Buttwipe

So people meet J and me and, upon finding out that he's got a master's in Philosophy of Religion and is doing a PhD in philosophy focusing on ethics and aesthetics, and I'm working on an MDiv with a concentration in worship, theology and the arts, they always say to us, "You guys must have the most fascinating conversations!"

Or they get scared and leave the room.

But you know what we talk about? Well, just now we were having a most illuminating discourse on the etymology of the word "buttwipe." From what source did this insult from our childhood derive? Back in the day, they didn't have the Cottenelle moist wipes that J calls "buttwipes" - basically baby wipes for adults. So why did we call one another "buttwipe?"

I suggested perhaps it had something to do with a person being so stupid that I would wipe my butt with them.

This, my friends, is the conversation of intellectuals.

And really, people complain to no end about the potty humor in movies, but do you know why it's there? Because people like us need to laugh at something asinine now and then. We can't always be on. Shakespeare, J points out, wrote plenty of potty humor. It's a fine tradition.

Hmmm...I might have to go watch my all-time favorite religious film, Dogma. The best of both my worlds.