Gunsel

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɡʌnsÉ™l/

From Yiddish גענדזל (gendzl, "gosling").

Full definition of gunsel

Noun

1. A young man kept for homosexual purposes; a catamite.
• 1929, Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon:The boy’s eyes ... ran over Spade’s body from shoulders to knees, ... ¶ “Another thing,” Spade repeated, glaring at the boy: “Keep that gunsel away from me while you’re making up your mind. I’ll kill him. ...”
2. (street and prison slang) A passive partner in anal intercourse.

By misunderstanding of the 1929 Maltese Falcon quotation above (which survived in a popular 1941 film adaptation). The novel was originally serialized in a magazine, Black Mask, whose editor refused to allow vulgarities. Hammett used the word gunsel knowing that the editor would likely misunderstand it as relating to gun, and therefore allow it.

William Safire, “Dirigiste” (On Language column, 2000 April 30), in The New York Times; relevant portion also in The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time, Simon and Schuster (2004), ISBN 9780743242448, page 35.

Michael Quinion, “Gunsel” (World Wide Words piece, 2006 August 12).

Noun

1. A gun-carrying hoodlum or other criminal.

Anagrams

• lunges