That has got to be my favorite expression in the English language. Like a work of art, it reveals itself in layers.
Let's start with the first layer: women are like cows, and marriage is a purchase by the man of the woman. That means that the man PAYS in some currency to either the woman or her previous owners, in exchange for owning her and her "milk." This sounds suspiciously familiar, paying for sex, but that's not all we have here.
Let's go deeper.
The woman also gives something, and that is the "milk," which is sex. This expression presumes that sex is something that the man wants, and pays for. But for the woman, the sex is not anything that benefits her, just like a cow's milk doesn't really benefit the cow.
The expression admonishes that the alternative is the owners of the cow continuing to own the cow, with the man not having to take care of it, but give the milk away for free. They don't even pimp the woman out, they just give the milk away to the man for free. How silly of them!
Thus, the woman (or her owners) should try to extract the highest price from the man in exchange for the sex. And living with a man before getting married is the ultimate way to "give it up" without any "renumeration."
Anyway, one day, I hope some man decides to buy me for a diamond and a house. Maybe he could even pay my parents some dowry, because, after all, when you buy a cow, you don't give money to the cow, you give money to the owners of the cow.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Kerry Lauerman
Farhad Manjoo
Tracy Clark-Flory
Rebecca Traister
Sarah Hepola
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
Comments
All of this emphasis on men and boys getting their BJs is just too depressing.
Perhaps contraception and the 2nd wave of feminism weren't really all that, after all?
Just a rant...
Stellaa - yeah, for some it is, and the fun will always be in 'getting it' vs. having it willingly given to them.
And Sandra, you're right, it's mostly women who say it to other women.
Ktm -- I think Neilpaul is right -- in my generation, there is definitely a mutuality.
But seriously folks, we all know (or should know if we've been around the block both ways) that women go out looking for "it" every bit as much as men do. They're just a bit more discreet about discussing it, (at least where any man might overhear.)