Re: USAGE: English adverbials 'the heck', 'the hell', etc.

Joe and Ray Brown write:
> Ray Brown wrote:
> >
> >> but that both are independently dervied from
> >> _Diccon, Dickon_, a hypocoristic form of _Richard_.  _
> >
> > Yep - and "Dick" is still a common familiar form for "Richard" over
> > here.
>
> It used to be, at any rate.  I think people tend to avoid it now.  But
> it's around across the pond too - Dick Cheney, for instance.
This may reflect my personal biases, but I think Dick began to fall from
favor sometime in the 60s, during the various campaigns and ultimate
election of Richard Nixon.  The idea (and occasional actual image) of crowds
chanting "We want Dick!" or "4 more years of Dick!" was just a little much,
and too much fodder for humorists. And can you imagine wearing a campaign
button saying "I love Dick"-- well, nowadays of course you could make a lot
of money selling those to the gay community, but in the 60s, mmm, things
weren't quite as open.

(Surely Dick is used in Rightpondian slang too, no?)