On 9/2/08 11:56, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article ,
Sacha writes:
| On 9/2/08 10:36, in article
| , "Des
| Higgins" wrote:
| On Feb 7, 10:02*am, Amethyst Deceiver
| wrote:
|
| Flowers may have been compared to the vulva, but in general don't have
| names like "fat woman's fanny" or "white lady's ****". Because they're
| offensive.

Only since Victorian times, in the 'proper' classes of the UK. More
traditional usage was often very vulgar and, in many countries, still is.
Indeed, Linnean taxonomists often were, too - Phallus impudicus, anyone?
The French still refer to ****-en-lit.

| As for the black
| mans willy name, you would want to be pretty dense not to realise the
| name would offend a lot of people. I guess what offends goes in
| cycles.

Yes. When I was young, Little Black Sambo was popular among all races.

| And I've wondered often what gross name was given to 'long purples':
| "There with fantastic garlands did she come
| Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples,
| That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
| But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. "

An interesting question. A quick Web search indicates probably Orchis
masculata (search on "long purples" and look the JSTOR abstracts), and
the OED indicates that orchids were called ballock-wort.

Apparently, the name "long purples" has now attached itself to purple
loosestrife, but that does not fit Shakespeare's use, not at all. Also,
if I understand correctly, purple loosestrife was a very local plant in
his day and unlikely to be commonly used in garlands.

Found it, Nick and very interesting, too. Thank you. That seems to make
sense. I'd wondered about purple loosestrife but couldn't see the 'gross'
connection with that, really. And thinking of crude plant name uses, the
Italian word 'fico' for fig, is Italian slang for part of the female
anatomy.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'