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Dick is an English language euphemism used for a variety of slang purposes, some generally considered vulgar. It is used to refer to the penis,〔Eric Partridge, Paul Beale, ''A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'' (1984), p. 305.〕 and by extension as a verb to describe sexual activity. It is also used as a pejorative term for individuals who are considered to be rude, abrasive, inconsiderate, or otherwise contemptible.〔 In this context, it can be used interchangeably with ''jerk'', and can also be used as a verb to describe rude or deceitful actions. Variants include dickhead, which literally refers to the glans. The offensiveness of the word ''dick'' is complicated by the continued use of the word in inoffensive contexts, including as both a given name and a surname, in the popular British dessert, spotted dick, in the classic novel ''Moby-Dick'', and in the ''Dick and Jane'' series of children's books. Uses such as these have provided a basis for comedy writers to exploit this juxtaposition through double entendre. The word ''dick'' has had other slang meanings in the past. It was frequently used in mystery fiction to mean "detective", as with the 1940 W.C. Fields film, ''The Bank Dick'' (which was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Bank Detective''). The word has sometimes been used to mean "nothing". Neither of these definitions were necessarily pejorative or related to the usual modern meaning of the word. ==Origin and evolution== The term ''dick'' originally derives from the given name, Richard, derived from German, French, and English "ric" (ruler, leader, king) and "hard" (strong, brave), and therefore meaning "powerful leader". This was shortened to Rick as a nickname, which then became "Dick" through the same rhyming slang that caused "Bob" to be used in place of "Rob" as an abbreviation for "Robert", and "Bill" to be used in place of "Will" as an abbreviation for "William". Because Richard was a popular name, the informal "Dick" came to be used as a term meaning an everyman, as seen in the phrase "Tom, Dick, and Harry", and was therefore closely associated with characteristics of masculinity. The word connoted a person of questionable character long before it became a nickname for the penis. For example, in the 1665 satire ''The English Rogue'' by Richard Head, an unsavory character is referred to as a "dick": An 1869 slang dictionary offered definitions of "dick" including "a riding whip" and an abbreviation of dictionary, also noting that in the North Country, it was used as a verb to indicate that a policeman was eyeing the subject.〔John Camden Hotten, ''The Slang Dictionary: Or, the Vulgar Words, Street Phrases, and "Fast" Expressions of High and Low Society'' (1869), p. 120.〕 The term came to be associated with the penis through usage by men in the military around the 1880s.〔 Actor and internet personality Wil Wheaton has written on the subject of Wheaton's Law, which states "don't be a dick".〔 〕〔 〕 The phrase was in use before Wheaton's blog post,〔 〕 in the 1988 movie ''Heathers'' for example.〔 〕 In 2006, an episode of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' titled "Dickesode" used the word ''dick'' 53 times in an 11-minute period, primarily in reference to penises.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.tv.com/episode/682030/summary.html )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dick (slang)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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