Boston
Its all in a name
Not sure where the term "hooker" came from so I found out:
The English word whore derives from the Old English word hōra, from the proto-Germanic kohoron (prostitute), which derives from the proto-Indo-European root kā meaning "desire", a root which has also given us the Latin caritas (love, charity) and the French cher (dear, expensive). Use of the word whore is widely considered pejorative, especially in its modern slang form of ho'. In Germany, however, most prostitutes' organizations deliberately use the word hure (whore) since they feel that prostitute is a bureaucratic term. Those seeking to remove the social stigma associated with prostitution often promote terminology such as sex worker, commercial sex worker (CSW), tantric engineer (coined by author Robert Anton Wilson), or sex trade worker. Another commonly-used word for a prostitute is hooker. A popular etymology "hooker" comes from the concentration of prostitutes around the shipyards and ferry terminal of the Corlear's Hook area of Manhattan in the 1820s. As early as 1816, Corlaer's Hook was notorious for streetwalkers, "a resort for the lewd and abandoned of both sexes", and in 1821 its "streets abounding every night with preconcerted groups of thieves and prostitutes" were noted by the "Christian Herald".
In the course of the 19th century they came to be called hookers. Painting attached:
Femmes de Maison, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 1893–95
The English word whore derives from the Old English word hōra, from the proto-Germanic kohoron (prostitute), which derives from the proto-Indo-European root kā meaning "desire", a root which has also given us the Latin caritas (love, charity) and the French cher (dear, expensive). Use of the word whore is widely considered pejorative, especially in its modern slang form of ho'. In Germany, however, most prostitutes' organizations deliberately use the word hure (whore) since they feel that prostitute is a bureaucratic term. Those seeking to remove the social stigma associated with prostitution often promote terminology such as sex worker, commercial sex worker (CSW), tantric engineer (coined by author Robert Anton Wilson), or sex trade worker. Another commonly-used word for a prostitute is hooker. A popular etymology "hooker" comes from the concentration of prostitutes around the shipyards and ferry terminal of the Corlear's Hook area of Manhattan in the 1820s. As early as 1816, Corlaer's Hook was notorious for streetwalkers, "a resort for the lewd and abandoned of both sexes", and in 1821 its "streets abounding every night with preconcerted groups of thieves and prostitutes" were noted by the "Christian Herald".
In the course of the 19th century they came to be called hookers. Painting attached:
Femmes de Maison, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 1893–95
I use "Social Consultant", because I'm vastly improving their social life 
I do occasionally use hooker when being wry, or provider if that's what the client/friend/John calls it. As for the name for the hobbyist...well I call them my friend or client. Or a "work date" lol...to my girls in the business that I enjoy and who know me as a person, I call us working gals. I've never felt the need to really analyze how the name could make someone feel, though there is a good study out there about how job title effects work performance. Perhaps I should find it and post the link...it could be an interesting social experiment as well if I could set it up to measure perhaps average reviews of a gal who calls herself and the clients one thing, vice the more PC options out there. Nicole, I really like that you bring up these somewhat controversial topics from time to time. They always provide some valuable insight for those in both aspects of this "hobby". I was discussing with a good friend the other day about the psychology behind our profession...maybe one day I will post about certain aspects that we discussed.
I do occasionally use hooker when being wry, or provider if that's what the client/friend/John calls it. As for the name for the hobbyist...well I call them my friend or client. Or a "work date" lol...to my girls in the business that I enjoy and who know me as a person, I call us working gals. I've never felt the need to really analyze how the name could make someone feel, though there is a good study out there about how job title effects work performance. Perhaps I should find it and post the link...it could be an interesting social experiment as well if I could set it up to measure perhaps average reviews of a gal who calls herself and the clients one thing, vice the more PC options out there. Nicole, I really like that you bring up these somewhat controversial topics from time to time. They always provide some valuable insight for those in both aspects of this "hobby". I was discussing with a good friend the other day about the psychology behind our profession...maybe one day I will post about certain aspects that we discussed.
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(copied from stripes.com) "...Fighting Joe is not entirely off the hook, said Rob Dalessandro, of the U.S. Army Center for Military History at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. The term might have predated Hooker, but the general made it more popular by throwing parties attended by “fallen doves,” as prostitutes were also known at the time, Dalessandro said. In fact, the Civil War historian noted that a large red-light district in Washington became known as “Hooker’s Division.” “Additionally, soldiers in the Army of the Potomac, the Federal Army operating in the east in which Hooker served, quickly named the hordes of female camp followers that plied their trade on young and often naive soldiers, ‘Hooker's Legions,’ ” Dalessandro wrote in an email. Hooker did contribute to the evolution of the term, said Richard L. Baker, of the U.S. Army Military History Institute in Carlisle, Pa. “We see the evolution and adoption of a word varies over time and by association with different groups of peoples,” Baker wrote in an email. “We can credit General Hooker and the Union Soldiers with adding to the continuity of the term in present form as such, meaning a ‘prostitute’ or hooker or streetwalker or floozy … oh you get the point!”
----------------- In short, General was a hobbyist that I probably would like to have known
(copied from stripes.com) "...Fighting Joe is not entirely off the hook, said Rob Dalessandro, of the U.S. Army Center for Military History at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. The term might have predated Hooker, but the general made it more popular by throwing parties attended by “fallen doves,” as prostitutes were also known at the time, Dalessandro said. In fact, the Civil War historian noted that a large red-light district in Washington became known as “Hooker’s Division.” “Additionally, soldiers in the Army of the Potomac, the Federal Army operating in the east in which Hooker served, quickly named the hordes of female camp followers that plied their trade on young and often naive soldiers, ‘Hooker's Legions,’ ” Dalessandro wrote in an email. Hooker did contribute to the evolution of the term, said Richard L. Baker, of the U.S. Army Military History Institute in Carlisle, Pa. “We see the evolution and adoption of a word varies over time and by association with different groups of peoples,” Baker wrote in an email. “We can credit General Hooker and the Union Soldiers with adding to the continuity of the term in present form as such, meaning a ‘prostitute’ or hooker or streetwalker or floozy … oh you get the point!”
----------------- In short, General was a hobbyist that I probably would like to have known
Guys, everybody, come on now! It's not in the term, it's how you say it!
Moreover, a member of the outside group can use the derogatory term in relation to some other group, that's right even in the presence of the member of that group, without the later feeling in any way degraded. It's all in the "how". Many (let's say) black people will tell you that the minute a white person says that he/she is not a racist, that instantly would put them on guard in regards to their real feelings. Kinda like "are you trying to convince me or yourself?" and "don't tell me, show me". I vouch to say that the same applies to any ethnic or racial group in relation to other groups. I mean during the course of their work, if I'm in the mood I may call "my" working girls (that's the term that I consider to be the most neutral, kind of like "hobbyist") with all kinds of names. Sometimes they play up to it, other times it even would make them giggle. If any of them were to get upset over it I really wouldn't know what to make of it
In more serious setting I probably would try to avoid using direct terminology (unless in mocking context) and use "you" and your "friends-roommates-girl-friends" and the like. Theoretically speaking however (never happened and likely never will but just for the sake of argument), if I were trying to 'really' offend a working girl I probably would try not to use any professionally-related name calling which by that point have already evolved for her into being something more 'descriptive' and even used in foreplay, but rather use more common ones or even something creative. -- Modified on 2/17/2014 10:53:51 AM-- Modified on 2/17/2014 10:58:15 AM