When (and why) did the meaning of "Dick" change from a man's name to a body part?

Question

If you're under about 40 and live in North America, you may have a grandfather, father, or uncle named "Dick". But you certainly aren't named that yourself. And you probably don't know anyone your age or younger who calls himself "Dick". In fact, its a slang term for a body part, and is insulting when applied to people.

Because there are senior citizens and near-senior citizens you can use the name "Dick" without giggling, it seems obvious that this change occurred no earlier than the middle of the 20th century.

Can anyone provide more information on this change of meaning?

With parental permission, a local 9-year old male read this question and asked me what body part it referred to. When I told him, he seemed surprised. That is, I think his naiveity was real, and not faked. Maybe he's overly sheltered, but maybe the words, they are a changin'.

He also told me that he's not allowed to use the word "Wiener" at his school.

Answer 1

"Life used to be a gay thing
a filled with happiness
night and day thing"
( from a very old song, 1920-1940 somewhere in there)

Gay = happy
also a girls name

People have just ruined the English language
I hate that we have to be so careful about what we say these days. Or what we name our children.

It all flip flops too. Like cool used to be the weather or inside the fridge, then, when I was in school it meant that something was nifty, neat or the cats meow,(depending on your time frame). Now cool is hot (I think). Or is hot cool?

Speaking of which,
thongs are now flip flops
and thongs are...why would any one want a string up their butt, how uncomfortable.

My kids came home saying "pimpin'" and I about came unglued. Totally not saying that in my house, I don't care if they think the meaning is something else.

'Hey man',don't you feel 'queer' about being 'gay' on such a 'cool' day. Wearing your 'thongs' on your 'dogs'. Wishing it were 'hot'. Trying not to 'pop your cork', when the 'dude' next to you pours 'pop' on your 'dogs' and makes your 'buns' soggy.

And I hope I didn't just write something vulgar. I really didn't intend to. Translation below:

Hey man = 60's-70's exclamation
I meant it as hey you

queer = strange - my grandmother's generation
gay = happy - my mother's generation
cool = weather
thongs = flip flops - 60's - 70's
dogs = feet - before 1950's
hot = weather
pop your cork = get angry

dude = male
I meant non - country cowboy

pop = soda, carbonated beverage
dogs = hot dogs, frankfurters
buns = hogie type bread used for hot dogs, frankfurters

Anyway, look up slang on the web.
But I couldn't come up with history, Sure would be interesting though. Maybe check for a history of words at the library.

Do something nice for a stranger today. And tell them to pass it forward.
Good life to you.

Answer 2

Seems I've heard Peter's name use too.
I am not expert (but I do have a Dick or Peter or an Elvis).
I suspect that the reason is that it is nothing more than a comman man's name. Being men, we like to have other men around as friends ...I mean without going too far out on a limb, when I ask myself who my best friend is, I think of Dick (or Peter or ? You name it! Literally.)

Answer 3

Here's another example:
Dick (North America) = Stojko >>stoyko<< (Macedonia)
It is also an older Macedonian name used for the same part of a body. It seems worldwide people are treating that part of the body as a closest friend to themselves, like a pet or something...
However it's funny to everyone, but not to those who have it as their first name :-)))

Answer 4

It has not changed. I have an uncle name Dick, yes people do chuckled a little simple because of the name and what they think it mean. But think about it that part has a lot of names.

Answer 5

Maybe it was Nixon. His nickname was Tricky Dick. And he ended up being a dick. So maybe young people took to using it as an insult. Just a theory.

Answer 6

My wife's aunt Priscilla was called P*ssy or aunt puss. They don't use that nickname for girls anymore. When I was in the eighth grade (1957) the girls talked about their p*ssy. They thought the boys thought it was their cat they were talking about but most of us knew better. I liked that word. It sounds more cuddly than than c**t . It came into popular use in the early sixties and I think D!ck became popular at about the same time. Us old hippies can take the blame. I knew a cop named Richard Head. We called him D!ckhead behind his back. And to his face sometimes.

Answer 7

Like Eve said to Adam, hmmm, that's a hard one.

Answer 8

My Grandma never poked her finger, she "pricked" her finger.
When she felt bad she felt "queer" My mom thot my muscley
boyfriend was "stacked" Little girls USED to call their kitty kat
their "pussycat" My girls called their parts their "cookie"
on and on. Words suck.

Answer 9

what he said