left nut

tess · Post by **tess** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:04 pm

Where does this phrase come from? Why would a man give his left nut rather than his right nut?

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:13 pm

I'm not absolutely positive about this, but I think it's because the testicle that actually produces sperm is the one on the right. The one on the left is just for . . . what, -- balance?
Oh, this is so embarrassing!

russcable · Post by **russcable** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:36 pm

"... so, my child, that's why we call the left ovary is the hors doeuvre." - excerpted from Shelley's parents' explanation of the birds and the bees.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 10:05 pm

Hey! Are you callin' me a whore?

Wizard of Oz · Post by **Wizard of Oz** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:59 am

.. *big smile* .. Shelley sounds a bit folksy to me .. couldn't find any support for the idea .. most gave the function of the testes as

Testes: Composed of the same material that ovaries are formed from, a man’s testicles originally develop in his abdomen. About two months before his birth, though, the two testes descend from the abdomen into the scrotum, which acts as a support sac to the testicles. The main function of testicles is two-fold: they are responsible for producing sperm as well as the hormone testosterone. The testicles are made up of seminiferous tubules (hundreds of tiny tubes), Leydig cells (which is where testosterone is produced), and Sertoli cells (which are responsible for nurturing immature sperm cells).

Epididymus: Found at the top of the testes, the epididymus is a set of tightly coiled tubes. How tightly coiled? Well, if you stretched it out, the epididymus would reach 20 feet long. The epididymus acts as a temporary storing place for sperm as they continue to mature. It is within these tubes that sperm gain the ability to move.

.. also when I had my vasectomy they cut both balls, not just the left, to stop the tadpoles ..

.. so if we blokes will give our left ball why is it that we will give our right arm even if we are lefthanded ??

WoZ of Aus 11/02/06

Edwin Ashworth · Post by **Edwin Ashworth** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:05 am

Labour is no longer regarded as left-wing either.

Erik_Kowal · Post by **Erik_Kowal** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:34 am

It's probably getting unscrewed.

JANE DOErell · Post by **JANE DOErell** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:27 pm

I think it's because the testicle that actually produces sperm is the one on the right.

I am quite sure this is incorrect.

But something did flicker in my mind when I read this reply. One testicle usually hangs lower than the other. All those I have observed had the left hanging lower howbeit my experience is limited. The lower hanging testicle would have a lower temperature and produce more active sperm.

drdanme · Post by **drdanme** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:41 pm

Speaking, somewhat abashedly, as one with a little expertise in this area (specifically, adolescent reproductive physiology), there is no evidence to support one testicle having a higher sperm/testosterone production capacity than the other.

I think "left nut" is simply funnier than "right nut," in a similar way to prime numbers being funnier than whole ones, and George Bush being funnier than democracy.

hsargent · Post by **hsargent** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:10 pm

It's a dealer's choice with left or right.

For real emphasis and total commitment, one (if one is a he and not a wife!) might say both nuts (example Castradoes and Unics (sic) could not find correct spelling for either work).

Ned Christiansen · Post by **Ned Christiansen** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:59 am

I see it as a play on, "I'd give me right arm". I think it's just a whimsical version of the same thing, funny because it infers that a person could be left-or-right-nutted, and to me it says, "I want that real bad, not so bad I'd give my right nut mind you, but I would give the left one...."

Erik_Kowal · Post by **Erik_Kowal** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:08 am

FYI Harry, you were most likely searching for 'castrato' (plural 'castrati') and 'eunuch' (plural 'eunuchs').

Andrew Dalby · Post by **Andrew Dalby** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:36 pm

There is an aphrodisiac (or not) known to ancient Greeks as satyrion, known in modern Turkey (and even occasionally in English) as salep. It's now used to flavour hot drinks and ice cream. It's made from the twin bulbs of an orchid. Ancient Greek pharmacists were careful to say that you must take the 'right bulb', the larger bulb, if you wanted it to prove effective as an aphrodisiac: if you took the 'left bulb', the smaller one, it would make you impotent.

hsargent · Post by **hsargent** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:35 pm

Thanks Erik, I knew I was showing my ignorance.