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The customers of prostitutes are known as ''johns'' or ''tricks'' in North America and ''punters'' in the British Isles. These slang terms are used among both prostitutes and [[law]] enforcement for [[persons]] who solicit prostitutes. The term john may have originated from the customer [[practice]] of giving their name as "John", a common name in [[English]]-speaking countries, in an [[effort]] to [[maintain]] [[anonymity]]. In some places, men who drive around [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-light_district red-light districts] for the [[purpose]] of soliciting prostitutes are also known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerb_crawler kerb crawlers].
The customers of prostitutes are known as ''johns'' or ''tricks'' in North America and ''punters'' in the British Isles. These slang terms are used among both prostitutes and [[law]] enforcement for [[persons]] who solicit prostitutes. The term john may have originated from the customer [[practice]] of giving their name as "John", a common name in [[English]]-speaking countries, in an [[effort]] to [[maintain]] [[anonymity]]. In some places, men who drive around [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-light_district red-light districts] for the [[purpose]] of soliciting prostitutes are also known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerb_crawler kerb crawlers].
==Brothel==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] broþel, < [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] broðen ruined, degenerate, past participle of bréoðan to go to ruin: a variant of brethel n.
The [[modern]] sense arises from [[confusion]] with an entirely [[different]] [[word]] bordel n. (q.v.); the brothel was originally a [[person]], the bordel a place. But the combinations bordel-house and brothel's house ran [[together]] in the form brothel-house, which being shortened to brothel, the [[personal]] sense of this word became obsolete, and it remains only as the substitute of the original bordel.
==Other meanings==
==Other meanings==
The [[word]] "prostitution" can also be used [[metaphorically]] to mean debasement or working towards an unworthy [[cause]]. In this sense, "prostituting oneself" or "whoring oneself" the services or [[acts]] performed are typically not [[sexual]]. For instance, in the [[book]], ''The Catcher in the Rye'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Caulfield Holden Caulfield] says of his [[brother]] ("D.B."): "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." D.B. is not [[literally]] a prostitute; Holden feels that his job [[writing]] B-movie screenplays is [[morally]] debasing.
The [[word]] "prostitution" can also be used [[metaphorically]] to mean debasement or working towards an unworthy [[cause]]. In this sense, "prostituting oneself" or "whoring oneself" the services or [[acts]] performed are typically not [[sexual]]. For instance, in the [[book]], ''The Catcher in the Rye'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Caulfield Holden Caulfield] says of his [[brother]] ("D.B."): "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." D.B. is not [[literally]] a prostitute; Holden feels that his job [[writing]] B-movie screenplays is [[morally]] debasing.
