Happy Beaver Moon, everybody!
"Beaver" as slang for genitalia first appeared in print in 1927. Its origins are not, as reddit posits, because "beavers chew wood".
"beaver" also isn't a reference to the vagina dentata myth, even though yes, beavers have big ol' teeth
Throughout the ages, vulva slang has frequently referenced small, fluffy mammals. Take, for example, "pussy", which appeared in the 19th century, or before that, its 18th century counterpart of "kitty".
Even 16th century favourite "cunny" isn't just a diminuitive of "cunt", but likely a reference to coney, another word for rabbit, which became popular because it *also* sounded like cunt.
But there's more! In the 1910s, if you were to go up to someone and compliment them on their lustrous, well-oiled beaver, you probably wouldn't get a slap in the face, because you'd be telling a man he had a good beard.
References to men's facial hair has also been popular throuhgout the ages, with "beard" being used as slang for a vulva in the 16th century.
So it all comes down to hair. Whether it's a small, fluffy mammal or a male grooming trend, "beaver", like many other slang terms for vulva, is a reference to pubic hair.
We'd love to spend all afternoon talking to you about pubic hair preferences and views throughout time, but... we already have, so if you want to part the bush on the history of muff, listen to our podcast episode, Hair And Back Again: A Pube's Tale vaginamuseum.co.uk/podcast/hair-a…
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