Talk:The Pocket Book of Boners

Latest comment: 1 year ago by 170.249.173.20 in topic Question

Question

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What exactly does "boners" refer to in the title of this book? I'm afraid to guess. Stonemason89 (talk) 02:54, 1 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

dicks 170.249.173.20 (talk) 14:08, 1 March 2023 (UTC)Reply
There are these wonderful things called dictionaries: boner.
Here's an actual answer to your question, rather than someone being a dick:

A blunder; a bad mistake; a silly or stupid mistake. He really pulled a boner that time!

Wiktionary describes that definition as dated, but it was in use when I was a kid in the 1960s & 70s. We also used the phrase "bonehead play" with the same meaning.

For another akward use of the original meaning, check this out: http://www.comicbooktidbits.com/BATMAN%20BATTLES%20JOKER.htm Ttenchantr (talk) 07:19, 2 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

The Online Etymology Dictionary says the meaning of "erect penis" only arised in the 1950s, which would be a decade or two later than the publishing of the book.[1] However, it begs the question of whether that reference is trustworthy. Does anybody have access to Oxford English Dictionary? If the OED gives a period, I would trust the OED much more. SwordAngel (talk) 15:01, 23 July 2020 (UTC)Reply

References

  1. ^ "boner". The Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 23 July 2020. {{cite web}}: Text "Origin and meaning of boner by Online Etymology Dictionary" ignored (help)