Somehow found a link to you in regard to growing up in a household where having a bowel movement / defecation / whatever was referred to as "to grunt" or "grunting." My husband's parents also used that term (which we do NOT like and did not use with OUR children!!). Anyway, he was wondering WHERE you grew up? His parents are from Virginia. We're just curious! Thanks a bunch. Patti
Hello, Patti. My family of origin did indeed use that expression! That side was from Kansas, via Hannibal, MO, via Parkersburg, West Virginia---with a line going back "to the boat"---they came from England before that, mostly.
Thanks for letting me know about your husband's family's use of it. I sure have found few people who had that experience. What was so weird about that being the term was when I heard it later in the conventional sense & associated it with that very, uh, private thing.
OK, so I'm answering a post from 2005, 13 years ago, on the off chance that one of you will actually see it. Until now I thought I was the only one whose mother called it "grunting". Demographics - she was born in Virginia in 1917, her mother was from Alabama, and we lived just outside of St. Louis. She also called urinating "going wee wee".
Hello! Just catching up now, hunh? :) I'm still here. Lj-diehard, I guess.
Yeah, it seems a rarity. I've heard of only a few of us. I suppose mass media make family-anomaly euphemisms like this less likely to survive and be passed on now. BTW, in our family to urinate was to "wet"!
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"to grunt"
(Anonymous) 2005-05-29 12:43 am (UTC)(link)Re: "to grunt"
Thanks for letting me know about your husband's family's use of it. I sure have found few people who had that experience. What was so weird about that being the term was when I heard it later in the conventional sense & associated it with that very, uh, private thing.
RE: Re: "to grunt"
RE: Re: "to grunt"
Yeah, it seems a rarity. I've heard of only a few of us. I suppose mass media make family-anomaly euphemisms like this less likely to survive and be passed on now. BTW, in our family to urinate was to "wet"!
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