What word do you most commonly use for "butt"? The etymology of "tushy."
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238325)
Walnut Creek, California
October 18, 2019 10:31am CST
One of my most brilliant therapeutic moments (as a child psychologist) occurred on an outing with a homeless 10-year-old gang-banger wannabe.
He would "sing" his rap "songs," and I would say I don't like hearing those words in my truck.
Finally we reached a compromise: He could sing his rap songs, but he had to say "female dog" for the b-word, and "tushy" for ass or butt.
Tushy is a word for bottom that has its roots in both Hebrew and Yiddish. It has an undertone of humor to it, so it's hard to sound like a gang-banger when you replace butt or ass with tushy.
The result with my kid client was that we'd be singing rap songs on the way to a hike, laughing our tushies off.
What word do you most often use to refer to your or another's butt?
17 people like this
17 responses
@FourWalls (86770)
• United States
18 Oct 19
@JohnRoberts — thought his Latin name was Cranium Up Rectum.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
@JohnRoberts I take it you're among those who are frustrated with his managing skills.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Oct 19
That's Dave Roberts' name in Latin!
4 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
18 Oct 19
Various words come to mind... whichever one wins the fight for supremacy at the moment comes out of my mouth.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
@BarBaraPrz If I use "tushy," I know I am safe.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14790)
• Ireland
18 Oct 19
@thehorse Ah, a topic one can warm to at last. For us a$$ and butt also possess an element of humour but a*se would be considered more vulgar. If a gentleman had no option but(t) to refer in mixed company to his buttocks he might say derrière (not forgetting the grave accent) or maybe even situpon.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (502573)
• Italy
19 Oct 19
@TheHorse No, in Italian "where the sun does not shine" it is not at all negative. You can say I got stung by a bee where the sun does not shine. It's always negative if you use bad words.
For what concerns the Jewish word, tushy derives from 'tochas' meaning bottom. "Bottom" (fondelli) to mention the butt is also used in Italian. That is usually used in a sort of negative term "don't f... with me" (non prendermi per i fondelli).
3 people like this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
"Tushy" ultimately comes from a Hebrew word meaning below or beneath, I believe. "Where the sun don't shine"? I HAVE heard that one. It's generally seen as a negative, as in "Stick your stupid idea where the sun don't shine."
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
18 Oct 19
If I'm not too ill, I say "behind." As in, "Get off your behind and get it yourself!"
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
19 Oct 19
@TheHorse Exactly. If I'm really riled up, I'll say butt. I'm such a gansta.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
@1creekgirl You be gangsta. Sometimes da kids need it.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Oct 19
The word isn't allowed here.
3 people like this
@divalounger (6182)
• United States
19 Oct 19
Nice!!! I use bottom for the most part--no humor, but nmy 2 year old grandson is cute when he says it--
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135819)
• Marion, Ohio
19 Oct 19
@TheHorse Thats what I grew up hearing so just what is said usually.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
@wolfgirl569 It's probably the most commonly used for for tush in America. Especially among friends and family.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
Tell us more. If you dare. I was at a bachelor party once, and we played a game where we were supposed to come up with plausible definitions for obscure words. Or something like that. But the winner was not the one who "tricked" those present the most. It was the one who could come up with the most hilarious and disgusting definition.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
Yes, that reminds me of "tushy"! There's something funny about it, yet it's not so vulgar that a parent or child would be "hurt" or "offended" by it. If I'm being "straight," I say "bottom" here. I should try "bum" sometimes and then explain the nuances to my younguns. I'm sure they'd find it "hilarious" and take it home to their parents.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
@LindaOHio Heh heh. It happens!
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
18 Oct 19
bum, hiney, posterior, south-end, back-side, kiester, behind, rear, gluteus maximus, booty...
I've always taken every opportunity possible to build my children's vocabularies.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238325)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 19
One of my 2-year-olds was singing "shake your booty" today while she shook her booty in the sand box. I laughed and asked where she learned that, and she said, "My mommy." I started singing "Hokey Pokey" and included "put your booty in, take your booty out." If you can't beat 'em join 'em.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209017)
• United States
19 Oct 19
I use the butt word. Interestingly, one of our neighbor kids used the word dupa for butt. That is a polish word.
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