If you ’ve trip up across the reflexion “ stemmed the pink wine ” in lit or heard it used conversationally , you may have wondered on the nose what it means . On the surface , it seems like just an odd reference to the routine of cutting the stalk from a rose flower . But when used idiomatically , especially by previous generations , “ stemmed the rosebush ” take on a much more provocative implication that many readers or listeners may not immediately grasp .
The Literal Meaning
Taken literally , the musical phrase “ stemmed the rosiness ” means just what you ’d think – dispatch the stem from a rosiness . For model , you might record in a flower stage guide about “ stem roses to fit them flawlessly into a vase . ” Or a florist give advice may suggest you “ stanch the roses at a 45 stage angle to raise water intake . ”
So in its most canonical literal mother wit , stemming a rosebush refer to trim or hack the stem off a blush wine to serve some practical floral purpose . This real meaning does not have any deeper connotation beyond the straightforward horticultural task being described .
The Figurative Euphemistic Slang Meaning
However , when used idiomatically or figuratively in sure circumstance , especially in older vernacular , “ stanch the rose ” get hold of on a more colorful substance . Specifically it becomes a rather date euphemism for the act of anal sexual practice between two gentleman .
The “ stem turn ” in the phrase becomes a euphemism for the phallus , while the “ rose wine ” evocatively remain firm in for the anus So to “ stanch the rosebush ” is a cunning but rather opaque way to describe riddle a virile anus with one ’s penis during sexual relation
Tracing the Euphemism’s Origins and Use
It ’s undecipherable exactly when or how “ stemming the rose ” first came into use as a euphemism for festive anal retentive sexuality . But there are example of the phrase being used with a sexual intension dating back to the mid-20th 100 . Notably , it come along in the seminal gay lit of writers like Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote .
While nowadays the euphemism seems rather quaint , in early decades when homosexuality was still taboo , subtler expressions like “ stemming the rose wine ” allowed covert reference to gay sexuality . alike coded euphemism were vulgar before LGBTQ culture became more mainstream .
Though the euphemism may seem vivid or vulgar by today ’s standards , even calling it date ignores the repression that LGBTQ the great unwashed faced in decennium past . For marginalized radical , euphemisms have long let discerning communication about mark identities and exercise .
While not as prevalent today , “ stemming the rose wine ” can still occasionally be learn , especially among honest-to-goodness generation intimate with the tantalize argot . Contemporary audiences are more likely to recognize the phrase for its intended euphemistic meaning given changing social mores .
Clarifying This Obscure Idiom
So now when you hear or read the phrase “ stanch the blush wine , ” you could impress friends with your knowledge of its literal horticultural meaning as well as its historic use as a sly inoffensive book of facts !
What does stem the rose mean?
FAQ
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