Phoenix 39

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:03 pm

Ah. The old ones are always the best.

As Peter Kay once got heckled "Tell us a joke we know!"

And a sneaky second guess: Burundi

wigwamsun · Post by **wigwamsun** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:19 am

The Cardinal has it with Cameroon!!!

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:12 pm

Nice one! I didn't even have to try and sneak in Botswana...

Oooh. I've not done a question in a while. Can't think of one now that the pressure is on...

I've got a rude one. According to the OED, what is the origin (or the first recorded usage) of the word "cunt". ?

harry 3 · Post by **harry 3** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:18 pm

OOhh

They had the other word in a quiz recently. Fornicate Under The Consent of the King or similar.

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:27 pm

That's an urban myth - the word FUCK has been doing the rounds for centuries, I believe, with a myriad of different spellings (the version I heard was For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge) -

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/fuck.htm

I'm looking for where the first written usage of the word "CUNT" was found (remember that the OED don't just look in ordinary books, they look at all sorts of written publications).

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:47 pm

i know it has the same etymology as quaint.

so something along those lines queynte. i am pretty sure chaucer used it but whether he was the first or not, who knows.

Weyland · Post by **Weyland** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:56 pm

I agree with UP - it's in The Miller's Tale IIRC. I have a rather quaint translation of it from the 50s that uses the word "quim".

It's not used in Beowolf, is it?

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:35 pm

Bit of a tricky question unless you know the answer.

The book in question was actually a book of streetnames in London, originally from around 1230 ... but can you guess the name of the street in question (clue: you could usually find a brothel or two on this street)

Weyland · Post by **Weyland** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:52 pm

Old Kent Road?

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:13 pm

You're on the right tracks, but even saucier than that.

grecian · Post by **grecian** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:38 pm

Gropec**t Lane I think - there was one in Oxford as well.

Cardinal Sin · Post by **Cardinal Sin** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:18 pm

Well done Grecian.... over to you sir.

grecian · Post by **grecian** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:46 pm

Which former Liverpool player's middle name was Everton?

Istenem · Post by **Istenem** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:56 pm

good Q.
i'll guess emile heskey (although i think his middle name was something utterly ridiculous like beryl).
so bearing that in mind i'll guess bruce grobbelaar instead.

n.b. there was also a street in London called hand relief alley

grecian · Post by **grecian** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:01 pm

unknownpseudonym wrote:good Q.
i'll guess emile heskey (although i think his middle name was something utterly ridiculous like beryl).
so bearing that in mind i'll guess bruce grobbelaar instead.

Neither of those. Heskey's middle name is, memorably, Ivanhoe. Not sure what Grobbelaar's is.