Arse is a word for buttocks.

Etymology

"Arse", an Old English word, has been in British usage the coarse word for "buttocks". Until the Victorian period, "ass" had no profane meaning and simply referred to what we now call the donkey. Because of the tendency to drop or slur the letter 'r' in British speech, "arse" was often rendered "ass". The age of Victorian propriety resulted in the rechristening of the horse-like animal, changing the name to "donkey" to avoid any improper inferences. This usage was also adopted in America, which is why the word "arse" is not used in the United States. Some people in Britain have adopted the American version in writing. Although before World War I they were similar, the British pronunciations of "ass" and "arse" are now quite different.

"Ass" can be used in its literal sense to refer to the buttocks, but it is most commonly employed to denote an idiot or stupid person, as in: "Don't be such an ass! You're acting like you're five years old!" In British usage the word is not considered to be particularly profane and can certainly be spoken in public without any untoward looks, but in America it is considered to be a coarser expression and would be frowned upon in polite society.

See also

• Scatolinguistics