On: Words that seem related but aren't (2015)

[dustintrex]

An unmentioned subcategory is words that that sound or look like taboo words, but are actually unrelated: "niggardly", "Gaylord", "fag" as in cigarette (from "fag end", unrelated to "faggot"), etc.

[moonchild → dustintrex]

A 'faggot' is also a bundle of wood.

[dustintrex → moonchild]

Yes, but this appears to be the origin of the pejorative: bundle of sticks -> an old woman collecting sticks -> a man who acts like an old woman -> homosexual.

[marginalia_nu → dustintrex]

This is quite a far fetched explanation.

[baud147258 → marginalia_nu]

I'm not seeing you provide a better explanation

[marginalia_nu → baud147258]

I don't have one, but that's really not grounds to believe the first thing anyone tells you.

[madaxe_again → moonchild]

It’s also a bundle of anything - including tobacco, which is where fag comes from. Derived from the same root as “fasces” and therefore fascism.