In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
UNMENTIONABLES
Etymology
Victorian Era euphemism, specifically the category of euphemism known as indirection (compare privates, behind, sleep together). First intended meaning was "trousers", attested from 1823. Meaning "underwear" is recorded from 1910.
Noun
unmentionables pl (plural only)
plural of unmentionable
(plurale tantum) undergarments, underwear, drawers
(plurale tantum) genitals
(plurale tantum, obsolete) breeches, trousers
Usage notes
Because of a euphemism's intentional ambiguity, the perceived meaning can drift. While at first, "unmentionables" referred with Victorian hyper-sensitivity to trousers, the functional meaning drifted expediently to underwear. Currently, examples can be found where it is clear the writer or speaker means to refer expressly to the genitals.
Source: Wiktionary
Un*men"tion*a*bles, n. pl.
Definition: The breeches; trousers. [Jocose]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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19 May 2025
CHEMICAL
(adjective) of or made from or using substances produced by or used in reactions involving atomic or molecular changes; “chemical fertilizer”
Coffee Trivia
