Other Definitions
asshole (dict)
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Asshole - This article is about the word "Asshole". For the card game sometimes known as "Asshole", see President (game).
Asshole or arsehole (outside the U.S.) is a term referring to the anus. It is generally used as a profanity in expressing deep contempt for someone. This word is found in colloquial speech in a number of cultures (in both English and in direct translation to other languages). This is due to the fact that it describes an organ of excretion that is considered a taboo region (belonging to the intimate parts) of the body in many societies. The English word ass (meaning donkey, derived from the same root as its zoological name Equus 'asinus') may also be used as a term of contempt, referring to a silly or stupid person. In recent years, the words arse and ass have become synonymous in the United States, however in the rest of the world, ass still only refers to the donkey, rather than the arse (buttocks). It is worth noting that some varieties of English drop the letter "r", leading to practically identical pronunciations of ass and arse. Until the early 1990s, the word was considered one of a number of taboo words that could not be uttered on American commercial television. Comedian Andrew Dice Clay caused major controversy when he uttered the word during a televised awards show in the 1980s. By 1994, however, the word had become less a taboo, and was often featured in dialogue on the long-running television series NYPD Blue; it has yet to become anything close to commonplace on network TV, however. It is important to note what while the word ass has found a place on broadcast television, asshole is not used, probably due to its more vulgar connotation. In 1993, actor Denis Leary enjoyed some success with a comedic song called "Asshole" which opened his stage play No Cure for Cancer and was featured in a music video. See also
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