Originally posted by moming at 3/9/13 01:12 AM
They are also called "chickens" in Chinese and many of the Asian countries.
Here's an etymology lesson on "chicken" as it relates to prostitutes:
We have to go back to Britain during the early 19th century. English (being from England, not America) slang at the time referred to girls as "birds."
In America during the late 19th century, the slang word "chicks" began to be used. In the English language there's a word and descriptive distinction between grown chickens (chickens) and the cute little baby chickens (chicks). "Chicks" are young chickens (the actual bird, not the slang meaning here), and chickens are birds. See the double meaning here?
Still in America and now in the 20th century, the slang word "chicks" took on a slightly different meaning. Now "chicks" meant young, dolled up girls.
During the mid to second half of the 20th century "chicks" became associated with young, slutty and dolled up girls. At this point in time, American slang crossed over to Asia. Street prostitutes often dress slutty and Americans in Asia called local prostitutes "chicks." In the Chinese (Cantonese) language there's no word distinction between chickens and chicks -- they're both called 鸡. So the English-to-Chinese translation happened where Chinese people began calling prostitutes "鸡" -- and translated back into English it means "chickens." |
