Although it might be mistaken for a derisive insult aimed at men, the term pudding-prick actually refers to a thin skewer once used to fasten shut a bag of pudding before dropping it into boiling water to cook. This sense of puddingprick arose in the early sixteenth century, almost a hundred years before the word prick came to be used as a coarse synonym for penis. In fact, before its current obscene sense began to overwhelm it in the late sixteenth century, the word prick had several entirely innocent applications. It could, as mentioned, refer to a kitchen skewer, but it was also used by young women as a term of endearment for their suitors. “Mother,” a young lady might say, “I’d like you to meet Lord Frederick, my prick.” This sense of the word prick probably arose from the pangs of love that “pricked” the hearts of these young women as they succumbed to their sweeties’ wooing. A similar use of the word occurs in the King James translation of the Bible (Acts 9:15) where God tells Saul not to “kick against the pricks”—in other words, don’t fight the pangs of conscience.