Freud, the etymologist
“Other portions of the same dream enabled us to discover further that she had guessed that the English ‘box’ was related to the German ‘Büchse‘ ['receptacle'], and that she had then been plagued by a recollection that ‘Büchse‘ is used as a vulgar term for the female genitals.”
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)
Analysand: …so I looked on the back of the box and saw that each package is, like, 800 calories! So then I…
Freud: On the box?
A: Yeah. Just on the back. So I…
F: Hmm, interesting. The box. Tell me more about this box.
A: Um, well, it was made of carboard, and had a picture of a…
F: No, no. I mean, tell me more about boxes.
A: Boxes?
F: Yes. What images does a box conjure?
A: (Pause) I dunno. A place to keep jewelry?
F: No.
A: A tiny house for mice?
F: No, no.
A: I don’t get it.
F: Think about the word “box.”
A: Well, it sounds like “book,” I guess. Books?
F: You’re getting closer. Remember, I’m Austrian, and you’re bilingual.
A: Oh, right, right. Buch!
F: Good, now make it back into a box-like thing.
A: Okay. Buchse?
F: Excellent. Now what does that make you think of?
A: Um, you keep stuff in it.
F: Right. And what else do you “keep stuff in?”
A: Eww, do you mean a–?
F: Yes, exactly!
A: Dude, that’s got nothing to do with…
F: Shush! You’re clearly fixated on this idea.
October 28th 2008 - 11:14amI got lost after the anal part.
October 29th 2008 - 7:28am