tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post4333262887456360011..comments2024-03-10T20:46:19.274-04:00Comments on In the Middle: It's Not Every Day Middle English is Mentioned in the Washington PostCord J. Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06224143153295429986noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21165575.post-219887944667362842010-09-05T11:46:43.128-04:002010-09-05T11:46:43.128-04:00The better question is when did "tit" be...The better question is when did "tit" become vulgar? See <a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=byte&byte=206952450&egdisplay=open&egs=206966524" rel="nofollow">here.</a> And when did it begin to refer exclusively (in the non vulgar sense) to cows and other mammals? <br /><br />In ME, medical treatises use teat/tit, so it's clearly not vulgar. Nor does ME (or OE) distinguish between human and nonhuman teats/tits.<br /><br />But from (at least) the 20th century on, 'tit' is vulgar (OED s.v. 'tit,' n6) and refers exclusively to humans. Milbank's being (at best) silly, as is his asinine habit. Unless Simpson is a great deal older than he claims to be, he was clearly being his usual irascible, patronizing self.Karl Steelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03353370018006849747noreply@blogger.com