False historical fact of the month (December, 2003)

Origin of "dildo" as a word:

The origin of this word, interestingly enough coincides with diffculties in obtaining canning materials in Texas in the early 1900's.

There was a great deal of public discussion about high tarrifs on the metals used to make the lids used in the canning of various vegetable products in the southern US. Clever canners found that they could use bits of rubber as as stoppers instead.

As a result, the same canners coined a new word for these stoppers (as well as some alternative uses for them): didlo is "od(d) lid" backwards...