And for life, you slut, for we were really married.

The word 'slut' has always made me laugh and I'd like to share a humorous personal anecdote. When I was very young I independently conceived this word (having never heard it anywhere before). I combined the words 'slum' and 'butt' and I liked the way my monosyllabic insult slid off my tongue and the sharp but heavy sound of it.  One day I decided to take my new invention for a test drive, and fired 'slut' at my brother, and my mom subsequently flipped out. I don't remember my age but I was definitely too young for that word to be part of my vocabulary.

So of course the free and frequent use of 'slut' in The Beggar's Opera makes my heart smile.  It's used so frequently it nearly becomes diluted, transforming from a biting insult to a dubious term of endearment.  The context of several 'slut' usages are pretty silly (so it seems to me). First Peachum says to Polly "Your husband is to die today...tis' high time to look about for another. There's comfort for you, you slut."  I originally read this sentence as sarcasm (and that is probably the true intention) but I also considered Peachum might be trying to give some clumsy fatherly advice, and hastily adds 'you slut' to the end of his sentence in order to retain his nasty demeanor.  At the end where Macheath takes Polly for his dance partner he says "And for life, you slut, for we were really married."  It's ironic he should call her a slut considering his marital indiscretion, but I read this as Macheath using a pet name for Polly.  This could very well be the case; I could go back and count how many times Polly is called a slut throughout the play, but I have to get up early tomorrow morning (and that would certainly take all night). It's logical to see how her label could evolve into a pet name.

In conclusion, the different ways the word 'slut' is used is something which stood out to me in reading this play. Although it's not an argument or particularly insightful, I'm posting about this simply because I found it at the forefront of my thoughts as a I finished reading the text.  Additionally, things that make me laugh are important.