The phrase "blow job," for oral-genital sex performed on a male, is surprisingly new in terms of its widespread understanding and usage. It started to appear in slang dictionaries in the 1960s, around the time pop icon Andy Warhol released his film Blow Job, containing several explicit depictions of the act. Earlier the term had been used by college men, prostitutes, and printed in underground pornography, but it was not yet commonplace.
To many Americans in the 1940s and 1950s a "blow job" was a faster-then-the-speed-of-sound "jet airplane." It took off and gave everyone nearby a "blow job." The Thesaurus of American Slang (1953) records an example of this usage from an issue of the San Francisco Examiner in 1945: "A P-59 jet propelled Airacomet, affectionately called the 'blow job' by flyers, will make several flights in 1946."
Linguist think the sexual connotation of "blow job" evolved from "blowoff," an expression meaning to finish off, to climax, to end. "Blowoff" in this sense is related to "blow off steam," to put an end to a emotionally frustrating experience. When a prostitute gave a client a blow job she was helping him "blow off" the steam of sexual arousal. In the 1930s, street-walkers offered oral sex with the phrase "I'll blow you off." It suggests 'I'll cool you down,' 'I'll release your steam.'
Some linguists think the term "blow job" evolved gradually from an eighteenth century European name for a prostitute, blower. A popular name for penis at the time was "whorepipe," and it is easy to see how the woman who played the instrument came to be called a "blower." But was the act called a "blow job?" There's no indication of that.
Today the word is commonplace, uttered as often by women as men. In the following limerick, a widow has just had her cheating husband's body cremated and is about to dispose of his ashes:
A bitter new widow, quite tough, To her mate's ashes said in a huff, "You've diddled young girls, Never brought me no pearls, And wanted me to blow you - so puff!"
I still hear the phrase "to blow someone off", meaning to ignore or reject someone. For example: "My friend asked me to help him move, but I blew him off." This usage seems to pre-date "blow" as a term for oral sex, but it gives me a shock whenever I hear it.
Most people usually use euphemisms or slang terms when talking about oral sex. The term fellatio comes from the Latin term fellare which means "to suck." A common slang term for giving oral sex to either a man or woman is giving head to or going down on someone (although in some regions, "giving head" refers only to fellatio). The term gamahuche is also sometimes used. Performed on the genitals of a man, oral sex is technically called fellatio, but common slang includes terms such as blowjob, cocksucking, and in the UK, french, as well as many other slang terms. Performed on the genitals of a woman, it is technically called cunnilingus or in common slang, eating her out. There are far fewer slang terms for cunnilingus than there are for fellatio but they include: muff-diving, carpet munching, and giving a tongue bath. "Cocksucker" is considered a severe insult by some, and is one of the "seven dirty words".
Brain, dome, Becky, blowies, sloppy toppy, Face sex, face fuck, mouth sex, mouth loving, head, skull, sucky sucky, straightening out?, slurpy slurpy, mouth-to-cock, cock-to mouth, cupping balls with tongue... That's all I got so far, I'll let you guys know if anymore come to mind. Oh wait...Cum-to-mind?
Your post led me to a little research on my own. (yeah, I lead a pretty boring life).
Since many vulgar words actually date back hundreds of years ago, I was surprised to see that "blow job" is fairly recent. One interesting theory of origin goes back to the Victorian Age. The term started as "below job" and eventually evolved into blow job. Not sure if buy that one or not.
I tend to believe the theory that black jazz musicians began using the term in the 1930s. Think in terms of how a horn player uses his mouth. Since much of our new slang today comes from the black hip hop music culture, this makes sense.
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last commentIs anyone going to offer a NEW term for Oral Sex?
And yes newmark. I resemble that remark.)
Nude Penis Fellatio.
Your post led me to a little research on my own. (yeah, I lead a pretty boring life).
Since many vulgar words actually date back hundreds of years ago, I was surprised to see that "blow job" is fairly recent. One interesting theory of origin goes back to the Victorian Age. The term started as "below job" and eventually evolved into blow job. Not sure if buy that one or not.
I tend to believe the theory that black jazz musicians began using the term in the 1930s. Think in terms of how a horn player uses his mouth. Since much of our new slang today comes from the black hip hop music culture, this makes sense.