Just to put in my two cents:
I have to admit that, although I have heard the term, “schwantz”, in reference (reverance?) to the male member (<-stilted) more than, say, 200 times (which would mean that I had heard it at least once from someone who is not Mr. S), the only reference I could find to its use is at the link that Mr. S provided us some time ago. Even the OED remains silent, not even listing it as an entry. For those who scoff at the possibility of odd words being found in a dictionary, the OED is not average — they recently added “d’oh”, with etymology and definition as follows:
[Imitative. Cf. OH int., DUH int.
Popularized by the American actor Dan Castellaneta who provides the voice for the character Homer Simpson in the U.S. cartoon series The Simpsons. The quotation below is his own description of its origin:
Although the word appears (in the form D’oh) in numerous publications based on The Simpsons, the scripts themselves simply specify annoyed grunt (as did the very earliest). Unofficial transcripts of the programme suggest the first spoken use was in a short episode, Punching Bag, broadcast on 27 Nov. 1988 as part of The Tracey Ullman Show. Its earliest occurrence in the full-length series was in the first episode Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, broadcast on 17 Dec. 1989.]Expressing frustration at the realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish. Also (usu. mildly derogatory): implying that another person has said or done something foolish (cf. DUH int.).
[extensive list of reference quotes snipped]
Let it be said that I would give most of my limbs and even a teat to work for the OED. I maintain my Quality Paperback Book club membership simply so that I can have online access to the OED (a free benefit for members) when I have to be away from home where my hard copy resides… *grinning, drooling and frothing slightly*
It’s a Yiddish word and I think there is a “v” in it.
I should have looked it up first:
Shvantz — tail, penis (spelling is aproximate as there is no real way to translate from Yiddish to English. Thats why there are so many ways to spell Chanuka)
i must say i can’t share your enthusiasm for working for the OED, but i think it’d be cool to have your name in an entry, a la Dan Castellaneta and Tracy Ullman.
*thinking about the appelation “Mr. S.” in a new light*
male member (
I always try to have pun. :)
“w” is pronounced as “v” in German