Interesting that a fanny should be a butt in the US. (I'm widely read but had not seen this one yet).

Fanny was once widely used as a girl's familiar name in France (probably for 'Françoise', like 'Fanchon'. (there's a theater play by Pagnol with that title). Now the interesting thing is that, in the South of France, there is a quaint ritual - 'baiser Fanny'. Meaning, 'to kiss Fanny'. And it DOES mean 'to kiss ass' - you see at the 'pétanque' game, the losers must kiss the ass of the winners (who are rarely, if ever, girls, or even nice to look at).

So 'Fanny' is a butt too - around Marseilles.

As for the use of 'pussy', 'cunt', 'tits' and so on - I think here the writer must think in terms of who her characters are, and how they would speak. Her personal preferences should weigh very little.

Quote Originally Posted by Kallie Thomas
Fanny means "ass" or "butt" in America, as in "get your fanny in here" or "get off your fanny!" What does it mean elsewhere? "Fanny packs" are exactly that--they're little packs worn over the ass.

<blushes furiously> What am I missing here? Does "Fanny" mean something other than ass or bum elsewhere?


Kallie, who remembers feeling very sorry for an actress named Fanny who used to appear on Match Game. Fanny Flagg, I believe her name was--how's that for a howler of a name?