Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 14:10:23 +0000

From: "C.Thomas" EGP95CMT[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SHEFFIELD.AC.UK

Subject: boink/bonk



Bill asked:



1). Two years ago some students told me that "to boink" was current slang

meaning to have intercourse with, as in "John boinked Mary." Last week

I heard it used meaning "to get rid of (x)." I assumed that this was

connected with the onomatopoeic comic book use of old. What is current

with boink?



In England we use the term "bonk" (not boink) to refer to intercourse, as a sort

of permissable, comical euphemism. I've been told several times that

it originated as a neologism from the English (Birmingham) stand-up

comedian Jasper Carrott, before the tabloids picked it up, and

consequently it entered more general usage. However, the on-line OED

cites the earliest recorded usage as being in 1975 in "Foul" , which

I strongly suspect would be before Jasper Carrott was on the scene.

Also, the OED doesn't have any entries for "boink". Perhaps Webster's

does?



As for the fish thing- never heard of it.



Charlotte



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Charlotte Thomas EGP95CMT[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]Sheffield.ac.uk

CECTAL

Dept. of English Language and Linguistics

University of Sheffield

Sheffield

S10 2TN

UK