I make money, not art.

and with that money, i buy things.
More Things I Want:






Awesome, eh?
___________________________________________________________

I was talking about the Saucy Minxes (Anna Rose, Kirsten, Sarah, and I) the other day and got to thinking. What is the etymology behind those two words? Well, you may not be terribly interested, but I'm going to blog about it anyway.
(all results courtesy of my love, the OED)

saucy, a -
1. Flavoured with or pertaining to sauce; resembling sauce; savoury. Obs. (first used in 1508 - this has nothing to do with our group.)
2. a. Of persons, their dispositions, actions, or language: Insolent towards superiors; presumptuous. Now chiefly colloq. with milder sense, applied to children and servants: Impertinent, rude, ‘cheeky’. (first used in 1530, although my favorite example comes from 1548: UDALL Erasm. Par. Luke v. 17-20 What a more shamelesse or sawcie pranke coulde there bee, then to take downe the tyling of an other mannes house, and to toumble in such a lothely syght before such a presence to behold it?)
b. occas. with the notion: Wanton, lascivious. (first used in 1603)
c. Now often used in mock dispraise, as an endearing or admiring epithet implying piquancy or sprightliness. (first used in 1710)

Long after after Queen Elizabeth first uses it as a sort of quasi-adverb (1598), the same usage shows up in Jonathan Swift's journal (1713), "Methinks I writ a little saucy last night." Yes, my dear, methinks you did.
And that's enough of that.

minx, n.
[Origin uncertain. Perhaps MINIKIN n.¹ + -S suffix² (compare e.g. the form Minckins s.v. MINIKIN n.¹, and compare MAWKS n.), or perhaps in sense 2 <>mensch (compare Middle Dutch forms minsc, minsce, minsch) or Low German minsk, minsch (Middle Low German minsche: see MANNISH n.), both used in neuter as derogatory terms for a woman (compare Middle Low German dat junge minsche girl, frequently in derogatory use).

1. A pet dog. Obs. (first used in 1542)
2. a. A pert, sly, or boldly flirtatious young woman. (In some later quots. used merely playfully.) (first used in 1576)
b. A lewd or wanton woman; (also) a prostitute; a mistress. (first used in 1598)

That is so interesting. Somewhere between 1542 and 1576 "minx" went from being a lady's playful puppy to being a playful lady. And then, in 1598 - whore. Nice.

If you actually read all of that, thumbs up in your general direction. I love you lots.