Buttock cleavage

History

When faced with indecency issues back in the 1930s, W. G. Cassidy explained in an essay titled "Private Parts: A judicial view" that exposure of a buttock cleavage may come under "other private parts" in Australian law, though indecency generally involves exposure of the genital area.

In the early 2000s, it became fashionable for young women and men to expose their buttocks this way, often while wearing low-rise jeans. The Cincinnati Enquirer called it the "new cleavage", and expressed views that "It's virtually impossible to find jeans to cover your hipbone". In August 2001, The Sun celebrated a "bum cleavage week".

Jeffreys (2005) identified British designer Alexander McQueen as the originator of buttock cleavage-revealing jeans, known as the "bumster".

In 2013, Cosmopolitan said that ultra-short miniskirts and shorts exposing the lower buttocks had gained popularity among women, influenced by celebrities such as Lady Gaga.

Lexicon

The terms plumber butt or plumber's crack (Canadian, Australian, and American English) and builder's bum (English) refer to the exposure of the buttock cleavage. The expression "builder's bum" was first recorded in 1988. The terms are based on the popular impression that work in these professions frequently involves bending over in locations where bystanders are observing from the rear.

In the Netherlands the term bouwvakkersdecolleté and in Germany Maurerdekolleté and in Poland dekolt hydraulika is used, which can be translated as "builder's/mason's/plumber's cleavage". In France, it is usually referred to as le sourire du plombier, which literally translates to "the plumber's smile".

References

References

1. Cassidy, W.G.. (September 1974). "Private parts: A judicial view".
2. Brown, Janelle. (2002-05-28). "Booty call: Here come the buns".
3. d'Angelo, Jennifer. (5 December 2001). "Cleavage fashion flips upside down".
4. Daugherty, Gina. (May 29, 2003). "Thong spotting gets easier". [[The Cincinnati Enquirer]].
5. Davies, Anna. (August 26, 2001). "Bum deal: Suddenly, women's bottoms are everywhere. It might seem like jolly, harmless fun, but actually there's nothing innocent about it". [[The Guardian]].
6. Jeffreys, Sheila. (2005). "Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful cultural practices in the West". Routledge.
7. (17 July 2013). "High alert: We're all helpless onlookers to 'the Summer of butt cleavage'".
8. ''Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable'', by John Ayto, Ian Crofton (2006), {{ISBN
9. (10 September 2019). "French Expression of the Day".