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[bill cobbett]

Given that you naughty, naughty people got my thread - Plonker - a definition, locked, I thought I'd try with another one.

This is the word "pillock" which is the word that pre-dates plonker. Certainly we used this in our youth back in the sixties here in London, England. Indeed it often worries me when I see "plonker" used here to recall that we didn't use it. Plonker is a relatively new word. We used "pillock".

Pillock has exceptionally similar meanings to the oft-used plonker. Meaning number 2 below is what should concern us.

Here is the OED again.

pillock n.

1. orig. Sc. The penis. Now Eng. regional (north.) and rare.

1568 D. LINDSAY Satyre (Bannatyne) 1491 in Wks. (1931) II. 388 Me think my pillok will not ly doun.
1900 W. DICKINSON & E. W. PREVOST Gloss. Dial. Cumberland (rev. ed.), Pillick, the male organ. 2000 Northern Echo (Nexis) 15 Mar. 13 Jack Dent in Northallerton recalls a rhyme touring the school yard ‘when I was a small boy’... Why did the butterfly flutter by? Because she saw the caterpillar wave his pillock at her.


2. Chiefly Brit. colloq. (mildly derogatory). A stupid person; a fool, an idiot.

1967 J. BURKE Till Death us do Part viii. 135 What are you talking about, you great hairy pilloch? 1978 ‘J. GASH’ Gold from Gemini vii. 70 The pillock mistook my astonishment for awe. 1995 FourFourTwo Oct. 146/2 (advt.) What a bunch of pillocks! 2004 Rugby World Feb. 49/1 Those mindless pillocks in New Zealand who slated England for the way they played in Wellington in June.


(Any chance of a sensible debate please, without the foul language of the weekend.)

[Zorba]

So instead of calling ourselves Plonkers and Pillocks,shall we stick to Pricks,so we get straight to the point and no explanation required?

[Bubble 'n' squeak]

So instead of calling ourselves Plonkers and Pillocks,shall we stick to Pricks,so we get straight to the point and no explanation required?

True, but it's fun debating it!

[Zorba]

Oh I get it, Bill wants a mass debate I know a word for that

[Bubble 'n' squeak]

Oh I get it, Bill wants a mass debate I know a word for that

And what word would that be?

[bill cobbett]

I do hope that B&S and Z are not trying to get this seriously academic thread locked.

[bill cobbett]

As Z suggests above and to complete a trio of words (unless members know of more) here is the word "prick"

Again remarkably similar meanings. A much older word than the other two. Again used this in my youth and indeed was often called one.

(I am only c&p/ing the relevent section)

prick n.

b. coarse slang. The penis.
Earlier currency of this sense is implied by sense 12a, which is evidently an extended use.

c1555 Manifest Detection Diceplay sig. Biiiv, To turne his pricke vpward, and cast a weauers knot on both his thumbs behind him. 1592 R. DALLINGTON tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 42v, The pissing Boye lift vp his pricke. 1655 T. MOFFETT & C. BENNET Healths Improvem. xviii. 174 The French men call this fish the Asses-prick, and Dr Wotton termeth it grosly the Pintle fish. 1680 EARL OF ROCHESTER Poems 14 But though St. James has the honor on't, 'Tis consecrate to Prick and Cunt. 1683 A. SNAPE Anat. Horse (1686) III. v. 114 It [sc. glandula pinealis] is also called the Yard or Prick of the Brain. 1744 School of Venus in D. Thomas Long Time Burning (1969) 362 You..can now without blushing call prick, stones, bollocks, cunt, tarse and the like names. 1763 J. WILKES & T. POTTER Ess. on Woman (1871) 19 Prick, cunt, and bollocks in convulsions hurl'd. 1845 A. JOHNSON Let. 10 July in Papers (1967) II. 218 A great big fellow..said he was going about with tobacco in his pockett, a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and his prick in the other. 1896 A. BEARDSLEY Let. c3 Dec. (1970) 223 Yes everything is phallic shaped except Symons's prick. 1938 H. MILLER Tropic of Capricorn 188 They say a stiff prick has no conscience. 1965 W. YOUNG Eros Denied xiv. 132 You know, the young men's pricks seem to be getting bigger and bigger. It must be the Welfare State. 1992 Financial Times 11-12 Apr. II. 16/7 All would be well if the effiminate-looking young man were indeed a woman, but he has a prick, which is nothing to William's purpose.


c. coarse slang. A stupid, contemptible, or annoying person (esp. a man or boy). Also used as a general term of abuse. rare before 20th cent.
In quot. 1598: a conceited young man.

1598 J. FLORIO Worlde of Wordes at Pinchino, A pillicock, a primcock, a prick, a prettie lad, a gull, a noddie.
1822 W. HAZLITT Let. 31 May (1978) cxiv. 264 Her putting up with this prick of a fellow, merely for bore and measurement and gross manners, sets me low indeed. 1927 J. O'HARA Let. 12 Dec. in Sel. Lett. (1978) 27 I'll need you to..keep me from getting to be too much of a prick. 1934 H. MILLER Tropic of Cancer 110 Jesus, what I'd like is to find some rich cuntlike that cute little prick, Carl. 1949 J. KEROUAC Let. 28 July in Sel. Lett. 1940-56 (1995) 213 Old men with white hair and black-ribbon glasses ‘look right’ no cop, no prick dares question their freedom. 1967 ‘E. TREVOR’ Freebooters xi. 124 We don't like bein' pushed around by an incompetent prick of a commanding officer. 1973 J. WAINWRIGHT Devil you Don't 25 John Smith said: ‘Some men have big pricks.’ ‘Some men are big pricks.’ 1996 D. BRIMSON & E. BRIMSON Everywhere we Go ix. 127, I felt a total prick driving home in a car which had every panel, including the roof, kicked in.

[Floda]

The word "Pillock" [quite frequently used as an insult in earlier times] is applicable to the male gender only.

It is a derivative of the word "Bill-hook" which is a small hand held tool quite commonly used for pruning trees and other small tasks which are beyond the capacity of a large knife.

The "Bill-hook" has a wide blade firmly affixed to a wooden handle which is turned to fit comfortably in either hand.

The blade of the "Bill-hook" has quite an interesting shape in that it has a protruding hook-like appendage on the upper plane of the blade and is situated at the end of it, hence the origin of the name for such a tool, possibly associated with the "Bill" of a duck and shaped to form a "Hook".

So why should such an implement be suddenly honoured with the distinction it received by it's name being developed into a term of insult ?.

One can easily understand if one studies the fundamental characteristics of such a tool [also known to be used as a weapon in certain circumstances and with devastating results] I will explain.

For some peculiar reason, the male gender of the human species seems to be transfixed with his "Population Stick" and in particular with the size of it.

Many myths have arisen [as have the said sticks] over the years, far too many to contemplate in fact although the myths DO have some significance, hence the mention of them.

The "Bill-hook" could easily be described as "A Small Chopper", see the connection ?.

It could also be described as "Your Weapon" or "Your Tool" connection again ?.

The appendage which protrudes at the end could be seen as a "Nose", which immediately opens the door to the insult :- "Your Nose is bigger than your Chopper !" [or Weapon, or Tool].

Henceforth gentleman, whenever you hold your "Chopper" or your "Weapon" or your "Tool" in your hand [many other descriptions do not qualify] remember the humble "Bill-hook" and don't be such a "Pillock" in thinking that what you have in your hand is the measure of the man that possesses it.

Incidentally, one should Never fool around with a "Bill-hook", they are useful but NOT playthings !.

[Smiler Brian]

Oy! Back in the dim and distant past my hash name was Plonker (Amathus H3). 'er indoors was of course bonker.

[CBBB]

Oy! Back in the dim and distant past my hash name was Plonker (Amathus H3). 'er indoors was of course bonker.

You probably deserved it!