buck naked

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

The earlier of two similar references to the unclothed state, the later version being the reverse bowdlerization butt-naked. First evidenced in early twentieth century literature and, some say, in the British lexicon.

It is possible the phrase was originally based on the racist usage of "buck" to refer to Black people or Native Americans, who when enslaved were often presented naked at auctions.

Adjective

buck naked (not comparable)

  1. Completely naked.

Translations

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.