[ANSTHRLD] That question about profession-surnames a while back

[Tim McDaniel]

On Wed, 17 Oct 2007, Serpentine Pursuivant <lochherald at gmail.com>
wrote:
> If this is true (I learned it it in history class, so it *should*
> be)

That's probably the funniest thing I'll read today.

> The term "hooker" in today's terms, as far as I am aware, comes from
> the Civil War General Joe Hooker who hired prostitutes to keep his
> men "entertained."  They then were started to be called Hooker's
> women and it was eventually shortened to hookers.

<http://stason.org/TULARC/languages/english-usage/96-hooker-Word-origins-alt-usage-english.html>,
from the alt.usage.english FAQ, says

     Contrary to what you may have read in Xaviera Hollander's book
     "The Happy Hooker", the "prostitute" sense of "hooker" does NOT
     derive from Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker (1814-1879), a major
     general on the Union side of the U.S. civil war, whose men were
     alleged to frequent brothels. "Hooker" in this sense goes back to
     1845 (see AHD3); the U.S. Civil War did not begin until 1861. It
     may come from the earlier sense of "thief" (which goes back to
     1567, "to hook" meaning to steal), or it may refer to prostitutes'
     linking arms with their clients. A geographical Hook (Corlear's
     Hook in New York City, or the Hook of Holland) is also possible.

-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com