Comments on: The origin and meaning of the word "boob" https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/ Sat, 26 May 2018 11:23:59 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: Ray Karels https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-589762 Sat, 26 May 2018 11:23:59 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-589762 Could there be a connection to bubule? The small lumps that were an indication that the person might have the plague?

]]> By: SuperFestigio https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493962 Sun, 28 May 2017 23:27:44 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493962 DUDE. I got a hot lead for you. Can we get in contact? I’ll give you a hint: Obelisk Publishers.

]]> By: Gordito https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493961 Mon, 30 Nov 2015 18:13:05 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493961 Some men turn in to boobs when they see breasts.

]]> By: 5: What Are You Training Here? | Math Is Hard https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493960 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:14:05 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493960 […] The origin and meaning of the word “boob” […]

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493959 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:09:24 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493959 Here’s what I think: The word is sexist. It is far more often used to refer to women, has a long and recent history of referring to a trait women have and men don’t (supposedly) etc. Therefore don’t use it.

However, people use the word without realizing that and they should not be crucified for it. Perhaps it should just be mentioned and they can adjust.

The rubber meets the road when a person uses the word to refer to a woman being upset about something, is told it may be seen as a sexist word, then that person digs in and starts making arguments about how it is not sexist.

Truth is, it is hard to know where to draw the line between older uses that may have been offenses and newer uses that may not be. But for ‘hysterical” the line needs not be drawn any more. The challenge over the word has happened enough in recent years, responded to by anti-feminist and sexist digging in, that it is no longer just a word with a bad history, it is now a dog whistle.

This is all complicated by the fact that the word is also used to mean “really really funny.” I know feminist women who balk at seeing the word used in reference to a woman being upset who call things “hysterical” when they are really funny, and I’m pretty sure don’t even realizing they are using a word in that context they would not use at other times, because the word (as something really really funny) seems to fit so well.

No sense fighting over that, I’d say.

]]> By: surdas https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493958 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:38:33 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493958 What did you decide about “hysterical”?

]]> By: Carmelo Mangano https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493957 Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:03:30 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493957 In the part of Sicily where I live, near Mount Etna, we use the word “babbu” referring to a silly person.
At the same time, when I was a child, some grown-ups used the same word to speak about the vagina in a joking way.
Carmelo Mangano

]]> By: MadScientist https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493956 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 01:14:30 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493956 Boobies and Dodos – Boobies are still around so they may not be such Dodos after all. I don’t know what to say about the tits, shags, and other such birds.

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493955 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:30:32 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493955 We need sailor on this; a booby hatch is a boat thing, or in slang, a mental institution. Right?

]]> By: F https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-word-boob/#comment-493954 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:16:16 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=12914#comment-493954 And this is why it would be utterly strange to find the word “booby” to be referring to breasts in the phrase “booby hatch”.

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