16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'Brother, how tedious you can be, on occasion.
I did hear some cries of 'Jolly rogers –
jolly rogers – we shall roger them.' But in parenthesis,
Jack, tell me about this word roger. I
have often heard it aboard, but can make out
no clear nautical signification.'
'Oh, it is no sea-term. They use it ashore
much more than we do – a low cant expression
meaning to swive or couple with.'
Stephen considered for a moment and then
said, 'So roger joins bugger and that even
coarser word; and they are all used in defiance
and contempt, as though to an enemy;
which seems to show a curious light on the
lover's subjacent emotions. Conquest, rape,
subjugation: have women a private language
of the same nature, I wonder?'
Jack said, 'In some parts of the West Country
rams are called Roger, as cats are called Puss;