Beast with two backs
Making the beast with two backs is a euphemistic metaphor for two persons engaged in sexual intercourse. It refers to the situation in which a couple—in the missionary position or standing—cling to each other as if a single creature, with their backs to the outside.
In English, the expression dates back to at least William Shakespeare's Othello (Act 1, Scene 1, ll. 126-127):[1]
I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.
The origin of the phrase is in French: la bête à deux dos, because it appears in Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel, c. 1532. This was translated into English by Thomas Urquhart and published posthumously around 1693.[2] In contrast, it is believed that Othello was written by Shakespeare in approximately 1603.
In the vigour of his age he married Gargamelle, daughter to the King of the Parpaillons, a jolly pug, and well-mouthed wench. These two did oftentimes do the two-backed beast together, joyfully rubbing and frotting their bacon 'gainst one another.
See also
- The Beast with Two Backs, a studio album by the goth rock band Inkubus Sukkubus.
- A Beast With Two Backs, a British television play first broadcast in 1968.
- Back with Two Beasts, an album by the Australian band The Church (band).
- Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs.
References
- ↑
- ↑ Gary Martin. "Beast with two backs". Phrases.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
External links
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The dictionary definition of beast with two backs at Wiktionary
Quotations related to Beast with two backs at Wikiquote
Works related to Beast with two backs at Wikisource
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