"taint", anatomical

[Jonathan Lighter]

I don't know of any evidence for a different etymology, but - as we all
know - so what? While this one is plausible, it sounds almost too ingenious.

Of course, there can always be that implausible flash of inspiration.

JL

On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 2:53 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "taint", anatomical
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I know that the T-containing HDAS volume isn't out, and that the
> application of the term is indeed unisex (like a bottom, we've all got
> 'em), but it has occurred to me to wonder whether the standardly assumed
> etymology is correct ("'taint the one, 'taint t'other", more or less), and
> if so whether that might imply a deliberate coinage.  Unlike "scofflaw",
> it's seems unlikely that "taint" was the winner of a lexical competition
> ("Name That Body-part").  Is it just that "taint" is both intentionally
> homonymic and easier to pronounce than, say, "twixt" and less
> Latin-sounding (and less likely to be in the OED) than "perineum" (= 'The
> part of the body between the anus and the scrotum or vulva, either at the
> surface of the skin or including the internal tissue immediately below
> this')?
>
> LH
>
> On Apr 11, 2012, at 2:27 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> > It can apply to either sex. Most HDAS exx. are feminine.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 2:26 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
> >
> >> The HDAS files have this from California, 1970.
> >>
> >> JL
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 2:10 PM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>> -----------------------
> >>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>> Poster:       Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
> >>> Subject:      "taint", anatomical
> >>>
> >>>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>
> >>> From a friend's blog, part of a dream. I will give the link if the blog
> >>> owner permits it.
> >>>
> >>> I looked across the street and saw two women (African-American, as I
> >>>> recall) being harassed by a white man who wasn't larger than them, but
> >>> who
> >>>> was being nasty and abusive. They cringed and tried to ignore him, but
> >>> he
> >>>> got more and more obnoxious. My blood boiled with anger on their
> behalf.
> >>>>
> >>>> Suddenly, I found myself yelling, "KICK HIM IN THE TAINT!" There was
> >>>> shocked silence for a moment, but then all the women around me started
> >>>> yelling it, too. Our corner was swiftly filled with women chanting,
> >>> "KICK
> >>>> HIM IN THE TAINT! KICK HIM IN THE TAINT! KICK HIM IN THE TAINT!" at
> the
> >>> top
> >>>> of our lungs. Thus encouraged, the women across the street began
> kicking
> >>>> this shit out of this guy, who richly deserved it.
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> My comment:
> >>>
> >>> Does "taint" mean what I think it does? Is this usage common?
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Some pertinent replies:
> >>>
> >>>  - "Taint" is the space between the balls & the asshole. T'aint balls,
> >>>  t'aint asshole.
> >>>  And yes, it's pretty common.
> >>>  - I still remember the first time I encountered the term. A woman I
> was
> >>>  dating mentioned it as part of an overall rant about her ex's hygiene.
> >>> It
> >>>  was a very colorful, creative and somewhat nauseating monologue.
> >>>  - is *that* where the word came from? I had no idea. Also never heard
> it
> >>>  used to mean this until about a year ago.
> >>>
> >>> Mark Mandel
> >>>
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> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
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