Tomboy

I was thinking, where did tomboy come from. It has no connection to being a female at all, surely it should be tomgirl or girlboy...? Well here is the answer:


'An english language print reference to the term tomboy can be
traced back to 1553 when it was used to describe a "rude,
boisterous boy." Another reference, in 1579, as a "bold or
immodest woman" and in 1592: "a girl who acts like a spirited
boy." This development of the word is largely a corruption,
through misinterpretation and mistaken use over centuries
and is derived from the Anglo Saxon "tumbere" meaning
dancer or romper, from the same roots as the French
"tomber," to tumble about. Hundreds of years later the
early meaning of a promiscuous boisterous girl or woman
resurfaced in the shortened slang term Tom, meaning
prostitute, when in the 1930's London Police used the term
to describe a prostitute working the Mayfair and Bayswater
areas.'

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/19841#ixzz0pRl033gW

Much like the 'don't say what it's rude' phenomenon (earlier blog), it is again a misinterpretation.
At least now when i use the term i know its wrong.