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In slang why are women often called "broads"?

Question #101744. Asked by star_gazer.

edmund80
Answer has 20 votes
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edmund80
16 year member
864 replies

Answer has 20 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
This source says that "broad" may be suggestive of broad hips or may refer to "abroadwife" for a woman away from her husband.

"O.E. brad, from P.Gmc. *braithaz (cf. O.Fris. bred, O.N. breiðr, Du. breed, Ger. breit, Goth. brouþs), of unknown origin. Not found outside Gmc. languages. Slang extension to meaning "woman" (1911) may be suggestive of broad hips, but it also may trace to Amer.Eng. abroadwife, for a woman away from her husband, often a slave. Earliest use suggests immorality or coarse, low-class women."
link http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/broad

Dec 17 2008, 12:55 AM
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zbeckabee star
Answer has 4 votes
zbeckabee star
Moderator
19 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.
In support of edmund80's post with another piece of info:

Slang extension to meaning "woman" (1911) may be suggestive of broad hips, but it also may trace to Amer.Eng. abroadwife, for a woman away from her husband, often a slave. Earliest use suggests immorality or coarse, low-class women. Because of this negative association, and the rise of women in athletics, the track and field broad jump was changed to the long jump c. 1967.

link http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=broad&searchmode=none

Dec 17 2008, 8:13 AM
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