"No Balls"

Posted by ESC on April 22, 2001

In Reply to: "No Balls" posted by Bruce Kahl on April 22, 2001

: : Can anyone shed any light on the phrase "No Balls"? When used in a sentence such as " you won't do that because you have not got any balls".
: : What is the true meaning of the phrase, what is its origin?
: : My understanding is that is means "a lack of courage", though some of my colleagues claim the remark can be construed as sexist. I disagree. Can anyone help?

: Your understanding is correct--"a lack of courage".
: Just a guess but I think the origin is quite sexist.
: In the US women are discriminated against in jobs, pay and status. They are second class citizens to males.
: The phrase is a reference to a woman's lack of a scrotum and, therefore, her lack of status since she does not have the ability to produce testosterone, that manly of all manly body chemicals.

We can fix this. How about -- "You don't have the ovaries to do that." Or, if someone is cowardly, call him or her "t*tless." What do you think?