The Reason Why We Call Breasts ‘Boobs’

Although some people think the term came about as a visual representation of their appearance - i.e. 'B' from above, 'oo' from the front and 'b' from the side, this is actually thought to be a coincidence.

In fact, the true origins of the word date back centuries.

The first reference to the word is believed to have been used in a 1686 poem by Thomas d'Urfey, before appearing years later in one of John Arbuthnot’s pamphlets written in 1712.

It's not entirely clear where 'bubby' came from, but many believe it originates from the German word 'bübbi', meaning 'teat'.

It's also thought the word could have come about from a variation of Latin for little girl, 'pūpa'.

Centuries later, it's believed that the first reference to 'boobs' in literature came in 1932, in a novel by James T. Farrell, Young Lonigan.

While it's generally accepted that he didn't invent the word, the excerpt reads: "Studs didn’t usually pay attention to how girls looked, except to notice the shape of their legs, because if they had good legs they were supposed to be good for you-know, and if they didn’t they weren’t; and to notice their boobs, if they were big enough to bounce."

These days, although there are a number of different words to represent breasts, according to one study, most women prefer using the term 'boobs' as opposed to other slang.

In 2013, Australian retailer Bonds conducted a survey and found almost three quarters of Australian women preferred the word to other variations.

What do you think?