Life echoes The Onion again

[muckefuck]

The questions my husband comes up with...

Last night, he asked for the source of "-wad" in compounds like dickwad, dipwad, dorkwad, jerkwad, and asswad. I hope to do some research among the slang dictionaries today, but I don't hold out a lot of hope. My sense is that "dickwad" is the first of these to emerge and that I was hearing it in the very late 70's/early 80's. Anybody want to kick in their two cents?

Comments

[stephe.livejournal.com]

I always understood "wad" in the sense of "load of semen." Hence John Holmes's nickname of "Johnny Wadd."

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I never knew that! I am having a fit of etymological joy.

[teapot-farm.livejournal.com]

I am having a fit of existential angst over my excessive (and entirely innocent) use of the word 'scumbag'

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

Only slightly aslant the point, here's my favorite text on the subject of wads *ever*!

[foodpoisoningsf.livejournal.com]

The speculation around here is that it's somehow descended from the Civil War expression "shoot your wad" in reference to muskets and the cotton "wad" used to keep the projectile and powder in the barrel.