I was also told here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensleeves that green of that time was related to sex, so gayest and sex seems to be concepts related to each other huh?
At the time, the word "green" had sexual connotations
Man, WTF, back then the people had something between their ears compared to nowadays. How did we end up in this big pile of shit, where green is seen as something bad and needs to be harashed until thee conforms?
In the modernised version of the song they censured out the part containing gayest lol?
Why didn't you ever say what you think the author intended the line to mean?
In addition to its original and continuing senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy,” gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel.
I think a gay gelding is a metaphor for the speaker in the song. The speaker is sexually desirous of Lady Green Sleeves but her refusal makes him unable to act on his desire. The horse, being described as the gayest, has strong sexual desires but his castration makes him unable to act on his desire.
On February 08 2011 02:02 Kamille wrote: Green probably referenced the idea of fertility, spring, rebirth etc, making it sexual in nature.
yes yes but its gay o.o
On February 08 2011 02:00 Liquid`Tyler wrote: Why didn't you ever say what you think the author intended the line to mean?
I did, but im bad: He gives his castrated most gayest horse to her. This means he has more horses that are gay, but she coouldnt have them. Its must be the gayest.
I see the castrated part as something that is fixed. Look you get a horse not on a bronzeplate but on a silverplate. I did all the work for you.
On February 08 2011 02:01 anatem wrote: gay = merry, happy
Man this makes no sense cause normally gay, when not used for sexual orientation, is loaded with negative vibes.
For example if i said to my parents i wish you a gay christmas, they would hit me and tell me to wash my mouth with soap.
But if i said "man that political speech was just pure gay", no one would think i would be positive about it o.o
On February 08 2011 02:01 anatem wrote: gay = merry, happy
Man this makes no sense cause normally gay, when not used for sexual orientation, is loaded with negative vibes.
For example if i said to my parents i wish you a gay christmas, they would hit me and tell me to wash my mouth with soap.
But if i said "man that politically speech was just pure gay", no one would think i would be positive about it o.o
You've got it a little back to front here. "Gay" originally meant happy, with sexual overtones (I'm trying to think of an equivalent modern word and failing) as discussed above by Tyler and others.
It only gained its pejorative sense indirectly: as it came to mean only/mainly "homosexual", society (still largely heterosexual) started using it as an insult because being a homo has been something that's been getting you insulted for years and years (see: Julius Caesar, yes that one, getting called "Queen of Bithynia" for an alleged affair on a campaign).
And of course, now it's starting to become a general-purpose insult with no regard to any original meaning, which is just an example of how language changes.
On February 08 2011 02:00 Liquid`Tyler wrote: Why didn't you ever say what you think the author intended the line to mean?
I did, but im bad: He gives his castrated most gayest horse to her. This means he has more horses that are gay, but she coouldnt have them. Its must be the gayest.
I see the castrated part as something that is fixed. Look you get a horse not on a bronzeplate but on a silverplate. I did all the work for you.
On February 08 2011 02:01 anatem wrote: gay = merry, happy
Man this makes no sense cause normally gay, when not used for sexual orientation, is loaded with negative vibes.
For example if i said to my parents i wish you a gay christmas, they would hit me and tell me to wash my mouth with soap.
But if i said "man that political speech was just pure gay", no one would think i would be positive about it o.o
words can have multiple meanings that are not necessarily negative... gay as cheerful is a little old world, but anyone native english speaker with a halfway decent education would get what you meant
Damned, the topic made me believe this was a thread about some guy named 15th Cent who parodies songs by 50 Cent by rapping about 15th century topics. My hopes and dreams have been crushed.
On February 08 2011 02:01 anatem wrote: gay = merry, happy
Man this makes no sense cause normally gay, when not used for sexual orientation, is loaded with negative vibes.
For example if i said to my parents i wish you a gay christmas, they would hit me and tell me to wash my mouth with soap.
But if i said "man that politically speech was just pure gay", no one would think i would be positive about it o.o
You've got it a little back to front here. "Gay" originally meant happy, with sexual overtones (I'm trying to think of an equivalent modern word and failing) as discussed above by Tyler and others.
It only gained its pejorative sense indirectly: as it came to mean only/mainly "homosexual", society (still largely heterosexual) started using it as an insult because being a homo has been something that's been getting you insulted for years and years (see: Julius Caesar, yes that one, getting called "Queen of Bithynia" for an alleged affair on a campaign).
And of course, now it's starting to become a general-purpose insult with no regard to any original meaning, which is just an example of how language changes.
I think the word closest to it now would be "camp". Camp means happy, boysterous behaviour. It is often used to describe men who behave in a more feminine way but doesn't automatically have the sexual connotations attached.
In addition to its original and continuing senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy,” gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel.
I think a gay gelding is a metaphor for the speaker in the song. The speaker is sexually desirous of Lady Green Sleeves but her refusal makes him unable to act on his desire. The horse, being described as the gayest, has strong sexual desires but his castration makes him unable to act on his desire.
EPT
