Not a recondite insult (#43825)
by Sharon Howard on October 7, 2004 at 4:56 PM

‘[Elizabeth Addison said that] Susan Hartnes was a whore and a pocky whore and a burnt whore, and Mr George Lamploughs whore and that he had her at his comaund five yeares together at the stayres head or foot or where he pleased’. (York, 1661; 'pocky' and 'burnt' both referring to venereal disease. See also: 'Burnt-arsed whore'). The opening lines of a chapter of my MA diss. I loved writing that diss; the things I could get away with putting in it because, well, it was just quoting the sources... When I can find my old files, I plan to blog about it some time.