I think this 1791 poem may have developed a new meaning

Rick Johnson   Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:00 pm GMT
One of Robert Burns' poems:

Cock up your beaver

When first my brave Johnie lad came to this town,
He had a blue bonnet that wanted the crown;
But now he has gotten a hat and a feather,
Hey, brave Johnie lad, cock up your beaver!

Cock up your beaver, and cock it fu' sprush,
We'll over the border, and gie them a brush;
There's somebody there we'll teach better behaviour,
Hey, brave Johnie lad, cock up your beaver!
Rick Johnson   Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:02 pm GMT
The original draft:

Cock up your beaver
cock up your beaver
Hey, my Johnnie lad
cock up your beaver!

Cock up your beaver
and cock it nae wrang
We'll a' to England
ere it be lang.
Uriel   Sun Oct 30, 2005 3:57 pm GMT
Maybe he was just a sly bastard, Rick. ;)
Rick Johnson   Sun Oct 30, 2005 5:57 pm GMT
I did wonder whether this was a deliberate double-entendre. The word "cock" as in penis is recorded as early as 1618. "Pussy" also dates back at least to this period, "Beaver"- I'm not so sure about though, I can't find any evidence yet. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's not uncommon for great poets to be a little vulgar.
Uriel   Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:22 am GMT
"Beaver" meant a hat made of beaver-hair felt at the time, did it not? (I'm not much for poetry, but vulgarity is the spice of life!)
Kazoo   Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:51 am GMT
Actually, 'Pussy' goes back to the original Old Norse influence on English. In Icelandic they have a similar word for vagina.