英语词汇john的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

John; John Thomas. The common first name John derives from the Hebrew Yohanan, “God is gracious.” It is the most pop- ular of all U.S. and European first names, appearing in various languages as John, Jean, Juan, Johann, Joao, Johannus, Hans, Giovanni, Yan, Yannis, and Yahya—not to mention feminine versions such as Jean and Joan. The origins of “John Thomas,” long a slang expression for the penis, and “john,” a modern synonym for a toilet and a prostitute’s client, will probably never be established beyond a doubt. But a British tradition, running counter to all known facts, derives the expression from the name of a real man of prodigious dimensions. According to this story, the expression “John Thomas” dates to the Middle Ages, about 1400. At the time there lived in a Wiltshire village a farmer named John Thomas, whose outlandishly large mem- ber constantly attracted the attention of people even when safe- ly concealed beneath his codpiece. But John Thomas suc- cumbed to the sin of pride. Confusing astonishment with praise, he took to exhibiting himself to anyone who happened by. Young John was finally tried, hanged, drawn, and quartered—except for the real offender, that is. Puritans being then as they are still, John Thomas’s enormous penis was pre- served in an economy-size pickle jar and Barnums of the time toured the countryside exhibiting dead what he had been exe- cuted for exhibiting alive. And so, according to the tale, the ex- pression John Thomas became part of the language. The trouble is that no etymologist has traced the expression back further than 1840. All we have is the legend and the expression John Thomas, which, interestingly enough, D. H. Lawrence first used as the title for Lady Chatterley’s Lover. In about 1650 the ex- pression, broken down to john, became the common name for a toilet. Then again it may all be a phallic fallacy.

词汇	john
词源	John; John Thomas. The common first name John derives from the Hebrew Yohanan, “God is gracious.” It is the most pop- ular of all U.S. and European first names, appearing in various languages as John, Jean, Juan, Johann, Joao, Johannus, Hans, Giovanni, Yan, Yannis, and Yahya—not to mention feminine versions such as Jean and Joan. The origins of “John Thomas,” long a slang expression for the penis, and “john,” a modern synonym for a toilet and a prostitute’s client, will probably never be established beyond a doubt. But a British tradition, running counter to all known facts, derives the expression from the name of a real man of prodigious dimensions. According to this story, the expression “John Thomas” dates to the Middle Ages, about 1400. At the time there lived in a Wiltshire village a farmer named John Thomas, whose outlandishly large mem- ber constantly attracted the attention of people even when safe- ly concealed beneath his codpiece. But John Thomas suc- cumbed to the sin of pride. Confusing astonishment with praise, he took to exhibiting himself to anyone who happened by. Young John was finally tried, hanged, drawn, and quartered—except for the real offender, that is. Puritans being then as they are still, John Thomas’s enormous penis was pre- served in an economy-size pickle jar and Barnums of the time toured the countryside exhibiting dead what he had been exe- cuted for exhibiting alive. And so, according to the tale, the ex- pression John Thomas became part of the language. The trouble is that no etymologist has traced the expression back further than 1840. All we have is the legend and the expression John Thomas, which, interestingly enough, D. H. Lawrence first used as the title for Lady Chatterley’s Lover. In about 1650 the ex- pression, broken down to john, became the common name for a toilet. Then again it may all be a phallic fallacy.
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