2012-09-18
Explanation
This four-panel comic explores the etymology of the word "vanilla" as it is used in the phrase "vanilla sex" (meaning conventional or plain sex). A man asks why "vanilla" is the term for regular sex, noting that vanilla is a distinct flavor like any other. A bespectacled woman explains that the "van-" part comes from the Spanish "vaina," which derives from the Latin "vagina" (which originally meant "sheath" or "scabbard"). The "-illa" suffix is a diminutive. Therefore, she concludes, etymologically speaking, "vanilla sex" literally refers to "a little vaginal sex."
The man responds "You just blew my mind," and the woman proudly declares "Behold the power of my English degree" -- a joke about English and humanities majors finally finding a practical (or at least entertaining) application for their education. The humor works on multiple levels: it presents a plausible-sounding etymological argument that arrives at an amusingly circular conclusion (the term for plain sex literally means sex), while also poking fun at the way etymology can produce surprising and sometimes bawdy connections between innocuous words.
The votey panel reads: "Etymology: sneaking vagina into your mouth since 1786." This is a triple entendre -- it refers to the word "vagina" entering the English language (into your mouth as spoken language), the vanilla flavor entering your mouth when you eat vanilla-flavored things, and of course the obvious sexual innuendo. The date 1786 likely references when the word "vanilla" entered common English usage.