Glagla:
I still don't get anything of it. When it comes to Hoover, my first thought was on the FBI. Is it Fanny which is outdated? What's funny about the connection between the two names and the naming of the woman?
Well, first there were two prominent Hoovers: J. Edgar, and Herbert. The former was the first director of the FBI and that for nearly 50 years, the other was a US president during the Great Depression, built a dam (Hoover Dam) and made the vacuum cleaner. Beyond a similar name, they were not related to each other. As neither had a daughter named Fanny, then there is no relation of either to the referenced quote. So, as I am unaware of any other prominent folks named Hoover, it seems the quote is just ancillary factoids contributed with someone named for a female body part (in England) to make people giggle.
I knew a girl whose last name was Quim. Another word for the same female body part, but she was hispanic and that means it's actually not pronounced the same, but pronounced as Keem as in Joaquin which is the basis for her last name. I'm not sure of the particulars, but supposedly Joaquin or Joaquim is the virgin Mary's father's name. The Spanish like taking religious names for their own, much like Jesus (pronounced hay-sus). So that is why her surname was Quim. But in english quim refers to naught bits of a woman. Such words as names make schoolboys giggle.
In related news, many years ago, there was a news article about a marriage between a man and woman. Noteworthy because the bride's maiden name was Ferrari, and her fiance's last name was Pinto (both names of cars, one greatly desired, the other, greatly despised). This was news worthy because the mother of the bride was heard to remark "my daughter is trading down from a Ferrari for a Pinto."
queue chuckles.
I suspect it's the same thing about "Fanny." Nothing more than a name that causes giggles for some that laugh at such.
As my mom used to say, anytime a joke needs to be explained, it stops being funny.
PhilK:
Hence, of course, the title of Cleland's classic 1748 erotic novel 'Fanny Hill' - ie. mons veneris
Aha. You know, for many years, I've known of this story title, but a) never understood the Fanny/pussy reference, and b) never knew it was an erotic story.
Aha. So her name means Pussy Vacuum to you lot, basically she was doomed to be looked on as a carpet muncher. gotchya.