Rizzo sank into his seat in the back of the Lincoln Continental, flanked by goons who stared impassively ahead. Sure, he’d missed payouts before, but he always managed to put them right somehow — a pawned watch here, a soft touch there — but now he was out of second chances. Soon, the limo would stop at the old brownstone building, the thugs would escort him into the elevator, and he would answer to the notorious crime lord known as … Mister Puffles.
Gunsel sounds like a damsel with a gun 🙂
Actually just heard about that word on Unspooled (awesome classical movie podcast).
“Gunsel” is American slang for male homosexual; it has nothing to do with, say, “sidekick with gun.” Not a nice word to use if you believe, as I do, that love between consenting adults is not to be judged adversely by others. It is possibly useful in setting a particular work of fiction in a specific place and time, or establishing a particular character’s point of view in that place/time. Either way, we should (IMO) recognize that it’s a slur.
I don’t for a minute accuse NTMTOM of bigotry against people who identify (publicly or privately) as LGBTQI. “Gunsel” just happens to be one of those words whose definition people think they know when they don’t.
According to Merriam-Webster gunsel has both meaning, but it was first used in 1943 for gunman. As a slang word for homosexual it is perhaps a modification of Yiddish gendzl gosling, it doesn’t say when it was first used for that purpose.
So in the context of Mikes story it is properly used for man with a gun but I personally have never heard it use for either purpose.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunsel
I remember it from the classic movie “The Maltese Falcon.” Bogart’s character used it to describe a hired gun.
My apologies. I was unaware of this meaning and only know the term from crime stories.
Don’t feel bad Mike. According to ever so accurate source *yes, sarcasm alert* Wikidictonary, Dashiel Hammett used that word to get around censors:
By misunderstanding of the 1929 Maltese Falcon quotation – 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.” 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.
No apology necessary from where I stand (well, sit). This is just one of those Things I Know and Can’t Not Know.
If anyone wants to know more, I can clue you in. But it’s all very much beside the point of Cutetropolis, so unless specifically asked, I’ll spare you. All the more as I feel bad about making Mike feel bad. He had no reason to know there was any reason to feel bad till I opened my big yap.
Edited to add: AJ has beat me to some of this, anyway. Thanks, AJ!
Ricki’s Mom – you dun good. We should all be so diligent in pointing these things out. Even if it is innocently used as in Mike’s narrative. We need to know that there may be a less than savory use for some words that, on the surface, appear benign or have evolved from benign to hurtful.
When I was growing up “gang bang” meant a viscous rape by a group of individuals. Now apparently “gang banger” means a member of a gang. I avoid using BOTH.
I learn so much here. And many words referring to physical acts of love, especially between two men or two women, have unsavory origins that die away, or start off not meaning anything about sex and become sexual.
And now that Mike has changed the word, people reading these comments are going to wonder why people have suddenly started talking about it! 🙂
I appreciate Mike’s positive responses to issues like this, but they do make for confusing posts occasionally.
We’ll just let Mr. Puffles explain the situation.
I’d love to work for Mr. Puffles, maybe as a groomer.
My brain interpreted Mr Puffles as an enormous, cat-faced spider.
That is a lot of fluff and fur. Mr. Puffles definitely looks a little perturbed by Rizzo’s lack of payments. Sorry to say Rizzo but you may be taking your last ride very shortly; at least that usually what happens in all the old 50’s noir films.
Not to be confused with Mr. Piffles (who is owned by a dragon).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBhEVbDqOs0
(Disclaimer: I do not actually know what’s in this video. Also, go watch some Piff the Magic Dragon.)
Uhm. Is that a fur coat???
I wouldn’t mind working for Mr. Puffles. I’ll take cuddles as payment.