Fart 11236 222746930 2008-06-30T22:20:29Z Shem1805 5849737 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 222595139 by [[Special:Contributions/Ramblinwreck72|Ramblinwreck72]] ([[User talk:Ramblinwreck72|talk]]) - suspected vandalism {{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}} {{Two other uses|the word ''fart'' itself|information on the bodily function of passing intestinal gas (flatus) via the anus|Flatulence|the acronym|FART}} {{wiktionary}} '''Fart''' is an [[English language]] [[vulgarism]] most commonly used in reference to [[flatulence]]. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered [[vulgar]] or offensive in some situations. ''Fart'' can be used as a [[noun]] or a [[verb]].<ref name = "vxstmm">[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fart Dictionary.com]</ref> The immediate roots are in the Middle English words "ferten", "feortan" or "farten"; which is akin to the Old High German word "ferzan" meaning 'to break wind'. Other roots lie in old Norse, Greek and Sanskrit. The word "fart" has been incorporated into the [[colloquialism|colloquial]] and [[jargon|technical speech]] of a number of occupations, including computing. ''Fart'' is sometimes used as a nonspecific [[derogatory]] [[epithet]], often to refer to 'an irritating or foolish person', and potentially an elderly person, described as an 'old fart'. This may be taken as an insult when used in the second or third person, but can potentially be a term of endearment, or an example of self deprecatory humour when used in the first person.<ref>[http://www.hacker-dictionary.com/terms/old-fart Hacker dictionary]</ref> The phrase 'boring old fart' was popularised in the UK in the late 1970's by the [[New Musical Express]] while chronicling the rise of punk, it was used to describe hippies and establishment figures in the music industry, forces of inertia against the new music. ==Usage history== ===Indo-European origins=== The English word ''fart'' is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary. Its [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]] pedigree is confirmed by the many [[cognate]] words in other [[Indo-European languages]]: It is cognate with [[Greek language|Greek]] ''πέρδομαι'' (perdomai), [[Latin profanity#Pēdĕre: fart|Latin]] ''pēdĕre'', [[Sanskrit]] ''pardate'', [[Avestan language|Avestan]] ''pərəδaiti'', and [[Russian language|Russian]] ''пердеть'' (perdet'), all of which mean the same thing. Like most Indo-European roots in the [[Germanic languages]], it was altered by [[Grimm's law]], so that Indo-European ''/p/'' > ''/f/'', and ''/d/'' > ''/t/'', as the [[German language|German]] cognate ''furzen'' also manifests.<ref>[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]] (4th edition, 2000)</ref><ref>''Dictionnaire Hachette de la Langue Française'', (Hachette, 1995) ISBN 0-317-45629-6</ref><ref>T. G. Tucker, ''Etymological Dictionary of Latin'', (Halle, 1931, repr. Ares Publishers, 1985) ISBN 0-89005-172-0</ref> The word ''fart'' in [[Middle English]] occurs in [[Chaucer]]'s "[[Miller's Tale]]" (one of the ''[[Canterbury Tales]]''). In the tale (which is told by a bawdy miller as a group of pilgrims travel to Canterbury), Absolon has already been tricked into kissing Alison's buttocks when he is expecting to kiss her face. Her boyfriend Nicholas hangs his [[buttocks]] out of a window, hoping to trick Absolon into kissing his buttocks in turn and then passes gas in the face of his rival. ==Vulgarity and offensiveness== In certain circles the word is considered merely a common [[profanity]] with an often [[humor]]ous [[connotation]]. For example, a person may be referred to as a 'fart', or an 'old fart', not necessarily depending on the person's age. This may convey the sense that a person is overly boring or fussy and be intended as an insult, mainly when used in the second or third person. For example '"he's a boring old fart!" However the word may be used as a colloquial term of [[endearment]] or a in an attempt at humorous self-deprecation, (e.g., in such phrases as "I know I'm just an old fart" or "you do like to fart about!"). 'Fart' is often only used as a term of endearment when the subject is personally well known to the user. In both cases though, it tends to refer to personal habits or traits that the user considers to be a negative feature of the subject, even when it is a self-reference. For example, when concerned that a person is being overly methodical they might say 'I know I'm being an old fart', potentially to forestall negative thoughts and opinions in other. When used in an attempt to be offensive, the word is still considered vulgar, but it remains a mild example of such an insult. ===Modern usage=== By the early twentieth century, the word "fart" had come to be considered rather vulgar in most English-speaking cultures. For a long time, the word was forbidden from the public airwaves in the [[United States]] by the [[FCC]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} While not one of [[George Carlin]]'s original [[seven dirty words]], he noted in a later routine that the word ''fart'' , ought to be added to "the list" of words that were not acceptable (for broadcast) in any context (which have non-offensive meanings).<ref>[http://www.georgecarlin.com/dirty/dirty3.html George Carlin<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Changing attitudes== With the rise of [[cable television]] and changing social mores in general, the word fart is (in [[2007]]) frequently heard in the broadcast media. It is also now found in such places as children's literature, such as the ''[[Walter the Farting Dog]]'' series of children's books, [[Robert Munsch]]'s ''Good Families Don't'' and ''[[The Gas We Pass]]'' by Shinta Cho. While still considered impolite in some social contexts, much of the stigma surrounding the word has disappeared. ==In other usage== ===As a verb phrase=== Following on from 'fart' being used to refer to an irritating or foolish person, the verb phrase 'fart around', meaning to spend time foolishly or aimlessly is also utilised. Again this can be in a humorous attempt at a term of endearment, or as an insult.<ref name = "vxstmm"/> The implication is that the person is being a 'fart', and otherwise is wasting time, or achieving little. ===As a lapse in concentration=== The term 'brain fart', often used as a synonym for a 'senior moment', or a momentary lapse in concentration or occurrence of forgetfulness, such as an [[Absence seizure]]. It is a more modern usage, similar in derivation to the term fart to denote uselessness or a period of low achievement. In some cases, particularly the corporate world, it may be used to describe a situation where a person has spoken out of turn to a superior figure. This usage implies a momentary lack of forethought and a break in good sense, which may be colloquially explained away as the result of a 'brain fart'.<ref>[http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=brain%20fart net lingo]</ref> ===Other usages=== Fart has been used to name [[cocktails]], an example being a 'Duck fart', playing on the humorous reference to flatulence--an example of [[toilet humour]].<ref>[http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink554.html Drinksmixer.con]</ref> It has also been used in the term 'fart sack', military slang for a bed or [[sleeping bag]].<ref>[http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictionary/fart%20sack Fart sack at Sex-lexis]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{sourcesstart}} *''Fecal Matters in Early Modern Literature and Art: Studies in Scatology''. J Persels, R Ganim - 2004 (Chap. 1: The Honorable Art of Farting in Continental Renaissance) [http://books.google.it/books?vid=ISBN0754641163&id=0GKUQ-5o3qkC] {{sourcesend}} ==External links== *[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071228/flatulence_expert_071228/ CTV article on Dr. Michael Levitt, the world's leading fart expert] [[Category:Flatulence]] [[bg:Флатуленция]] [[cs:Prd]] [[de:Flatulenz]] [[es:Flatulencia]] [[fr:Flatulence]] [[ilo:Uttot]] [[id:Kentut]] [[it:Flatulenza]] [[he:נפיחה]] [[nl:Winderigheid]] [[ja:屁]] [[ko:방귀]] [[pl:Gazy jelitowe]] [[pt:Flatulência]] [[ro:Flatulenţă]] [[ru:Метеоризм]] [[simple:Flatulence]] [[fi:Pieru]] [[sv:Flatulens]] [[vi:Trung tiện]] [[zh:屁]]