h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Was just about to drop off to sleep last night when a thought suddenly struck me! (I know, very scary, had to take a lie down after it) You know how we Brits call our vaginas fanny, and Americans use the same word for their bottoms, why is that?

Answers on a postcard please!

...And what would you do if you met someone *named* Fanny? (I work with one, the Bee Gee's wrote a song about one). Never struck me as strange until I joined this site.

I can't think of any obvious origins for either term. I do know, though, that in the past a lot of slang came over from America and got distorted on its way here. It could be that us Brits got the idea that the word meant something 'a bit rude down there' and got the wrong idea.

I've never actually met anyone called Fanny, but I've met loads of Mary's (which tends to be another name people call our nether regions)so I guess I wouldn't think much of it. I was just curious as to why two countries used the term for different parts of the body. Hope you can still look at your colleague in the same way as before!

Possibly. Could cause some interesting situations in the bedroom!

My friends daughters used to call thiers lily, not now as they are 14 & 11Yrs old.Very embarrasing if they were given a bunch of lilies or walking past a lake and the boyfriend says "what a nice lily"

just a bit! It's strange what names we come up with isn't it? I've heard of it being called a "flower" before but not a lily. I just refer to both men's and women's bits as "down below" as it comes in handy in my job.

There was a really bad American sit-com called "The Nanny" (I think) and the lyrics to the theme had a line about her being thrown out on her fanny. Hmmmmm, ouch!

I too have heard the female genitalia referred to us a "lilly" - I can't help but make a childish grin whenever I go out to water mine!

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the origins of the American “fanny” came from the early days of Hollywood. I rememder an interview on British T.V. with Bob Hope who said “… she landed on her fanny…” to the shock of a nation of viewers, until it was explained that he was referring to the girl’s bottom.

I hope this will help you in your quest.

p.s. I think most people are thinking about those regions when going to be bed, but for a different reason!