Puds and schmucks: a lexical inquiry, or You learn something new every day
Tuesday, September 28th, 2004There was recently some discussion and concern among my faithful readers about the etymology of a seemingly harmless insult tossed about by cruel older siblings, one pud. To my friends, the abused little sisters who only recently discovered the full import of this derogatory name-calling, I say, well, isn’t it great that we learn something new every day?
Take schmuck, for example. I like saying the word schmuck. I like the way it works up my spit. It’s a saucy word. He’s a schmuck, she’s a schmuck, everybody’s a schmuck-schmuck… So just the other day, in one of my frequent dictionary digs at work (where I thrive as a word nut, obsessing over the correct spelling of obscure homophones and compound words [open, closed or hyphenated?]), I unearthed schmuck alongside another s-word (not nearly as interesting and so long since forgotten). As I paused to revel in its sassiness, I noticed with naughty delight that it too harks back to the male sex organ! Alas, now that I’ve eaten that apple, I’m no longer able to call a schmuck a schmuck with prelapsarian innocence and glee. guiltypleasure