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From: al@mot.UUCP (Al Filipski)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Origin of that strongest of words
Message-ID: <17@mot.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Oct-84 17:13:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: mot.17
Posted: Sun Oct 21 17:13:35 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Oct-84 06:02:10 EDT
References: <208@turing.UUCP>
Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Phoenix AZ
Lines: 11

It's possible origin as a corruption of the English "firk"
is not to be discounted. This was a very common word in the 
11th to 17th centuries.  Meanings of "firk" include "to press
hard", "to move sharply", "to stroke", "to stir up", "to move
about briskly". the OED gives "Your soberest jades are firkers
in corners"--Gayton, 1634. Partridges "Slang Today and Yesterday"
gives "given to caressing women" for "firking".  The loss of the 
"r" is analogous to the loss of the "r" in "arse".

                           alan filipski
                           {allegra | ihnp4} ! sftig ! mot ! al