Pornosophy: Cock+Tail

photograph: Ralf Roletschek

Cocktail is a word that is often taken for granted. When someone says “let’s meet for cocktails,” they don’t think twice about the connotations. They immediately default to the widely held notion that a cocktail is a drink. Preconception is actually malice of forethought in this case. But think about it. “Cocktail” is a compound of “cock” and “tail.” Could anything be more obvious? When you talk about cocktails you're referring to the feeling of well-being they produce. Is this the result of a meeting between a cock and tail? Tail linguistically refers to buttocks. Cocktails are what you might have at a “tea dance,” but it may simply refer to that outmoded and old-fashioned form of sex involving the penis and vagina that's widely considered an example of planned obsolescence. In certain places, like Cherry Grove on Fire Island, standard missionary sex between a male and female is not only an anachronism but a violation of social norms which is expressly forbidden. “Cocktail” turns out to be a Rabelaisian word. It wears its heart on its sleeve. The next time you’re invited for cocktails you may want to pay attention to the subliminal message. These kinds of potions often lead to more than a meeting of the minds.

Read "Pornosophy: Sexcession" by Francis Levy, HuffPost