It is sexist and connotes your girl under consideration try sexually promiscuous

James’s

Wide are a jargon name for a woman. Which sense of the definition of seems from inside the violent slang throughout the early twentieth century. The fresh metaphor underlying the sense try uncertain, even though there are an earlier guess that is actually possible.

The adjective greater, meaning large, is out-of Proto-Germanic, hence simple feel are located in Old English just like the brad. They, as an example, appears from inside the Beowulf, lines 1545–47a, regarding endeavor anywhere between Beowulf and Grendel’s Mommy:

(Then she straddled the girl hall-visitor and you can received the woman dagger, wide and you will vibrant-edged; she wanted to avenge their guy, this lady merely kin.)

The earliest the means to access large since the an excellent noun definition lady one I know away from is through cartoonist Thomas A beneficial. “TAD” Dorgan in 1913. The employment was quoted when you look at the Green’s Dictionary from Slang, but have started unable to to obtain the exact supply, and even though the brand new denotation away from greater in order to imply lady is obvious, the latest context and connotations commonly obvious regarding the brief pass:

The phrase is defined and you can considering an enthusiastic etymology the second 12 months during the Jackson and you will Hellyer’s 1914 Language out-of Violent Jargon:

Newest around genteel grafters chiefly. A lady confederate; a woman companion; a lady from loose morals. See “DONY,” “FLUZIE,” “MUFF.” Large comes from the new far-fetched metaphor of “buffet violation,” signifying a lady supplier for an excellent pimp, about fanciful interaction of a meal citation so you’re able to a railroad and other solution, and therefore second to start with is actually exclusively used by “gonifs” to point “large,” otherwise a beneficial conductor’s hat examine. Plus a gambling card regarding platform regarding 50-a few. An effective “three-card monte man” try an excellent “Greater SPIELER”; “Tipping the fresh broads” are operating into the a covered transportation solution; “Conquering the broads” is actually corrupting this new conductor and other meeting functionaire of a transportation range.

Some other idea, once more complex instead proof, is the fact it a sexually promiscuous woman are wider-oriented

The fresh new proposition the play with comes from greater meaning pass try probable, however, impractical. Also Jackson and you will Hellyer consider they “far-fetched.” It’s probable because large has been utilized so you can suggest a betting cards while the eighteenth century. Of George Parker’s Life’s Painter, c. 1790:

Sharps. Males from a contrary character. It name is actually used on sharpers in general, that happen to be constantly shopping for apartments [i.age., “males that happen to be with ease used”], to help you him or her through to the fresh broads, that is notes, or in small, people issue otherwise, regarding mountain and you will hustle inside the Moorfields, to the Pharo dining table at St.

A shift out-of credit cards to help you tickets of several forms try possible, although we have little research for particularly explore away from Jackson and you can Hellyer’s dictionary. So, the record of one’s term’s use as such could be good regional use peculiar in order to Portland, Oregon and/or Pacific Northwest more extensively. (Hellyer was an authorities detective inside the Portland, and far out-of his dictionary is dependant on their sense.) It is enticing to treat this source because official whilst looks close to the term’s physical appearance in print. If it’s elderly, the considering happens, it must be closer to exactly what people that coined it envision. Although reverse is usually the instance. Later on reasons, such as for instance complex by the anyone who has read the whole corpus away from research, that’s growing as increasing numbers of old texts was digitized, are more likely to produce greatest answers.

An even more possible conjecture, but once more just a guess, is the fact women are branded large as his or her pelvis have a tendency to become wider than others of males.

Basically, we don’t really know as to why this access to broad appeared are. Discover more likely earlier types of use to end up being located. Unfortunately, wider is actually an emotional term to search for within the electronic texts. Breaking up this jargon feel away from all the senses of the phrase is laborious rather than easy to automate. Perhaps, as more early examples of have fun with are located, an obvious origin commonly emerge.

Parker, George. Life’s Painter of Variegated Letters in public areas and personal Life, next model. c. 1790. 18th 100 years Collections Online (ECCO).