No problem. It didn't even cross my mind that it's probably an unfamiliar term in the US.
Fanny is your bum in American English right? In UK slang it can mean a ladies front bum haha
It was used frequently to describe someone in a not very polite manner
a lá - "You fanny!"
But to imply it's rude or taboo in the modern context seems a little strong for
fanny as it can be used in a relatively friendly manner, particularly in the phrase
fannying about.
Dick used to be 'taboo' but no longer is.
Dick can also be used in the same way:
dicking about.
Using
fanny as a verb, still carries all the baggage and you need to be cautious with your usage if you're talking to the older generation.
Amongst friends
stop fannying about means no more than
stop messing about, however when used aggressively the meaning goes back to the original and becomes
stop messing about, you fanny. Calling someone a
fanny aggressively is only slightly less offensive than calling them a
c-u-next-tuesday.
I find the evolution of words and their usage in different places quite interesting. My area has its own language (seldom used), and its own colloquial dialect of English, partnered with a thick regional accent (an accent which actually covers a broad scope of land that used to be the same, but has since been devolved into seperate areas for a few centuries). Without getting into the politics of language, what we learn and why we learn it, that language difference has meant I have always been fascinated with why two English speakers can get themselves into such a tangle with grammar, word usage, idioms etc.
Slow day in the office for me, if it isn't obvious