[Ads-l] "uterus" an indecorous word? ("slut" in the news)

Thu Sep 27 02:11:45 UTC 2018

What if he'd chosen a four-letter, Anglo-Saxon term, instead of "uterus"?
I.e. _womb_, as in,

"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb: Jesus."

On Wed, Sep 26, 2018 at 9:43 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The "No means yes!" chant associated with Judge Kavanaugh's frat was
> uttered today on MSNBC in full.
>
> JL
>
> On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 3:55 PM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "uterus" an indecorous word? ("slut" in the news)
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Is what you're referring to found in the notes of p297 of this version?
> >
> > https://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/13107fcc3f22abd5
> >
> > DanG
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 11:52 AM, George Thompson <
> george.thompson at nyu.edu
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> > > Subject:      Re: "uterus" an indecorous word? ("slut" in the news)
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > The manual I'm thinking of is A Treatise upon the law, Privileges,
> > > Proceedings and Usage of Parliament, by Thomas Erskine May, who
> > flourished
> > > in the mid-19th C.  There is an edition digitized by Google Books,
> which
> > > seems not to contain the list of unparliamentary expressions I
> remember,
> > as
> > > best I can tell from the Index, and searching the text doesn't show
> > either
> > > "impudent" or "young pup".
> > > At one time I was the foremost expert at my library on using the
> records
> > or
> > > Parliament, a talent little utilized by the patrons and still less
> > > appreciated by the administration.  I attained this status by looking
> at
> > > Erskine May's Treatise, and some other guides.  I'm a bit disturbed by
> > the
> > > Google result, but such a list of expressions ruled out-or-order
> exists,
> > > and
> > > I still say that it was in the edition of Erskine May that was current
> in
> > > the late 1970s, and that one of the banned expressions was "impudent
> > young
> > > pup"..
> > >
> > > There seem to be no Parliamentarians in the mid-Hudson River Valley;
> SUNY
> > > New Paltz doesn't have the book, and Vassar only has an edition from
> the
> > > mid
> > > 1920s.  This will have to wait until I get to my old library again, but
> > > since my recollection of this list is now floating about the internet,
> I
> > > need to verify it.  (Vassar thinks that ERskine May's last name is only
> > > May)
> > >
> > > Stay tuned.
> > >
> > > GAT
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 1:26 PM, George Thompson <
> george.thompson at nyu.edu
> > > >wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > The manual of parliamentary procedure used by the English Parliament
> > has
> > > or
> > > > had a half page of utterances that had been held to be undecorous,
> > > offensive
> > > > or just plain unparliamentary.  If any parliamentarians have said
> > > "uterus",
> > > > they got away with it.  The expressions I recall included "impudent
> > young
> > > > pup" and "elected by the refuse of a large constituency".
> > > >
> > > > The compiler of this manual was Erskine May (double last name).  Last
> > > > looked at it no doubt 20 years ago, so maybe some choice things have
> > been
> > > > added to recent editions.
> > > >
> > > > GAT
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 12:19 AM, Geoffrey Nunberg <
> > > > nunberg at ischool.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> File under "O Florida, Venereal Soil": The skittishness about saying
> > > >> "slut" put me in mind of a story out of Florida a couple of months
> > ago:
> > > >>
> > > >> Democrat chastised for saying 'uterus' on House floor
> > > >>
> > > >> ...At one point Randolph suggested that his wife "incorporate her
> > > uterus"
> > > >> to stop Republicans from pushing measures that would restrict
> > abortions.
> > > ...
> > > >>
> > > >> Apparently the GOP leadership of the House didn't like the
> one-liner.
> > > They
> > > >> told Democrats that Randolph is not to discuss body parts on the
> House
> > > >> floor...
> > > >>
> > > >> House GOP spokeswoman Katie Betta: "The Speaker has been clear about
> > his
> > > >> expectations for conduct on the House for during debate. At one
> point
> > > during
> > > >> the debate, he mentioned to the entire House that members of both
> > > parties
> > > >> needed to be mindful of decorum during debate.
> > > >>
> > > >> "Additionally, the Speaker believes it is important for all Members
> to
> > > be
> > > >> mindful of and respectful to visitors and guests, particularly the
> > young
> > > >> pages and messengers who are seated in the chamber during debates.
> In
> > > the
> > > >> past, if the debate is going to contain language that would be
> > > considered
> > > >> inappropriate for children and other guests, the Speaker will make
> an
> > > >> announcement in advance, asking children and others who may be
> > > uncomfortable
> > > >> with the subject matter to leave the floor and gallery."
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/democrat-chastised-saying-uterus-house-floor
> > > >>
> > > >> see also:
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/06/2154351/from-the-florida-house-to-national.html
> > > >> Geoff
> > > >>
> > > >> > July 3:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Tot-mom attorney Jose Baez claimed in his closing argument that
> his
> > > >> client
> > > >> > was being defamed as a "lying, no-good slut."  Later, the Headline
> > > News
> > > >> team
> > > >> > expressed amazement that producers had not bleeped the word. Jane
> > > >> > Velez-Mitchell said she'd sought guidance about whether she could
> > > repeat
> > > >> it
> > > >> > on the air.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > In my day, though "slut" was obviously insulting (and thus
> > > "offensive"),
> > > >> it
> > > >> > was not usually thought to be indecent.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > JL
> > > >> > II
> > > >> > Today
> > > >> >
> > > >> > On CNN this morning Kirin Chetry quoted Jose Baez's use of the
> word
> > > >> "slut."
> > > >> > She felt, however, that she had to spell it out rather utter it.
> She
> > > >> > apologized for using the word, saying that she was only quoting
> > > someone
> > > >> > else, and that she took the precaution of spelling rather than
> > saying
> > > >> "just
> > > >> > in case any children might be listening."
> > > >> >
> > > >> > JL
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > George A. Thompson
> > > > Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre",
> Northwestern
> > > > Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much since then.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > George A. Thompson
> > > Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> > > Univ.
> > > Pr., 1998, but nothing much since then.
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

-- 
-Wilson
-----
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