Buttock cleavage is minor exposure of the buttocks and the intergluteal cleft between them, often because of low-rise pants.
History
editWhen faced with indecency issues back in the 1930s, W. G. Cassidy explained in an essay titled "Private Parts: A judicial view" that exposure of a buttock cleavage may come under "other private parts" in Australian law, though indecency generally involves exposure of the genital area.[1]
In the early 2000s, it became fashionable for young women and men to expose their buttocks this way, often while wearing low-rise jeans.[2][3] The Cincinnati Enquirer called it the "new cleavage", and expressed views that "It's virtually impossible to find jeans to cover your hipbone".[4] In August 2001, The Sun celebrated a "bum cleavage week".[5]
Jeffreys (2005) identified British designer Alexander McQueen as the originator of buttock cleavage-revealing jeans, known as the "bumster".[6]
In 2013, Cosmopolitan said that ultra-short miniskirts and shorts exposing the lower buttocks had gained popularity among women, influenced by celebrities such as Lady Gaga.[7]
Lexicon
editThe terms plumber butt or plumber's crack (Canadian, Australian, and American English) and builder's bum (British English) refer to the exposure of the buttock cleavage. The expression "builder's bum" was first recorded in 1988. The terms are based on the popular impression that work in these professions frequently involves bending over in locations where bystanders are observing from the rear.[8]
In the Netherlands the term bouwvakkersdecolleté and in Germany Maurerdekolleté and in Poland dekolt hydraulika is used, which can be translated as "builder's/mason's/plumber's cleavage". In France, it is usually referred to as le sourire du plombier, which literally translates to "the plumber's smile".[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Cassidy, W.G. (September 1974). "Private parts: A judicial view". Southerly (law essay). Vol. 34, no. 3. Sydney, AU. pp. 315–319 – via informit.com.au.
- ^ Brown, Janelle (28 May 2002). "Booty call: Here come the buns". Salon.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2006.
- ^ d'Angelo, Jennifer (5 December 2001). "Cleavage fashion flips upside down". Fox News (FOXNews.com). Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2006.
- ^ Daugherty, Gina (29 May 2003). "Thong spotting gets easier". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2008 – via enquirer.com.
- ^ Davies, Anna (August 26, 2001). "Bum deal: Suddenly, women's bottoms are everywhere. It might seem like jolly, harmless fun, but actually there's nothing innocent about it". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2008 – via theguardian.com.
- ^ Jeffreys, Sheila (2005). Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful cultural practices in the West. Routledge. p. 98. ISBN 0-415-35183-9 – via Google books.
- ^ "High alert: We're all helpless onlookers to 'the Summer of butt cleavage'". Cosmopolitan. 17 July 2013 [16 July 2013]. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable, by John Ayto, Ian Crofton (2006), ISBN 0-304-36809-1, p. 121
- ^ "French Expression of the Day". The Local.
External links
edit- Thesaurus:plumber's crack from Wiktionary
Media related to Buttock cleavage at Wikimedia Commons
