more from Language Log

[Jonathan Lighter]

Back in 1974 a fellow graduate student reported the phrase, "She's so ugly I
wouldn't take her to a buzzard fuck."  He said he'd heard it in 1971.

It's buried in HDAS 1 under "buzzard."  I didn't think "buzzard fuck" was
common enough to deserve its own entry.

Google reveals a good number of raw hits, however, incl.:

"I have been to 3 Rodeo's, 2 county fairs and a Buzzard fuck and I have
never seen anything like this."

"you couldnt take him to a 'buzzard fuck'"

Etc.

The scholars at UrbanDictionary even adduce a fig. sense:

"A whole lot of flapping, but nothing being accomplished...This term is best
used to describe a futile situation where apparent efforts are being made
with no clear results."

That's one sense of "rat-fuck" as well.  (I wonder if "rat race" owes
anything to it? Naaaaah. OTOH....)

Like the man said, "Vox Populi, Vox Dei."

JL


On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 10:52 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: more from Language Log
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> UrbanDictionary has more than a page of comments on "rat fuck," but not
> Bill's sense.  Kids today!
>
> JL
>
> On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 10:20 AM, Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at bellsouth.net
> >wrote:
>
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> > Poster:       Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: more from Language Log
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I first heard "ratfuck" in the very early 1960's from guys from Oregon I
> > met
> > in Navy Officer Candidate School.  They defined it as sort of a
> spontaneous
> > good time..an unscheduled party, for example.  No negative connotations.
> >
> > Bill P
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Charles C Doyle" <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> > To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 9:26 AM
> > Subject: Re: more from Language Log
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> > > Poster:       Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
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> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Mark, your consistency is to be admired!
> > >
> > > --Charlie
> > >
> > > ________________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of
> > Mark
> > > Mandel [thnidu at GMAIL.COM]
> > > Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 8:26 AM
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I have consistenly used "rat fuck!" as an expletive of extreme
> irritation
> > > since, I believe, the middle 1960s.
> > >
> > > m a m
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