Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 09:56:27 -0500

From: Al Futrell awfutr01[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HOMER.LOUISVILLE.EDU

Subject: Re: Tomboy & Sissy



On Thu, 16 Nov 1995, Wayne Glowka wrote:



tlc has said that the terms are common in prison lexicons. Is there

implied ironic humor in the terms? implied euphemism? They strike me as

delicate ways around words that seem more taboo.



In prison(s) an entire hierarchy of "homosexuals" (I place this in quotes

because that is not really how the prisoners discuss it -- that is our

egghead term) exists and some of this is revealed in the lexicon. For

example, there is a punk, a fag, a sissy, a girl, and so on. Depending

upon what prison you are in, the terms have slightly different meanings,

although a punk is pretty much the lowest level in all the prisons I have

been to, which is about 20.



Al Futrell

-- awfutr01[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]homer.louisville.edu

-- http://www.louisville.edu/~awfutr01

Dept of Communication -- University of Louisville