151:
304:
680:
Unlike phallocentrism, which locates itself in a clear-cut polemic field where opposition conditions a certain good and evil, the prick is beyond good and evil, beyond the phallus. Phallocentrism and the polemic are masculine, upright matters. The prick, in some crazy way, is feminine. The prick does
676:
In vulgar, non-philosophical usage, the prick is both the male sexual organ (the famous penis of penis-envy: attraction-resentment) and an obnoxious person-an unprincipled and selfish man who high-handedly abuses others, who capriciously exhibits little or no regard for justice. Usually restricted to
117:
Peter
Silverton notes that the way a person calls another person a prick, which can range from disdain to anger, will help to define its meaning: "Said lightly, it's a jerk or a bumbler. Said with a harsher, punchier intonation it can mean something far nastier. Say, 'Don't be such a prick' vs. 'You
548:: "I'd been at the mercy of a prick on a power trip, the kind of buttoned-up bantam rooster who gets off on control and then, when you resist him, tells you that you've got issues with control." Larissa Dubecki continued the Shakespearean wordplay tradition with her 2015 book,
208:
as 'penis' in 1592, although it was probably used in the spoken language for some time before. It was "probably coined with the image of a thorn in mind from the shape and image of penetration evoked", says Thorne. The earliest use of the noun
83:
and other writers who have combined the vulgarism with the standard meaning of the noun, which means the act of piercing or puncturing. Most linguists believe it has been used as a direct insult only since 1929.
677:
men, this epithet astoundingly often describes someone whom women (or men who feel the 'prick' of this man's power, men in a non-phallic position), despite themselves, find irresistible.
363:. "The semantic association between stupidity and terms for the penis is noticeably strong", notes Hughes. Silverton observes that "whereas the French place idiocy with the vagina, the
104:
says a prick is "a despicable man, a fool, used as a general term of offence or contempt. Often as an abusive form of address, always of a male or an inanimate object." Similarly the
71:
term used to refer to a despicable or contemptible individual. It is generally considered offensive, though in the past it has been used as a term of endearment. Its history as a
646:, Cameron made a speech in which he mentioned a doctor's appointment he had and announced that "just a little prick, just a stab in the back" had summed up his day.
672:
in her definition of the latter. Lacan is not just "phallocentric", she says, he is "phallo-eccentric. Or in more pointed language, he is a prick." She continues:
514:
had enthusiastically returned to literature from its
Victorian banishment, and was being used liberally both as a description for the penis and as an insult.
965:
681:
not play by the rules: he (she) is a narcissistic tease who persuades by means of attraction and resistance, not by orderly systemic discourse.
453:"To look at every woman through a hole in one's prick" refers to a man who views every woman as a potential instrument of sexual pleasure.
1052:
502:
with authority figures in his chapter, "The
Teacher as Prick", but also allows that teachers can refer to students as "little pricks".
395:
began to be used as a direct insult, as in "You prick!" or "What a prick!" This was also the time when similar sexual euphemisms, like
851:
An
Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, and Ethnic Slurs in the English-speaking World
577:
125:
In modern times, writes Tony Thorne, "in polite company it is the least acceptable of the many terms for the male member (
1126:
524:, with an oft-cited quote being his inclusion of the Yiddish proverb "When the prick stands up, the brain gets buried."
281:
In the 16th and 17th centuries, "my prick" was used as a term of endearment by "immodest maids" for their boyfriends.
1111:
612:
as a separate category of films and literature for men, much as films and literature for women are described as
331:, and continued without it in subsequent editions. In 1861, at least one version of Shakespeare had replaced
1096:
34:
106:
656:
359:
started to take on the sense of 'fool' or 'contemptible person' in the 19th century, usually preceded by
624:
responded by criticizing all such gender-based terms for either books or film as "sexist and ignorant".
1101:
30:
986:
987:
Extract from
Language and Sexual Imagery in Broadcasting: A Contextual Investigation, The Guardian
345:
308:
456:
A short stout person has sometimes been described as "short and thick like a
Welshman's prick."
642:
When an unauthorized and unflattering biography by a former ally appeared of UK prime minister
520:
1013:
295:
A popular saying during the 18th century was: "May your prick and your purse never fail you."
532:
effect in "We can be just three sailors together, or we can be a prisoner and two pricks" in
460:
213:
as 'penis' is observed in the works of
Shakespeare, who uses it playfully several times as a
433:, however, as in "Silly prick!", the word has continued to be viewed as fairly inoffensive.
418:
as 'fool' has been recorded since the 16th century but as 'penis' only since about 1888. In
966:"Prick with a Fork: World's worst waitress Larissa Dubecki serves revenge cold in new book"
8:
1106:
323:
was hidden away from most "respectable" literature. Even earlier, an 1807 edition of
664:'s reputation as a psychoanalytic critic, Gallop explores the difference between the
939:
Pedagogical Desire: Authority, Seducation, Transference, and the
Question of Ethics
753:
636:
496:
Pedagogical Desire: Authority, Seducation, Transference, and the
Question of Ethics
264:
196:
191:
150:
807:
632:
525:
214:
111:
96:
as a euphemism for 'penis'. But they offer some slight variations in the use of
1116:
639:, "I didn't think Diefenbaker was a son of a bitch. I thought he was a prick."
601:
236:
169:
160:
190:
as a verb for sexual intercourse can be seen as early as the 14th century, in
1121:
1090:
669:
643:
537:
316:
285:
1053:"'Just a little prick': Cameron takes sideswipe at Ashcroft | Politics"
303:
182:'point, puncture, particle, small portion of space or time'. The meaning of
696:
691:
565:
529:
350:
134:
661:
621:
515:
391:
Most linguists cite 1929 in the United States as the time and place when
176:
80:
728:
The
Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English
68:
114:
offers "a spiteful or contemptible man often having some authority".
72:
60:
831:
Johnathan Green, The Vulgar Tongue, Green's History of Slang. p. 24.
259:
76:
349:, who used it 253 times, as well as in the works of Scottish poet
665:
483:
364:
897:
Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What Of Everyday Swearing
776:
Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What Of Everyday Swearing
597:/ From the tiniest little tadger to the world's biggest prick."
550:
Prick with a Fork: The World's Meanest Waitress Spills the Beans
446:
By the 20th and 21st centuries, several expressions related to
369:
343:
continued to appear in Victorian pornography, such as Walter's
221:, i.e., 'the act of puncturing', as in the following examples:
186:
as 'a pointed weapon' or 'dagger' is first noted in the 1550s.
1014:"Chick flicks or prick flicks, they're just films | Film"
64:
403:
397:
952:
Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin
635:
was alleged to have said of then Canadian Prime Minister
254:
The bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon.
75:
for 'penis' goes back to the 1500s and has been used in
426:
as 'a stupid or contemptible person' as early as 1882.
133:
etc.), it is nevertheless commonly used, together with
1078:
The Daughter's Seduction: Feminism and Psychoanalysis
668:and the prick, including psychologist and scholar
388:are "a term of endearment (1540)", or "a pimple".
137:, by women in preference to those alternatives".
1088:
968:. ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
498:, Jan Jagodzinski emphasizes the association of
963:
87:
581:(1983): "Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis
563:is listed as a more mild "playground word" on
145:
1011:
910:A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English
884:The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang
878:
876:
874:
872:
382:A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English
1000:Four-letter Films: Taboo Language in Movies
864:A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
802:
800:
486:says "A standing prick has no conscience".
290:A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
15:
1041:, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 15 June 2009.
794:, Bloomsbury Publishing, 27 February 2014.
585:/ Isn't it frightfully good to have a dong
555:
367:and English place it with the penis, with
16:
869:
722:
720:
718:
716:
714:
712:
353:, who used it with "vulgar good humour".
298:
102:Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang
1080:, Cornell University Press, May 1, 1982.
845:
843:
841:
839:
837:
797:
786:
784:
302:
149:
24:This is an accepted version of this page
1050:
827:
825:
575:It was included in "The Penis Song" in
292:as "prick: the virile member" in 1788.
229:/ must find love's prick and Rosalinde.
14:
1089:
1051:Wintour, Patrick (22 September 2015).
933:
931:
886:, Routledge, 2 September 2003, p. 288.
746:
709:
441:
899:, Portobello Books, 3 November 2011.
834:
781:
733:
726:Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor Routledge,
572:s list of TV's most offensive words.
110:says "a stupid or contemptible man".
964:Megan Mackander (8 September 2015).
822:
778:, Portobello Books, 3 November 2011.
544:as someone in authority in her book
928:
48:
853:, Routledge, 26 March 2015, p. 89.
754:"Prick | Definition of Prick"
578:Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
327:eliminated the "prick" verse from
204:records the first use of the word
49:
1138:
1039:Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009
792:Dictionary of Contemporary Slang
384:in 1905, the two definitions of
1070:
1044:
1031:
1005:
992:
980:
957:
944:
915:
902:
889:
436:
407:(1929), became direct insults.
225:He that sweetest rose will find
217:with the non-sexual meaning of
856:
768:
743:, OUP Oxford, 19 August 2010.
158:can be found in Shakespeare's
13:
1:
1012:Jenny Colgan (13 July 2007).
810:. Online Etymology Dictionary
702:
649:
589:/ It's swell to have a stiffy
505:
92:Modern dictionaries agree on
741:Oxford Dictionary of English
489:
463:, a penis is described as a
154:One of the earliest uses of
107:Oxford Dictionary of English
88:Definition and general usage
7:
925:, OUP Oxford, 8 March 2012.
685:
627:
593:/ It's divine to own a dick
422:, Coleman notes the use of
146:Middle Ages to 18th century
10:
1143:
1127:Slang terms for sex organs
660:, a book that established
175:, which originates in the
140:
510:By the mid-20th century,
202:Oxford English Dictionary
1112:Pejorative terms for men
657:The Daughter's Seduction
540:demonstrates the use of
429:When used with the word
168:The word comes from the
31:latest accepted revision
954:, Penguin, 2008, p. 32.
556:Media and entertainment
475:because it rhymes with
414:s history is reversed:
380:In Farmer and Henley's
683:
518:used it frequently in
325:The Family Shakespeare
312:
299:19th to 20th centuries
284:The word is listed in
279:
251:
165:
674:
461:Cockney rhyming slang
306:
252:
223:
153:
1097:Censorship in Europe
319:, the slang form of
908:Farmer and Henley,
730:, 27 November 2014.
604:proposed the terms
521:Portnoy's Complaint
442:Popular expressions
234:Touchstone, in
100:as an insult. The
21:Page version status
866:, S. Hooper, 1788.
313:
166:
27:
1102:English profanity
998:Gabriele Azzaro,
923:The Life of Slang
895:Peter Silverton,
849:Geoffrey Hughes,
774:Peter Silverton,
756:. Merriam-Webster
739:Angus Stevenson,
546:Voluntary Madness
450:were being used.
420:The Life of Slang
39:20 September 2024
18:
1134:
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937:Jan Jagodzinski,
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637:John Diefenbaker
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571:
413:
277:
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265:Romeo and Juliet
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197:Canterbury Tales
192:Geoffrey Chaucer
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1006:
1002:, Aracne, 2005.
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969:
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958:
950:Norah Vincent,
949:
945:
936:
929:
921:Julie Coleman,
920:
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912:, 1905, p. 352.
907:
903:
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633:John F. Kennedy
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534:The Last Detail
526:Darryl Ponicsan
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258:
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215:double entendre
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112:Merriam Webster
90:
67:' as well as a
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346:My Secret Life
329:As You Like It
309:My Secret Life
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237:As You Like It
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170:Middle English
161:As You Like It
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790:Tony Thorne,
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36:
32:
25:
20:
1077:
1072:
1060:. Retrieved
1057:The Guardian
1056:
1046:
1038:
1033:
1021:. Retrieved
1018:The Guardian
1017:
1007:
999:
994:
982:
970:. Retrieved
959:
951:
946:
941:, IAP, 2006.
938:
922:
917:
909:
904:
896:
891:
883:
863:
858:
850:
812:. Retrieved
808:"prick (n.)"
791:
775:
770:
758:. Retrieved
748:
740:
735:
727:
697:Dick (slang)
692:Cock (slang)
679:
675:
655:
653:
641:
631:
617:
614:chick flicks
613:
609:
606:prick flicks
605:
599:
576:
574:
566:The Guardian
564:
560:
559:
549:
545:
541:
533:
530:alliterative
519:
511:
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499:
495:
493:
481:
476:
472:
468:
465:Hampton Wick
464:
458:
455:
452:
447:
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437:Modern usage
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408:
402:
396:
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385:
381:
379:
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368:
360:
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351:Robert Burns
344:
340:
339:. However,
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97:
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91:
55:
54:
53:
38:
29:This is the
23:
662:Jane Gallop
622:Roger Ebert
528:uses it to
516:Philip Roth
482:An English
401:(1928) and
177:Old English
81:Shakespeare
1107:Euphemisms
1091:Categories
703:References
650:Psychology
506:Literature
244:III, scene
69:pejorative
63:word for '
51:Slang term
618:chick lit
610:prick lit
600:In 2007,
490:Education
272:II, scene
262:, in
73:euphemism
686:See also
628:Politics
536:(1970).
260:Mercutio
257:—
232:—
77:wordplay
35:reviewed
666:phallus
484:proverb
469:Hampton
365:Yiddish
315:In the
141:History
1062:9 July
1023:9 July
972:9 July
814:9 July
760:9 July
595:
591:
587:
583:
370:shmuck
274:
270:
246:
242:
227:
200:. The
173:prikke
118:prick!
61:vulgar
1117:Penis
570:'
561:Prick
542:prick
512:prick
500:prick
477:prick
471:or a
448:prick
431:silly
424:prick
412:'
393:prick
386:prick
375:prick
361:silly
357:Prick
341:prick
337:thorn
335:with
333:prick
321:prick
268:, act
240:, act
219:prick
211:prick
206:prick
188:Prick
184:prick
180:prica
156:prick
131:tool,
98:prick
94:prick
65:penis
59:is a
56:Prick
1122:Puns
1064:2017
1025:2017
974:2017
816:2017
762:2017
616:and
608:and
473:wick
467:, a
416:Dick
409:Dick
404:twat
398:cunt
373:and
135:dick
127:cock
654:In
494:In
459:In
377:."
288:'s
194:'s
79:by
37:on
1093::
1055:.
1016:.
930:^
871:^
836:^
824:^
799:^
783:^
711:^
620:.
552:.
479:.
276:IV
248:II
129:,
122:"
33:,
1066:.
1027:.
989:.
976:.
818:.
764:.
164:.
120:'
41:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
