Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 10:12:21 -0700

From: Peter McGraw pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CALVIN.LINFIELD.EDU

Subject: Re: Anodyne expletives



On Mon, 8 May 1995, Wayne Glowka wrote:



. . . and asel. He believed the

latter to be German for ass-hole, although I don't think Germans ever refer

specifically to that orifice.



Stephanie Hysmith



Some Germans lived up the street from me when I was in high school. They

hollered something like "Asch-loch" for "ass-hole." I don't know enough

real German to say what this word is supposed to be.





Wayne Glowka

Professor of English

Director of Research and Graduate Student Services

Georgia College

Milledgeville, GA 31061

912-453-4222

wglowka[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]mail.gac.peachnet.edu





Pretty close, Wayne. The German word is Arschloch. [Come to think of it,

that probably shoots down my speculation about a derivation of English

"asshole" from German "Esel." The anatomical expression is attested in

Old High German and is probably much older in English - though in the

cognate form "arse" - than such a possible borrowing. I don't have an OED

handy to check.]



Peter McGraw

Linfield College

McMinnville, OR