In article ,
"michael adams" writes:
|
| Spade = black person.
|
| Nowadays yes. But I doubt if that was the case in 1589 when it
| was first used in English. That usage came from playing cards
| I believe.

Do you have a reference for that? The OED has nothing before 1928.
It doesn't even have a reference to the card suit before 1598.

| In fact I imagine all three were sexual ephemisms.
|
| The "spade" was what you used in the "trough".

You have a, er, fertile imagination. Some evidence would help to
convince others.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.