The Cojones Factor

In a recent speech, Sarah Palin made this statement:

“Jan Brewer has the cojones that our president does not have. If our own president will not enforce our federal law, more power to Jan.”

Most people understand what Sarah Palin was saying, and she is absolutely correct. To ‘have the cojones’ means to have the backbone, grit, guts, moxi, sand or gumption to do the right thing; to do what needs to be done.

Obama is nothing more than a weenie, and is concerned only about his own well being. Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, is doing what she needs to do to manage the illegal immigrant problem that is right on her door step. By the way, she is also enforcing existing Federal Law. Consider how many Federal employees we pay in the area of law enforcement, and yet they are not willing to do what Jan Brewer is doing.

Three cheers for Sarah Palin and Jan Brewer! Obama should go away and never come back!

Actually, that is not what I am writing about, though. I was thinking about a lady like Sarah Palin using the term ‘cojones’. The word is Spanish for testicles and previously would have been considered somewhat vulgar or offensive for public conversation. The earlier American version of the expression was to say that someone does not ‘have the balls’ to do something. Once again, this is an expression that most women would not be comfortable using.

As happens sometimes, a word is used and eventually develops its own meaning. Thus, when a woman uses the term ‘cojones’ in conversation and does not even blush or wince, you can assume she is not thinking of testicles.

I have been equally surprised by another expression that women use in conversation, and that is ‘brown nose’. The historical implication of that expression is clear and for a woman to casually use it means it has taken on a new interpretation.

Maybe you know of another example.