4 theories on the origin of “blowjob”

If you’ve ever wondered where the term blowjob comes from, you’re not alone. People have been puzzling over this term since it’s first known occurrence in 1942. Some of them have no doubt puzzled over it while giving a blowjob (the mind wanders sometimes).

The job part is easy to understand. The term may have originated as an item on the sexual menu offered by prostitutes, but regardless of whether money is actually being exchanged, oral sex is a service performed by an active partner on a passive one. The fact that some people love the work more than others doesn’t make it any less of a job. The same applies to hand job, toe job, and all the other “jobs” in the sexual lexicon.

No, it’s the blow part that confounds. How could a word that is the very opposite of suck find its way into a slang term for fellatio? Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer. On the bright side, the theories are fascinating in themselves. Pick your favorite:

Theory 1: It’s what a “blowsy” does

This theory holds that the word comes from blowsy, a Victorian Era slang term for wench or prostitute. Much like hooking has become a word describing the professional activities of hookers, blowjob became the term for what blowsies did.

The word blowsy itself probably comes from blush – not exactly an activity you would normally associate with loose women. The blushing apparently refers to a reddish complexion associated with common wenches of the time (possibly due to excessive drinking). In fact, the word blowsy survives today as an adjective meaning “sloppy” or “having a reddish complexion.” In at least some parts, it also means “sluttish.” So, like the word slut, it tends to refer to a woman who is wanton and/or unattractive.

 

Likelihood: Not very. If blowjob comes from the word blowsy, where did it go all those years between Victorian times and the 1940s? While this theory has some followers on the internet, it doesn’t seem to have a lot of scholarly backing.

Theory 2: It comes from “below job”

Another theory that hearkens back to Victorian days. It’s said that back then, the term for fellatio was below job – with the active partner “going below” to accomplish the task. Since below job sounds an awful lot like blowjob (especially in the pleading tones of someone begging for one), the first two syllables eventually melded.

Try this experiment. Propose a below job to your partner and see if he or she notices the difference. Whether you pronounce it “bee-low” or “buh-low,” I’m betting your partner figures it out. Especially if you’re offering.

Likelihood: Anything is possible. This explanation is cute and sounds plausible, making it a nifty piece of trivia to share with friends at parties or in email forwards. However, there’s not much evidence to support it.

Theory 3: It’s a music metaphor

In jazz slang, the word blow means “to play an instrument.” The male member has often been compared to various woodwind instruments (skin flute being a popular slang term). Fellatio is an act of rhythm and skill performed with the mouth. Put it all together, and it’s not hard to imagine blowjob originating in jazz circles, where people were perhaps more inclined to see the world in musical terms.

Of course, there are plenty of other examples of music metaphors in the sexual lexicon. There’s the squeeze box and the notorious rusty trombone, to name just two. Maybe blowjob belongs to this tradition.

Likelihood: Quite possible. The timing makes sense for an early 40′s debut for blowjob, and this seems to be one of the favored theories among linguists.

Theory 4: It comes from the same place as “blowing off steam”

Here’s a twist. Maybe the “blowing” part doesn’t describe the process, but rather the result. There are a lot of phrases incorporating the word blow that describe a release of pent up energy. There’s blowing off some steam, blowing your stack, blowing your cool, and of course, blowing your wad. That last one has probably occurred to you if you’ve spent much time contemplating the origins of blowjob.

It might seem counter-intuitive for blowjob to describe ejaculation, giving that blowing isn’t the only way to make someone come. It seems like a overly general name for a single, specific sex act. However, in the prostitution realm, that particular sex act is a staple – it’s quick, clean, and convenient. And unlike a hand job, it offers the customer something he can’t do for himself (that’s called value-add). All in all, fellatio is the ideal way to help a backed up customer blow off some steam.

Likelihood: Very. Before the first known use of blowjob, prostitutes were known to offer to blow off prospective customers. Case closed?