Comments on: The Washing Rhyme

By: Dr. Whiplash

Dr. Whiplash — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:10:16 +0000

No matter which definition of “slut” applies, no parishioner should have to sit in a “pew” on Sundays… (Unless of course it is by their own choice…) ;-)

Mea culpa, Bacchus forgive me…

By: delirium

delirium — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:03:55 +0000

Yeah, slut was not just a sexual insult back in the day. Still an insult though!

Here’s Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slut

Often in early modern times, “whore” was the sexual insult standby. The history of insults in England is super interesting.

By: Britni

Britni — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:23:10 +0000

The definition that Lisa provided would make MUCH more sense in the context of this rhyme.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:50:30 +0000

LOL at this… That last line totally comes out of nowhere!

A quick google search of “slut etymology” revealed that “slut” was originally a term for a poor housekeeper or sloppy woman (we can easily imagine how it came to have it’s present meaning), although that was well before 1846. But I suppose if this rhyme was published in 1846, it might have been much older than that.

By: Bacchus

Bacchus — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:56:10 +0000

I’m a little unclear about that too … I think it’s all in relationship to the need to be clean in church on Sunday. But I’m less than clear about exactly what social conditions gave rise to the rhyme, or what sexual assumptions are built into it.

By: Britni

Britni — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:42:48 +0000

Is the rhyme implying that people that wash on Saturday are sluts because they got into naughty business on Friday night? I’m a little unclear on that.

But if that’s the case, then I’m definitely a slut more Saturdays than not!