I Love Little Pussy

[Baker, John]

        Well, we have cats, and we sometimes refer to them as pussy-cats.  I'll agree that standalone pussy seems no longer to be in common use.  However, that is even more true of standalone puss, as to which I think there is no taboo avoidance.

        Google Ngram Viewer indicates that "pussy cat" is still more common than "kitty cat."  This may be affected by metaphorical use ("He's just a big pussy-cat").


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 6:01 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: I Love Little Pussy

None of the "valid" cases cited above is used without an intended pun.

Perhaps I should have added the phrase, "without intending a pun."

"Pussy" and "pussycat" as innocently affectionate terms for cats are on the
way out and have been for decades, though "pussycat," being more explicit
(in the older sense) is probably "hanging in there" a little better.

Go ahead. Ask a vet.


JL

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