Discussion:
Etymology of term "Cat House"
(too old to reply)
Jeff Wisnia
2006-05-15 17:43:49 UTC
Permalink
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.

I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.

I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.

Our inquiring minds want to know guys....

********************

I just can't end this post without a relevant limerick:

When the clients are more than a few,
There's a savvy old madam named Drew.
Who'll establish a line,
By displaying a sign,
That informs all arrivals: FUCK QUEUE.

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Life is like a sewer -- what you get out of it depends on what you put
into it."
Les Albert
2006-05-15 18:53:16 UTC
Permalink
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.
Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw’s Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".

Every city in the U.S. probably has a fanciful story about how the
word "cathouse" originated there. Here is one from Deadwood City:

www.deadwoodmagazine.com/article.php?read_id=119

Les


Les
John Dean
2006-05-15 23:08:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Les Albert
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in
one of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was
open for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling
pussy. Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw's Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".
Not forgetting that "cat" also meant female genitalia - analogous to
"pussy".

Though not here:
http://www.oxfordshire.co.uk/data/008920.html

(My favourite local name)
--
John Dean
Oxford
Jerry Bauer
2006-05-16 15:13:53 UTC
Permalink
Post by Les Albert
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.
Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw’s Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".
Every city in the U.S. probably has a fanciful story about how the
www.deadwoodmagazine.com/article.php?read_id=119
What do they call their archive now?
Les Albert
2006-05-16 17:08:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jerry Bauer
Post by Les Albert
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.
Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw’s Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".
Every city in the U.S. probably has a fanciful story about how the
www.deadwoodmagazine.com/article.php?read_id=119
What do they call their archive now?
?

Les
Blinky the Shark
2006-05-16 18:56:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jerry Bauer
Post by Les Albert
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.
Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw’s Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".
Every city in the U.S. probably has a fanciful story about how the
www.deadwoodmagazine.com/article.php?read_id=119
What do they call their archive now?
The Archive Formerly Known As Timmy
--
Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html
Coming Soon: Filtering rules specific to various real news clients
Charles Wm. Dimmick
2006-05-16 19:57:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jerry Bauer
Post by Les Albert
On Mon, 15 May 2006 13:43:49 -0400, Jeff Wisnia
Post by Jeff Wisnia
A friend just returned from a visit to Savannah, Georgia last weekend
saying she'd taken a city tour while there. She said the tour guide
explained that the term Cat House (i.e. bordello) came about because
such establishments in tht city placed a statue of a sitting cat in one
of their windows If the cat was facing out the establishment was open
for business, but if it was facing inward they were closed.
I tried to confirm that one, but the mega number of porno sites using
that expression swamped my Googling attempts.
I always assumed the term had something to do with cat equalling pussy.
Our inquiring minds want to know guys....
The word mavens tell us that, "... according to the OED the
now-obsolete use of the word "cat" for "prostitute" was established as
early as 1401 when the word appeared in Friar Daw’s Reply, a poem in
Middle English. Although the exact meaning of the word in this poem
is debatable, the definition had been unquestionably cemented by 1670,
when an early dictionary entry for "cat" followed the word with the
phrase, "a common whore." ".
Every city in the U.S. probably has a fanciful story about how the
www.deadwoodmagazine.com/article.php?read_id=119
What do they call their archive now?
tafkac

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