Butthole tree

[Eric Nielsen]

Yes, but as Jonathan Lighter noted earlier:

"...The single exception is from the
journal _Veneers and Plywood_ (apparently 1952), which refers casually to a
hole in a tree trunk as a "butt hole."

A butthole in a tree would later be a concern to those who fashion wood
because they would have to work around it. It sounds like some craftsman
slang to me as in, "Oh no, another butthole, here".

Eric
On Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 1:31 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: Butthole tree
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Apr 25, 2012, at 12:37 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>
> > At 4/25/2012 12:03 AM, Eric Nielsen wrote:
> >> Several images of a butthole tree:
> >>=20
> >> =
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&q=3Dbutthole%20tree&gbv=3D2&safe=3Don=
> &um=3D1&ie=3DUTF-8&tbm=3Disch&source=3Dog&sa=3DN&tab=3Dwi<http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&q=3Dbutthole%20tree&gbv=3D2&safe=3Don=&um=3D1&ie=3DUTF-8&tbm=3Disch&source=3Dog&sa=3DN&tab=3Dwi>
> >=20
> > =46rom the first page or two of these images, disregarding those that
> > seem to have no relevance I think a butthole tree is simply a tree
> > that has a burl that looks like a butt ("anus").
> >=20
> > Joel
> >=20
>
> Indeed.  Compare, for example, this photo
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/uglyhat/14921479/
> with this one
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonwhis/1251897389/
>
> Looks like free variation to me.
>
> LH
>
> >=20
> >> Not sure why this person connected a butthole tree with something
> >> disagreeable and made a video with this title, but...
> >>=20
> >> http://www.babygorilla.com/warehouse/art/buttholetree/butthole.html
> >>=20
> >> Maybe (tree) buttholes are a pain in the ass to deal with at the
> >> sawmill because they spoil a section of the wood.
> >>=20
> >> Eric
> >>=20
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >=20
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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