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Pensacola Discussion Forum » General Discussion » Why is it acceptable to say the phrase "petered out", when it is very offensive in polite company to use the word "peter" by itself?

Why is it acceptable to say the phrase "petered out", when it is very offensive in polite company to use the word "peter" by itself?

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Hospital Bob

Hospital Bob

I can't say "that person has a small peter". Or "do you rub your peter".
But I can say something has "petered out". And of course that refers to the same peter and what peters do. But adding the suffix "ed" and the word "out" seems to change everything. Quite odd.

2seaoat



It has been thirty years since I have heard that term....petered out......I had almost forgotten that use by my grandmother in the sixties. It was a phrase which dealt with salt peter mining and when the mine faded it "petered out".

I have not heard the phrase in over thirty years.....including movies, radio, or newspaper articles......interesting.

Sal

Sal

Peter??

Hospital Bob

Hospital Bob

Admittedly,  this was a dumb thread.  I could blame it on intoxication at the time but that would just be an excuse.  Intoxication is no excuse for childish ideas.
Hell I didn't even know the phrase originated with salt peter and not the other peters. And yes, seaoat is right about another thing too. The phrase "petered out" is now archaic.

Yella

Yella

Well, I'll just declare!

http://warpedinblue,blogspot.com/

Hospital Bob

Hospital Bob

Yella wrote:Well, I'll just declare!

Or as my aunt would say, "My lands".

2seaoat



My grandmother's other favorite phrase was "woe is me".................................."woe is me"........I never heard another human being other than the lady born in 1899 in Opelika use that phrase.

Guest


Guest

Bob wrote:I can't say "that person has a small peter".  Or "do you rub your peter".
But I can say something has "petered out".  And of course that refers to the same peter and what peters do.  But adding the suffix "ed" and the word "out" seems to change everything.  Quite odd.

Similarly, you can say "I pricked my finger", but not "I fingered my prick."

Hospital Bob

Hospital Bob

colaguy wrote:

Similarly, you can say "I pricked my finger", but not "I fingered my prick."

This thread has now been redeemed. Thanks, colaguy. lol

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Pensacola Discussion Forum » General Discussion » Why is it acceptable to say the phrase "petered out", when it is very offensive in polite company to use the word "peter" by itself?

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