Thursday, June 13, 2013

Dearest Bear, An Email Exchange Between My Husband And Rabbity

 Dearest Bear,

How did it every become 'Dear' instead of 'Bear'?  Questions questions......I bet you Calvin and Hobbes would know the answers..LMAO!!!!!
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Bear -
I do believe that it changed from "Bear" to "Dear" when women started shaving their legs. Prior to that, the descriptive use of "BEAR" was appropriate given the amount, texture and continual presence of female leg hair - having no suitable device capable of removing such delicately-termed "peach fuzz". But after the disposable razor was invented, and a tool capable of removing just the hair and not strips of skin as well, the term "Bear" was no longer as applicable to a woman, and therefore a suitable, and slightly less fuzzy alternative needed to be found. While "Dear" may at first seem an odd choice, when you consider the large eyes of the doe, and the nurturing care she provides her dappled fawns, the lean legs and the noticeably smoother and less "fuzzy" coat of the deer, it becomes more obvious why this was chosen as a term of en'dear'ment (pun intended!) over say, the vulture (while hairless, bears little resemblance to *most* women), or the rabbit with pronounced buck teeth. (Much to the frustration of dentists who had lobbied for the rabbit being a widely-used affectionate term.) However, the appropriate and much desired "foxy lady" has often taken precedence even over the beloved "Dear" (which spelling we can only assume was an unfortunate oversight in the combination of the former "BEAR" to "DEER" and the residual "A" affixed itself firmly into the word, where it remains lodged to this day.)

The question remains, however, how this term became common as a descriptor for both genders, as the majority of men (with a few notable exceptions) rarely shave their legs.

Questions, questions!
-Love you Bear! XOXOXOXOX -Rabbity

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