The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #49301   Message #3703635
Posted By: Bill D
23-Apr-15 - 10:09 AM
Thread Name: Bawdy songs question
Subject: RE: Bawdy songs question
In many bawdy or suggestive songs, the particular phrases 'may' not be intended to describe a particular act or ability, but can merely be interesting euphemisms to indicate a general all-around desirability and prowess. In German, they take great pains to construct precise words, often quite long, to clarify meaning, and they don't always see why other languages don't do the same.

There are lists of sexual nouns, verbs and phrases that boggle the mind, and I can liberally interpret "cleans off the table" in a couple of explicit ways, but I would not presume that they are exactly what the author/singer intended. Part of blues lyrics is allowing the listener to process things for themselves.