Nice lils !!

[shyted]

Where does the word lils derive from when talking about breasts ?

[Quizmonster]

I confess I've never even heard of this usage, but - since the question has gone unanswered for two days - here's a suggestion. It sounded as if it might be connected with 'Palare' a kind of slang language often used by the gay community back in the 50s/60s. (I was not part of it, you understand!) It was best-known to the rest of us when used in the Julian-and-Sandy sketches in the radio-show, 'Round the Horne'.

A Google-search reveals that one of the meanings of 'lills' then was 'hands'. I just wondered, therefore, whether the suggestion might be that the breasts so-called are " a lovely handful". Just a thought.

[shyted]

Thank you quizmonster....interesting idea ... although not sure ... gotta a sneaky feeling it maybe more of a cockney expression ... the sort of thing Del Boy would say , followed by lovely jubbly...

[Dave Potts]

It IS cockney from what I understand shyted - me and my colleagues use it a fair bit (we work for a cab firm in London, and are as common as you like) e.g. "she's got a blindin' set of lils" - none of us actually know where it came from though. I hadn't bothered replying as I was hoping someone else would contribute an answer, but I'm guesssing as with all CRS it has its origins in a more complete phrase or name and is an abbreviation of something beginning with 'LIL' (along the lines of Lily Langtry, LiIlian Gish or some other famous Lil!). 'Aunt Lil' is CRS for 'pill', but I can't see a logical connection between this and a woman's 'Cute Little Bundles Of Fun'. Having 'Googled' it it appears to have first appeared in the 50's/60's but despite several references to it no website seems to offer any suggestions for its origins. SO we're none the wiser. :o(

[Dave Potts]

And before any other cockneys start jumping up and down, I'm all too aware that pills are also 'Jack and Jills". So jog on.