|
|
Subject:
Year that "do" as slang for sex entered English
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference Asked by: acryl-ga List Price: $5.00 |
Posted:
21 Aug 2004 20:05 PDT
Expires: 20 Sep 2004 20:05 PDT Question ID: 390951 |
I am trying to find out the year when "do" as slang for sexual intercourse came into English. Any help? | |
| |
|
|
Subject:
Re: Year that "do" as slang for sex entered English
Answered By: juggler-ga on 21 Aug 2004 22:03 PDT |
Hello. I have access to the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary through my local public library. As I mentioned above, both "do" and "doing" are cited as euphemisms for copulation. Here are the sources cited: doing - copulation 1601 SHAKES. All's Well II. iii. 246. 1637 B. JONSON tr. Fragm. Petron. Arbiter Wks. (Rtldg.) 740. 1675 COTTON Scoffer Scoft 117. 1869 HAZLITT Eng. Prov. 105. do - copulation 1913 D. H. LAWRENCE Sons & Lovers II. vii. 162 Do you think we spoon and do? We only talk. 1922 JOYCE Ulysses 724 Not that I care two straws who he does it with. 1954 R. P. BISSELL High Water xvii. 181 Them island girls they'd rather do it than eat. 1959 A. SINCLAIR Breaking of Bumbo II. x. 106 You don't do her? And you eat in Chelsea? There's something queer about you. 1967 V. CANNING Python Project viii. 157 Some service-man..did your mother in Cyprus..and then..made an honest woman of her. source: Oxford English Dictionary: do, doing Here's a little more detail on some of those citations: Shakespeare's line in "All's Well that End Well" (Act II, Scene III) apparently is: "...for doing I am past..." http://pd.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/allswell/section7.html The Ben Jonson citation apparently refers to this poem: "Doing, a filthy pleasure is, and short; And done, we straight repent us of the sport:" http://members.aol.com/vlp514/doing.html The phrase "does it" appears in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922): "Not that I care two straws who he does it with." http://www.kulichki.com/moshkow/DVOJS/ulysses.txt_Piece40.43 The phrase "do her" appears in "The Breaking of Bumbo" (1959) by Andrew Sinclair. "You don't do her? And you eat in Chelsea? There's something queer about you." The book is available from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0571134602/ --------- seach strategy: oxford english dictionary: do, doing I hope this helps. |
|
There are no comments at this time. |
If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-support@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you. |
Search Google Answers for |
Google Home - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy |