Girdle String --> G-string?

[Jonathan Lighter]

 I prefer the idea of a string resembling the printed small letter "g," with
its two loops (for the legs) joined at the middle.

Cf "t-shirt."

JL

On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 1:52 AM, Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Girdle String --> G-string?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Baker, John wrote:
> > ....
> > 1.  The early spellings are "geestring," "G-string," and "'G' string," =
> > with the first of these marginally earlier.
> >
> --
>
> Also styling variations, e.g., "gee-string", "gee string". There is also
> "jee string" (1900, 1901, G. Books).
>
> --
>
> > 2.  The "G string," the lowest string on a violin, is well-attested, but
> =
> > there is no specific evidence linking it to the item of apparel.
> >
> --
>
> I think that's right. There are also G strings on guitars, cellos,
> string basses, etc., I think.
>
> Of course there is/was also "gee string" = "string for steering to the
> right" (applied to horses and to dog teams, at G. Books, IIRC). Again no
> evidence of any connection AFAIK.
>
> --
> > 3.  "Girdle string," with the same or nearly same meaning, is also =
> > found, but not with any great frequency.  FWIW, the examples of "girdle =
> > string" generally apply to Old World peoples, while the earliest uses of
> =
> > "G-string" apply to American Indians (but see the Filipino example cited
> =
> > by Victor).
> > =20
> > 4.  Nineteenth century writers do not seem to be shy about using =
> > "girdle," as far as I can tell, so there is no reason to suppose that =
> > modesty would require a contraction of "girdle string" to "G-string."  =
> > Modesty would have been a reason to avoid "groin string," but if that is
> =
> > the full form, taboo avoidance was so successful that it is not found at
> =
> > all.
> --
>
> There is also the theoretical possibility of "genital string", a
> candidate for universal taboo-avoidance. This term is in fact equated to
> "G-string" (I think in the non-stripper-related sense, I think New
> Guinea context) in one late-20th-century item at G. Books. This item
> does not have any particular relevance to the word-origin question at
> hand IMHO.
>
> Note that the term "G string" in some cases appears to refer to the
> waist-band, in other cases to the front-and-back cloth strip, in other
> cases to the whole assemblage.
>
> Incidentally, another Spanish equivalent is the Mexicanism "sapeta"
> (which is very difficult to find in Spanish dictionaries!).
>
> -- Doug Wilson
>
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