Origin and historical usage Fruit (slang)

1 origin , historical usage

1.1 costermongers , cockney rhyming slang
1.2 gay slang
1.3 fruitcake

origin , historical usage

in dictionary of epithets , terms of address author leslie dunkling traces friendly use of phrase old fruit (and old tin of fruit) 1920s in britain possibly deriving phrase fruit of womb. in united states, however, both fruit , fruitcake seen negative fruitcake originating nutty fruitcake (a crazy person).

costermongers , cockney rhyming slang

the coster s mansion, 1899 sheet music

a costermonger street seller of fruit , vegetables. term, derived words costard (a type of apple) , monger, i.e. seller , came particularly associated barrow boys of london sell produce wheelbarrow or wheeled market stall. costermongers have existed in london since @ least 16th century, when mentioned shakespeare , marlowe , numerous during victorian era, when there said on 30,000 in 1860. gained unsavoury reputation low habits, general improvidence, love of gambling, total want of education, disregard lawful marriage ceremonies, , use of peculiar slang language . 2 examples of slang referring potatoes bog-oranges developed phrase irish fruit referring potatoes , cool delo nammow means watch out old woman words backwards; cool (look), delo (old) , nammow (woman).

out of east end of london traditional cockney rhyming slang developed, works taking 2 words related through short phrase , using first word stand word rhymes second. instance, popular of these rhyming slang phrases used throughout britain telling porkies meaning lies pork pies rhymes lies. alright, me old fruit? example of fruit gum translated meaning chum (a friend or acquaintance).

cassell s dictionary of slang traces uses of fruit meaning easy victim in late 19th century , eccentric person (along fruitball, fruit basket , fruit merchant).

as gay slang

fruit gay slang or slur amongst lexicon of cant slang polari used in gay subculture in britain, has become more mainstream transcontinental travel , online communication. there still debate how polari originated origins can traced @ least 19th century , has multiple origins , routes of dissemination researchers finding relatively small base of less 2 dozen common (universal words) supplemented regional phrases. believed passed on near exclusively oral history , teaching , found in traveling professions such in sailing , traveling entertainment industries (like minstrel shows , circuses). in polari, fruit means queen, @ time , still today term gay men , can used positively or negatively depending on speaker, usage , intent.

several origins of word fruit being used describe gay men possible, , stem linguistic concepts of insulting man comparing him or calling him woman. in edita jodonytë , palmina morkienë s research on sexist attitudes in english note female-associated words become totally derogatory when applied males , “[w]hen language oppresses means disparage , belittle.” comparing gay man fruit, soft , tender, effeminate, woman has possibly gained near universal use because both lgbt people , fruit found everywhere. in 1 of boys: homosexuality in military during world war ii author paul jackson writes number of words referred prostitutes came applied effeminate or queer men - queen, punk, gay, faggot, fairy, , fruit.

from 1857 dictionary of obsolete , provincial english: containing words english writers previous nineteenth century no longer in use, or not used in same sense. , words used in provincial dialects (e.g. parts of england other london) several routes seem likely, cockney effeminate boy sold fruit , greens while cobble stone (or pit) of fruit presently defined male testicles cockney rhyming slang cobbler s awls , meaning balls , blow blossoming of fruit tree , used polari definition oral sex on man causing him blow (ejaculate).

fruitcake

an american version of fruitcake contains both fruit , nuts.

fruitcakes, cakes containing both fruit , nuts, have been in existence since middle ages, unclear when term started being used disparagingly, in united kingdom , united states, slur crazy person (e.g. s complete fruitcake ) although cassell s dictionary of slang traces uses of fruitcake meaning eccentric (crazy) person 1910s. derived expression nutty fruitcake , first recorded in 1935. nut can either seed or fruit.

by 1930s both fruit , fruitcake terms seen not negative mean male homosexual, although not universally. should noted lgbt people diagnosed diseased potential being cured, regularly treated castration, lobotomies, pudic nerve surgery, , electroshock treatment. due this, transferring meaning of fruitcake, nutty, deemed insane, or crazy, may have seemed rational @ time , many apparently believed lgbt people mentally unsound. in united states, psychiatric institutions ( mental hospitals ) many of these procedures carried out called fruitcake factories while in 1960s australia called fruit factories.

from 1942 1947, conscientious objectors in assigned psychiatric hospitals under civilian public service exposed abuses throughout psychiatric care system , instrumental in reforms of 1940s , 1950s.