumhole". "Backside" hard deserves such
>> drastic circumvention.
>
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>

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