well she only missed making a rude pun by 70 years or so

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well she only missed making a rude pun by 70 years or so Written by Jenny Allan (9/30/2005 9:10 p.m.) in consequence of the missive, I have also read somewhere..., penned by Emmy

"Also for the "Dick"/Richard line, surely "it" didn't mean then, what it does today???"

Probably not. The Straight Dope says the vulgar meaning that we think of as "contemporary" came in around 1890. Possibly as an evolution of the word also meaning "everyman" and/or a type of short riding whip. (Their source on that is the OED).

Still, I'm thinking of the "rears and vices" pun in Mansfield Park as proof that JA was not above a ribald joke, or allowing a character to make a ribald joke to make a point. Had that meaning existed then, I don't think JA would have necessarily stayed away from the joke.

History of the name Richard and the nickname Dick

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Ch 5: Excepting one short period of her life... Emmy (9/28/2005 11:53 a.m.)

I don't take this as a commentary on LR... Sarah Hannah (9/29/2005 7:00 p.m.)
Richard-Dick abbreviation Kalyn (9/28/2005 3:22 p.m.)
- The "Richard" Joke Golda (9/28/2005 10:38 p.m.)
  - Not Cap't., not Mister... Margaret 7 (9/29/2005 9:16 p.m.)
  - I have also read somewhere... Emmy (9/29/2005 2:00 a.m.)
    - well she only missed making a rude pun by 70 years or so Jenny Allan (9/30/2005 9:10 p.m.)
    - Richard Crosby Cheryl (9/29/2005 2:19 a.m.)
      - Great Story, Indeed. Thanks for Sharing (NFM) BarbaraB (9/29/2005 6:37 p.m.)
Oops! Sorry, didn't realize it was already discussed lower -nfm Emmy (9/28/2005 12:18 p.m.)

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