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dick

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October 21, 2014, 20:59
Kalleh
dick
Geoff sent me this article and I just couldn't help wondering if this is where the slang word "dick" (meaning "penis") came from. The etymology dictionary says that the meaning of "penis" probably came from the 1891 Farmer's slang dictionary, but that's not really explaining the etymology. Any other ideas (besides mine) on how "dick" came to mean "penis?"
October 21, 2014, 22:25
arnie
It only says it was attested in that dictionary. As the entry says, it came to mean "fellow, lad, man" from the 1550s. Thus, by transference, "manly part".


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
October 26, 2014, 20:35
Kalleh
That's certainly possible - though lots of words are related to men that don't mean "penis."