Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!sun!amdahl!gam From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: a horny dilemma Message-ID: <437@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 30-Oct-84 01:59:42 EST Article-I.D.: amdahl.437 Posted: Tue Oct 30 01:59:42 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 1-Nov-84 01:45:51 EST References: <19@mot.UUCP> Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 27 > All right, you amateur etymologists. Why the slang "horny" meaning > "sexually excited" or "sexually excitable"? Has it got anything to > do with the ancient and widespread "horned" meaning "cuckolded"? > And where did that come from? Any good stories for these? > > Alan Filipski > {allegra | ihnp4 } ! sftig ! mot ! al Stewart Berg Flexner says "horny" previously meant "angry" as of 1834, but by 1899 its meaning as "sexually excited" completely replaced the older usage. He also notes that "hot" also meant angry as of 1846, but by the 1920s also meant sexually excited. He says "this seems to imply a subconsciou relation between sexual passion and anger." I don't agree with this; sexual excitement does literally make one hot. Or warmer, anyway. I recall reading about the origin of "horny" in one of William Safire's columns but it is not in any of his latest books on language. -- "That's ``Capitalist Lackeys of the Imperialist Dogs Cookbook Offer, Box 9, Hellmouth CA 92240''..." Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam [ This is just me talking. ]