Fanny

Origin of: Fanny

Fanny

Outside of North America this is slang for the female pudenda and is first cited from c.1860 although its verbal usage may well date from before. According to the OED the origin is unknown but some etymologists maintain it derives from the erotic novel Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure popularly known as Fanny Hill, written in 1748 by John Cleland. The heroine Frances Hill (pet name Fanny) was a prostitute and her vulva was called into action so often that her name became synonymous with it. This origin is not proven but makes for a good story. In North America, fanny is slang for the buttocks and this usage dates from c. 1920, once again origin unknown.