Talk about the penis usually ends in stifled giggles and corny jokes. But the truth is that the penis is a pretty fascinating organ. It is an object of obsession and frustration and has inspired works of art and enhancement devices like penis extenders and pumps. And, of course, it has also spawned more euphemisms than any other body part. So while you might know a million different names for Your Other Head, here are five things you probably didn’t know.
1. The Amazing Foreskin
Doctors are now able to grow skin to use as grafts by using the foreskin of circumcised infants. Just one foreskin can be used to grow 23,000 square meters of skin. That’s enough flesh to cover a football field nearly five times over. The technology is put to use to help people for both cosmetic and medical reasons. It has been especially useful in the treatment of severe burn victims who are unable to use their own skin. The foreskin can also be rejuvenated. Men who were circumcised at birth and later wanted to find a way to reverse the procedure have had some success with Foreskin Restoration techniques. Circumcision has been a popular practice for many years, though it is beginning to wane. A recent study found that only about 30% of the world’s population was circumcised, the majority of those being men of Jewish and Muslim faiths. But in America, the number of circumcised men remains relatively high – around 55%. This is due, in part to the belief there are health benefits to circumcision, as well as the role of tradition.
2. Growers and Showers
Penises come from one of two camps – the growers or the showers. Growers gain length when they become erect and, when flaccid, look much smaller than they do when hard. Showers, on the other hand, tend to look about the same in terms of length and width even when flaccid, Showers get harder and thicker, but do not usually gain much in inches. According to a recent survey by Men’s Health, 79% of men have growers while the remaining 21% have showers.
3. Men Have Always Wanted Bigger Bayonet
Penis enlargement is nothing new. Although the market may be flooded with penis extenders, pumps and male enhancement devices, these are just the modern take on ancient traditions. Even in ancient times men have looked for ways to enlarge their penis. In Egypt, young men were instructed to wear small weights attached to the end of their penis, which worked as a makeshift penis extender. This method is actually still in use today among some more primitive cultures. It has been seen used by tribes in Peru and throughout the African continent. Another ancient technique which is still practised by some men is the art of Jelqing. Developed by the ancient Arabs, jelqing is a form of massage and physical therapy which increases blood pressure and circulation, resulting is an enlarged penis.
4. No Thinking Required
Turns out you don’t need a brain to have an orgasm. The impulses and ‘orders’ to ejaculate actually come from the spinal cord. This comes as no real surprise to many people as an orgasm is often described as making people feel disconnected from their body. This sensation of an emotional and physical disconnect may be why orgasms have developed such an oddly morbid collection of euphemisms, including the infamous French description “la petite mort”, which means “the little deaths”.
5. Boner Used to Have a More Literal Meaning
Boner is a common euphemism for an erect penis even though there is no real bone present. But that’s not the case for many other mammals and, some scientists claim, humans used to have them as well. The baculum, or penis bone, is found in many different mammals, including chimps and gorillas. Evolutionary scientists have speculated as to how and when humans may have lost this bone, or if it ever existed in our species. It could be, though, that our ancient ancestors would have used the term ‘boner’ a lot more literally.