prick When it comes to insulting slang, look no further than the human body. Pussy, cunt, twat… these words can all be used as weapons when it comes to a verbal smack down. And while it's usually the female body that attracts the most slang terms, guys have contributed a few words of their own…which brings us to the word prick. Prick is mainly used to describe when someone is acting like a jerk, but it can also be used as a slang term for penis. The more PG definition of prick means, "to puncture or mark." So where did this term come from? And how did it get so many meanings? According to etymologists, the word prick originated in the Middle English (from prikke) or Old English (prica) and dates back to before the 12th century. Back then, it pretty much meant what it means today: to make a small hole by a pointy or sharp object. It was also used amongst farmers to describe a piece of sharpened wood that kept oxen in place, like a fence. Around the late 1500s, prick became synonymous with penis. Why? We can only guess that the penis was (and is) considered a sharp object that punctures or pierces the vagina/hymen. However, it wasn't until the 20th century that prick actually became an insult. In 1929, prick was defined as, "one in authority who is abusive or unjust" by the prestigious journal American Speech--in other words, someone who's a jerk. And just like today, the term was typically only applied to men. This is different than other body-inspired insults, like pussy, that can be applied to both men and women. Today, the term prick is still used for all of the meanings it has acquired throughout history. From the cult classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High ("No brain little prick.") to the mobster movie Casino, the term crops up all across pop culture. Now, the question is: Have you ever called someone a prick?

Comments

[Mandy]

lmao. I call people pricks all the time & people are always like "who USES that word?" Like a few weeks ago our first year softball team played a JV team & beat them, well the paper didnt metnion that it was the other school JV team & he called it into the paper as a correction. Who is THAT anal? They couldnt just let us have that win? Pricks.

[magie]

I only called some one a prick when i was driving becuase he scared the crap out of me and it just came out no one heard but yeah thats all she wrote!

[lady]

yeah, i call people pricks, but the only ones that i call pricks are boys who telks nasty stuff to girls. esp. me. yeah, guys are real "pricks" all they think about is their "prick" and their brains starts and finishes at the end of thier "pricks" they are so "pricky"

[Deanna]

my uncle and i are always txting calling each other pricks, but its not a word i would usually call someone. I usually would use something like cunt, or bitch.. words used by most people.. only when needed might i add.

[Mariah]

Many boys R pricks! They R also very,very ,very horny an self absorbed too.

[victoria]

yeah i call people pricks all the time
hahah

[Kenzi]

I call my brother a prick sometimes.

He's mean to me all the time, so i've gotten used to calling him rude things.

[cuttie23]

i called a guy a prick really loud in the middle of class and got a detention but i didnt go to it

[Jasmine]

I don't use prick I usually say you mudda fukin whore or ass wipe, pussy, etc. But prick sound so damn gay.

[Ayana]

I've called bois pricks in the past but i dont usuallu

[Casey]

I usually don't call anybody a prick. I usually call people bitch's or sluts. Stuff like that. It's on a rare occasion i use the word prick.

[The Sockmonkey]

I call people pricks all the time. :) Usually guys.

[Danni]

I use it all the time. Mainly "No brain little prick", because I see reruns of "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" all the time.

[Xylia]

I called my teacher a prick in 8th grade I didn't even know what it meant. I heard it from someone else and it sounded like something funny to say. My teacher got SOO MAD at me!!

[Jaila]

Actually I have used the word but it was more like ..."U have the tiniest little prick inside of your pants" and i havent been bothered by the guy ever since because every1 found out it was true after i pulled his pants down

[Eyisha Hutchinson]

I always call people offensive names-my favourite being twat and bitch.-Although nobody seems to take me seriously!!!

[Tara]

nope

[Keisha]

i called my guy friend a prick yesterday! he texted me saying i texted him with bad "gramma" so i texted him saying he had bad spelling... prick!

[azsa]

ive never really used it before besides 4 its PROPER meaning!

[Dotty]

I only call someone a prick if I deem them worthy to be associated with such an insult. Come to think of it, that pretty much describes my method of cussing in a nutshell! ;)

[patricia kaye]

i only call a guy that if its
TRUE!!!!

[Caitlin]

I'm from England, and people say it all the time here.
Lads to lads and lasses to lads aswell :)

[krista]

.................I JUST HEARD OF THAT WORD!!! BEFORE U KNOW IT U WONT BE ABLE TO SAY ICE CREAM WITH PEOPLE THINKING ITS SOME KINDA BAD SLANG WORD!!!!

[Kimmie]

Yep, done it before and I'll most likely do it again. It's among one of my favorite slang "verbal smacks". Alot of people don't know what it means... I guess 'cause it ain't really used as much as other words.

[Aphrodite]

I call prick.
For example I called my ex-bf one.
It's should be used like pussy.
^_^

[nicole]

yeah i accidently called my teacher a prick when i was at home around the dinner table. I had no idea wat the word meant and it embarrassed the hell out of me when everyone held their breath cause all my aunts and grandma was there......whoops :)

[Eima]

i have called sum1 a prick mainly because dey wer acting lak 1... getting on really stupid!!

itz mostly used by boys dese days... neva really hear girls sayin it da each otha... unless dey r sayin it 2 a boy lol..!!

itz nat really that common..!

[Emily]

I have called someone a prick a few times.
But with my experience.
Mostly guys call other guys pricks.
I've also only heard someone call a girl a prick like..
once.
lol, but prick had never been a popular label until the past year when suddenly everyone everywhere started to say it.