Etymograph

English

stinking willy

stinking + willy.

A compound of stinking + willy

Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- ‘to push, thrust’

Proto-Germanic *stinkwaną ‘to stink’

Proto-Germanic *stinkwandz

Old English stincende

Middle English stynkynge

English stinking

Middle English willy

English willy

Today it means

noun Nickname for ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “stinking willy”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / stinking willy

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