Random Thoughts XIV: Pizza, Pomegranate Juice, and Shreddies

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I've always assumed that they're called that because you wear them above the bottom, with whether you face them forwards or backwards depending on how security-conscious you are.

I have no idea why we have diametrically opposed names for the lower anatomy, though.
 
fanny

"buttocks," 1920, American English, from earlier British meaning "vulva" (1879), perhaps from the name of John Cleland's heroine in the scandalous novel "Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" (1748). The fem. proper name is a diminutive of Frances. The genital sense is still the primary one outside U.S., but is not current in American English, a difference which can have consequences when U.S. TV programs and movies air in Britain.
 
Lots of changes can be put down to American prudery, such as titbit/tidbit and cockerel/rooster, but yeah if it's a British Victorian term, it likely wouldn't have been used in the US at the time.
 
totally possible to write an offensive post about the Frontier and the West , if the Mountainmen period is too early .
 
Lots of changes can be put down to American prudery, such as titbit/tidbit and cockerel/rooster, but yeah if it's a British Victorian term, it likely wouldn't have been used in the US at the time.
The phrase "American English, from earlier British" means it derives from the British term, so the British term must have existed there in the Victorian era or just after.
 
Ah, right, yes. That might actually be a straight example of the change then.
 
Yes, but only ladies.
fanny

"buttocks," 1920, American English, from earlier British meaning "vulva" (1879), perhaps from the name of John Cleland's heroine in the scandalous novel "Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" (1748). The fem. proper name is a diminutive of Frances. The genital sense is still the primary one outside U.S., but is not current in American English, a difference which can have consequences when U.S. TV programs and movies air in Britain.
This is literally the first time in my life I've encountered this particular difference in American & UK language.

EDIT: Years ago, I noted to a French friend that the name Fanny Ardant was kind of funny to a native English speaker. And I wasn't even aware of this other variant.

Followup musings:

1. Why would anyone wear a fannypack in the back, above the buttocks? What are the benefits of doing this? Does it look cooler?
My first thought is that people who ride bikes a lot might (a) use a fanny-pack for carrying what you'd normally just keep in your pants pockets, and if you didn't want to wear a whole backpack, and (b) sling it around to the back.

EDIT: A quick Googling shows that bicyclists call them "hip packs" or "hip bags" now.
 
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Look up "Fanny Adams" on Wikipedia if you fancy reading about yet another use of fanny in (historical) popular culture.
 
A long, but interesting read, to get to the related part. :thumbsup:
 
Was "Fanny" a common first name before it began to mean a lady's front parts?
In the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Little John's wife's name is Fanny. A quick Google mentions it as a diminutive of several other names, including Frances and Stephanie.
 
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I just replied to this (and upvoted it- don't care if it was trolling, they might honestly wish to learn) at Reddit.
Tbh, any philos of an ephor would likely be rich ;) But of course there were philosophers born poor, the two most famous being Protagoras and Socrates.
 
I took this one day game design course. Now I have to make a game by Sunday. I'll probably make a very basic text based on w Ink.

Have no idea what kind of lil game to make tho.
 
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