291:
embarrassment: "A certain proportion of the cadets were now leaving to enter the oldest profession in the world" (1895). "This gentleman's name often figures high in local prize lists, and he is considered an enthusiast in 'the oldest profession in the world'" (1902). "Mr Petrie heard the voice of God and observed the working of His hand in ways that are denied to most of us. His speech, and especially his prayers, exhibited a rare consciousness of the beauty of holiness, and were fragrant with phrases of singular charm. As you all know, Mr Petrie followed the oldest profession in the world" (1915). "In conclusion, he reminded the teachers that they were the most ancient profession in the world, having descended from the
Academy of Plato, and they must always remember that fact (1924)."
40:
206:
294:
However, those "innocent" uses of the phrase tended to die out as awareness of the newly acquired meaning increased, as did the appreciation that antiquity, of itself, did not make a profession respectable. One sociologist has argued that the phrase did not invariably refer to prostitution until the
290:
There is some evidence that unworldly speakers (e.g. of the older generation) or unsophisticated audiences (e.g. in small towns or rural areas) were not at first aware of the phrase's newly acquired meaning. Thus for some time the following could be said in
English newspaper reports without apparent
248:
In ancient Rome, under the empire, ladies used to go to baths to meet a certain class of men, while men resorted thither to meet a certain class of ladies. The ladies belonged to what has been called “the oldest profession in the world", a profession which is carried on in
Piccadilly, Regent street,
233:
was her very-great-grandmamma, and that was before the days of Eve as every one knows. In the West, people say rude things about Lalun's profession, and write lectures about it, and distribute the lectures to young persons in order that
Morality may be preserved. In the East where the profession is
1146:
196:, on initiating the candidate, says to him: "Thou hast chosen, my son, the most ancient profession, the most acceptable to the deity. Thou hast sworn to put to death every human being fate throws into thy hand..."
303:
The phrase "world's second-oldest profession" may refer to any number of trades and professions, playing on perceived similarities to prostitution. One frequent use of the phrase is to refer to
1156:
508:"… certainly we are representatives of the oldest profession of which we have any knowledge" (Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Ohio State Horticultural Society, 1890, p.35.)
358:
as the second-oldest profession with the alleged quip, "Someone once said that politics is the second-oldest profession. I'm beginning to think it bears resemblance to the first."
616:"A lawyer, then, is a member of the oldest profession extant; for as he lives upon the rottenness of human nature, the first human crime made room for a lawyer" (Alfred Butler,
234:
hereditary, descending from mother to daughter, nobody writes lectures or takes any notice; and that is a distinct proof of the inability of the East to manage its own affairs.
259:
reported a speech in which "Mrs. Ormiston Chant … implored us to stand shoulder to shoulder and destroy what
Kipling has called 'the oldest profession in the world'".
1015:
490:"The farmer, therefore, can boast of being a member of the oldest profession" (Annual Report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, Michigan, 1878).
281:
I belong to the oldest profession in the world! That isn't true, either—there's an older ... The cop's. Mine wouldn't ever have been a profession but for them.
1046:
937:
114:
74:
story, and it did not do so universally until after World War I. Formerly, various professions vied for the reputation of being the oldest.
1084:
307:. An explanation of the phrase's association with espionage is that both spies and prostitutes are mentioned in the same passage in the
499:"He reminded his audience that theirs was the very oldest profession in the world" (Bury and Norwich Post, Suffolk, 19 June 1883, p.5.)
1100:
947:
920:
1247:
538:"I need hardly speak of its antiquity, the oldest profession in the world" (Preston Chronicle, Lancashire, 9 November 1889, p.2.)
1179:
875:
335:
693:
181:
455:
155:(1668) soldiers claim "our profession, which is to rob, fight and kill, is the most ancient profession that is".
1242:
964:
101:
Perhaps the earliest recorded claim to be the world's oldest profession was made on behalf of tailors. The
217:
The phrase began to be associated with prostitution in the last decade of the nineteenth century following
240:
1237:
1210:
159:
31:
110:
48:
1206:
1020:
850:
753:
529:"… we belong to the oldest profession in the world" (The Stevens indicator, vol. 9, 1892, p.167).
148:
91:
39:
1096:
943:
916:
904:
316:
255:
698:. A.H. Wheeler & co's. Indian railway library (2nd ed.). Allahabad: Wheeler & Co
1124:
1088:
842:
451:
1151:
270:
218:
71:
44:
989:
1072:
1042:
831:"The modern career of 'the oldest profession' and the social embeddedness of metaphors"
404:
320:
308:
210:
1231:
909:
854:
830:
471:
467:
363:
351:
52:
17:
1183:
436:
345:
132:
95:
87:
67:
1081:
Brief
History of Environmental Engineering: "The World's Second Oldest Profession"
879:
777:(The profession of arms.) Speech of Lord Wolseley to the Royal Military Academy,
446:
Many other professions have been called the second-oldest in the media, including
424:
396:
392:
384:
372:
238:
In a scathing article on the morals of the aristocracy in the mass circulation
463:
459:
412:
408:
400:
355:
193:
106:
1092:
443:, since presumably many prostitutes (the "oldest profession") got pregnant.
447:
428:
304:
263:
1050:
883:
432:
380:
70:. However, it did not start to acquire that meaning until 1889, after a
846:
135:
made garments for themselves, and were therefore tailors, it continued:
1147:"Hard times for some prompt comeback for once disreputable pawnbrokers"
911:
The Second Oldest
Profession. Spies and Spying in the Twentieth Century
631:
Early
English Poetry, Ballads and Popular Literature of the Middle Ages
376:
324:
185:
83:
420:
388:
368:
323:
secretly with orders to reconnoitre the country. The two men came to
230:
163:
82:
The claim to be the oldest profession was made on behalf of farmers,
1180:"What's a prom queen doing in the world's second oldest profession?"
225:(January 1889). Kipling, after citing a biblical reference, began:
66:) is a phrase that, unless another meaning is specified, refers to
328:
204:
38:
416:
205:
939:
Reagan's
Mythical America: Storytelling as Political Leadership
367:
website, nominations for the second-oldest profession include:
229:
Lalun is a member of the most ancient profession in the world.
340:
249:
and other parts of London with great energy every night …
113:, London, if the current mayor happened to belong to the
738:
A Dictionary of
Euphemisms: How Not to Say What You Mean
547:
Speech by Lord Wolseley, Morning Post, 21 December 1895.
266:
when delicacy forbade direct reference to prostitution.
593:
Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers
105:, attested from 1680, which was routinely performed at
176:The phrase had also been applied to murderers. In
123:
The taylor's, though slighted, is much to be fam'd':
94:, the military, doctors, nurses, teachers, priests,
286:
Residual usage of the phrase in its reputable sense
143:Who scoff and deride men that be merchant-taylers.
908:
662:The Works of English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper
557:The Clinic: A Weekly Journal of Practical Medicine
792:Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald
673:(London, Richard Bentley and Son), vol 2, p.324.
172:Humbugging is held the most ancient profession.
141:The oldest profession, and they are but raylers,
1207:"Cooling U.S. Market Sends Tomb Raiders Abroad"
279:
170:Of all trades and arts in repute or possession,
139:Then judge if a tayler was not the first trade.
178:The Secret Societies of All Ages and Countries
1073:"Brief History of Environmental Engineering:
692:Kipling, Rudyard (1889). "On the City Wall".
8:
327:and went to the house of a prostitute named
127:No trade with the tayler's comparèd may be:
121:Of all the professions that ever were nam'd,
1016:"RITUALS; World's Second-Oldest Profession"
344:, noted: "Rahab, of course, was engaged in
244:, 22 July 1894, the reference was repeated:
221:'s short story about an Indian prostitute,
166:(i.e. scamming) was the oldest profession:
1145:Katherine Griffiths (17 September 2002).
27:Phrase commonly referring to prostitution
441:Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession
483:
1125:"The World's Second Oldest Profession"
1047:"The World's Second-Oldest Profession"
880:"The world's second oldest profession"
835:American Journal of Cultural Sociology
103:Song in Praise of the Merchant-Taylors
963:Steinitz, Andrew (30 November 2007).
125:For various invention, and antiquity,
7:
1075:The World's Second Oldest Profession
262:The phrase was frequently used as a
1085:American Society of Civil Engineers
60:The oldest profession in the world
25:
633:, vol. XIX (London, 1846), p.74.
965:"The Second Oldest Profession?"
1178:Yeoh Siew Hoon (24 May 2006).
915:. W. W. Norton & Company.
30:For the 1967 French film, see
1:
1014:Eric Banks (13 August 2004).
201:Association with prostitution
64:the world's oldest profession
1071:Kathleen M. Leonard (2001).
758:. New York: Charles Scribner
642:Bitter deriders or scoffers.
581:The Ohio Educational Monthly
47:poses as a harlot to seduce
807:, 12 November 1915, page 8.
781:, 21 December 1895, page 2.
1264:
740:. Oxford University Press.
571:, vols 21–22, 1898, p.123.
182:Charles William Heckethorn
162:(1701–1783) declared that
29:
829:Mattson, Greggor (2015).
752:Galsworthy, John (1927).
726:12 November 1894, page 6.
456:environmental engineering
819:, 19 December 1924, p.6.
460:professional consultancy
439:titled one of her books
319:sent two spies out from
299:Second-oldest profession
277:(1926) a prostitute says
131:After pointing out that
1248:English-language idioms
153:The Sociable Companions
942:. Palgrave Macmillan.
794:, 17 May 1902, page 7.
620:, vol 1, 1841, p.189).
583:, vol 57, 1908, p.294.
520:, 30 August 1895, p.5.
283:
251:
236:
214:
198:
90:, barbers, engineers,
56:
1211:National Public Radio
607:, 29 April 1902, p.4.
346:the oldest profession
253:In the same year the
246:
227:
208:
190:
42:
32:The Oldest Profession
18:The oldest profession
1093:10.1061/40594(265)47
1087:. pp. 389–393.
878:(26 February 2004).
736:Holder, Bob (2007).
518:South Bucks Standard
338:, a writer with the
1045:(1 February 2008).
936:Jan Hanska (2012).
847:10.1057/ajcs.2015.4
651:Cited Mattson, 199.
241:Reynold's Newspaper
92:landscape gardeners
1159:on 5 December 2008
1021:The New York Times
695:In Black and White
215:
149:Margaret Cavendish
98:and even lawyers.
57:
905:Phillip Knightley
805:Stirling Observer
605:Islington Gazette
361:According to the
317:Joshua son of Nun
256:Pall Mall Gazette
184:, describing the
111:Lord Mayor's Show
88:horticulturalists
16:(Redirected from
1255:
1222:
1221:
1219:
1217:
1202:
1196:
1195:
1193:
1191:
1182:. Archived from
1175:
1169:
1168:
1166:
1164:
1155:. Archived from
1142:
1136:
1135:
1133:
1131:
1120:
1114:
1113:
1111:
1109:
1068:
1062:
1061:
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1039:
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986:
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933:
927:
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914:
901:
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894:
892:
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866:
865:
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861:
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808:
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795:
788:
782:
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769:
767:
765:
763:
749:
743:
741:
733:
727:
724:
718:
715:
709:
707:
705:
703:
689:
683:
680:
674:
671:
665:
664:, vol 17, p.428.
660:Samuel Johnson,
658:
652:
649:
643:
640:
634:
627:
621:
614:
608:
602:
596:
590:
584:
578:
572:
566:
560:
554:
548:
545:
539:
536:
530:
527:
521:
515:
509:
506:
500:
497:
491:
488:
468:hotel-management
405:moving companies
305:spies and spying
223:On the City Wall
188:of India, said:
21:
1263:
1262:
1258:
1257:
1256:
1254:
1253:
1252:
1243:English phrases
1228:
1227:
1226:
1225:
1215:
1213:
1204:
1203:
1199:
1189:
1187:
1186:on 18 July 2011
1177:
1176:
1172:
1162:
1160:
1152:The Independent
1144:
1143:
1139:
1129:
1127:
1122:
1121:
1117:
1107:
1105:
1103:
1070:
1069:
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1055:
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1041:
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1026:
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983:
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935:
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898:
888:
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873:
869:
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802:
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699:
691:
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686:
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659:
655:
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646:
641:
637:
629:Percy Society,
628:
624:
615:
611:
603:
599:
591:
587:
579:
575:
567:
563:
555:
551:
546:
542:
537:
533:
528:
524:
516:
512:
507:
503:
498:
494:
489:
485:
480:
373:casino gambling
301:
288:
271:John Galsworthy
219:Rudyard Kipling
203:
174:
171:
158:The Irish poet
145:
142:
140:
129:
126:
124:
122:
80:
72:Rudyard Kipling
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1261:
1259:
1251:
1250:
1245:
1240:
1230:
1229:
1224:
1223:
1205:John Burnett.
1197:
1170:
1137:
1115:
1101:
1063:
1043:Burt Prelutsky
1034:
1006:
981:
955:
948:
928:
921:
896:
867:
841:(2): 191–223.
821:
809:
796:
783:
770:
744:
728:
719:
710:
684:
682:Joshua ii. 15.
675:
666:
653:
644:
635:
622:
609:
597:
585:
573:
561:
559:, 1875, p.245.
549:
540:
531:
522:
510:
501:
492:
482:
481:
479:
476:
448:tip sheet-sale
385:counterfeiters
333:
332:
309:Book of Joshua
300:
297:
287:
284:
211:William Strang
202:
199:
168:
137:
119:
115:tailors' guild
84:cattle drovers
79:
78:Earlier senses
76:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1260:
1249:
1246:
1244:
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1239:
1236:
1235:
1233:
1212:
1208:
1201:
1198:
1185:
1181:
1174:
1171:
1158:
1154:
1153:
1148:
1141:
1138:
1126:
1123:Stan Lepeak.
1119:
1116:
1104:
1102:9780784405949
1098:
1094:
1090:
1086:
1082:
1078:
1076:
1067:
1064:
1052:
1048:
1044:
1038:
1035:
1023:
1022:
1017:
1010:
1007:
995:
994:Goodreads.com
991:
985:
982:
970:
969:World Almanac
966:
959:
956:
951:
949:9781137273000
945:
941:
940:
932:
929:
924:
922:0-393-02386-9
918:
913:
912:
906:
900:
897:
885:
881:
877:
876:Paul Reynolds
871:
868:
856:
852:
848:
844:
840:
836:
832:
825:
822:
818:
817:Surrey Mirror
813:
810:
806:
803:(Gardener).
800:
797:
793:
790:(Gardener.)
787:
784:
780:
774:
771:
757:
756:
748:
745:
739:
732:
729:
723:
720:
714:
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697:
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623:
619:
613:
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586:
582:
577:
574:
570:
569:Nursing World
565:
562:
558:
553:
550:
544:
541:
535:
532:
526:
523:
519:
514:
511:
505:
502:
496:
493:
487:
484:
477:
475:
473:
469:
465:
464:pawnbrokering
461:
457:
453:
449:
444:
442:
438:
434:
430:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
365:
364:World Almanac
359:
357:
353:
352:Ronald Reagan
349:
347:
343:
342:
337:
336:Paul Reynolds
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
313:
312:
310:
306:
298:
296:
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285:
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278:
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267:
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260:
258:
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245:
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212:
207:
200:
197:
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189:
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173:
167:
165:
161:
156:
154:
150:
144:
136:
134:
128:
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
99:
97:
96:lay preachers
93:
89:
85:
77:
75:
73:
69:
65:
61:
54:
53:Horace Vernet
50:
46:
43:The biblical
41:
37:
33:
19:
1238:Prostitution
1216:22 September
1214:. Retrieved
1200:
1190:22 September
1188:. Retrieved
1184:the original
1173:
1163:22 September
1161:. Retrieved
1157:the original
1150:
1140:
1130:22 September
1128:. Retrieved
1118:
1108:22 September
1106:. Retrieved
1080:
1074:
1066:
1056:22 September
1054:. Retrieved
1037:
1027:22 September
1025:. Retrieved
1019:
1009:
997:. Retrieved
993:
990:"Motherhood"
984:
972:. Retrieved
968:
958:
938:
931:
910:
899:
889:22 September
887:. Retrieved
870:
858:. Retrieved
838:
834:
824:
816:
812:
804:
799:
791:
786:
779:Morning Post
778:
773:
760:. Retrieved
754:
747:
737:
731:
722:
713:
700:. Retrieved
694:
687:
678:
669:
661:
656:
647:
638:
630:
625:
617:
612:
604:
600:
592:
588:
580:
576:
568:
564:
556:
552:
543:
534:
525:
517:
513:
504:
495:
486:
472:tomb-raiding
445:
440:
437:Erma Bombeck
425:press agents
397:interpreters
362:
360:
350:
339:
334:
302:
293:
289:
280:
274:
268:
261:
254:
252:
247:
239:
237:
228:
222:
216:
191:
177:
175:
169:
160:Henry Brooke
157:
152:
146:
138:
133:Adam and Eve
130:
120:
102:
100:
81:
68:prostitution
63:
59:
58:
36:
860:13 February
762:27 December
618:Elphinstone
435:. Humorist
413:pickpockets
409:pharmacists
401:journalists
393:glassmakers
1232:Categories
999:8 December
974:6 February
478:References
452:litigation
356:politician
354:nominated
194:hierophant
164:humbugging
855:147616444
381:gangsters
264:euphemism
117:, began:
1051:townhall
907:(1986).
884:BBC News
273:'s play
180:(1875),
151:'s play
107:pageants
742:, p.282
717:Page 4.
708:, p.78.
595:, 1902.
421:pirates
389:gigolos
377:con men
325:Jericho
321:Shittim
295:1970s.
209:Lalun (
109:at the
55:, 1840)
1099:
946:
919:
853:
768:, p.7.
755:Escape
470:, and
433:quacks
431:, and
369:actors
275:Escape
231:Lilith
851:S2CID
702:4 May
429:spies
417:pimps
329:Rahab
186:Thugs
49:Judah
45:Tamar
1218:2008
1192:2008
1165:2008
1132:2008
1110:2008
1097:ISBN
1058:2008
1029:2008
1001:2018
976:2014
944:ISBN
917:ISBN
891:2008
862:2022
764:2023
704:2023
192:The
62:(or
1089:doi
843:doi
348:."
341:BBC
331:.."
269:In
147:In
1234::
1209:.
1149:.
1095:.
1083:.
1079:.
1049:.
1018:.
992:.
967:.
882:.
849:.
837:.
833:.
474:.
466:,
462:,
458:,
454:,
450:,
427:,
423:,
419:,
415:,
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407:,
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387:,
383:,
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371:,
311:.
86:,
1220:.
1194:.
1167:.
1134:.
1112:.
1091::
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1060:.
1031:.
1003:.
978:.
952:.
925:.
893:.
864:.
845::
839:3
766:.
706:.
315:"
213:)
51:(
34:.
20:)
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