Spunk

A common British slang term for semen. Hence the hilarity that inevitably ensues in the UK upon hearing an American saying something like "Gee, Randy, you sure look like you're full of spunk today".

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Just to clear things up (no pun intended) regarding the everyone WU here: in the UK spunk only has the slang meaning, it's never used in the "dictionary" sense.

"Spunk" is a common slang for ejaculate in the United States, as well, although it's also used by the dictionary definition, and nobody seems to get it mixed up. I doubt you'll find any American over the age of 8 and under the age of 60 who doesn't know that spunk means ejaculate when used in a slang sense.

We are reaching the point, though, where it's becoming more and more difficult to use spunk by the dictionary definition, because at the first mention of the word, the nearest person with the mentality of a 13-year-old or less will shout "HAH HAH HAH U R TALKING ABOUT SEMUN HAH HAH HAH!!!" (Don't worry about how they actully manage to SAY "U R"... they just do.

Sometimes good for a laugh. In Wing Commander 4, the writers obviously must have been smoking crack when they wrote the following line for Captain Eisen, commenting on Colonel Blair's enthusiasm:

"God, I love that boy's spunk."

A popular Scandinavian salted licorice.

Named after a fantasy creature¹ described in the Pippi Longstocking novel Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren.

Sold in square black packets with a yellow and red Spunk creature painted on.

Ingredients

• Modified starch
• Sugar
• Raw licorice
• Gelatine
• Ammonium chloride (5% per weight)
• Flavour supplements
• Hardened vegetable oil
• Bee wax (non-stick surface treatment)

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1. The name is translated as Spink in the English version...

Spunk (sp&ucr;&nsm;k), n. [Gael. spong, or Ir. sponc, tinder, sponge; cf. AS. sponge a sponge (L. spongia), sp&omac;n a chip. Cf. Sponge, Punk.] [Written also sponk.]

1.

Wood that readily takes fire; touchwood; also, a kind of tinder made from a species of fungus; punk; amadou.

Sir T. Browne.

2.

An inflammable temper; spirit; mettle; pluck; as, a man of spunk.

[Colloq.]

A lawless and dangerous set, men of spunk, and spirit, and power, both of mind and body. Prof. Wilson.

 

© Webster 1913.