What is the meaning behind Pussy Galore's name?
While I was watching James Bond 007 - Goldfinger on TV, I remember a lesson I had back in high school. We were learning about how movies are affected/released by what is going on in society. We looked at Dr. Strange Love and James Bond 007 - Goldfinger. I'm quite sure we were supposed to note the notations to nuclear weaponry, however in Goldfinger everyone just laughed their asses off when Pussy Galore's name was brought up.
Now, I may be trying to keep both my physical and mental virginity until I get a girlfriend, but I know what everyone was going on about with Pussy Galore (and personally I don't find it funny, I saw the film several times before the class and never found it funny). I know that the James Bond films are based off books which were out long before the movies were released. I've been wondering, was Pussy Galore's name really a take on the slag term currently used in porn or was there another reason why Pussy Galore was named this way?
NOTE: While the answer probably lies in the book rather than the film's development, there's no SE site for books (at least not named easily enough) and this curiosity has came from watching the film, not to mention I do not know how different the movie is to the book so there is a chance that Pussy goes under a different name in the book.
Best Answer
It seems the women in James Bond's love life often have provocative names:
- Honey Rider, Dr. No (1961): 1960s sexual position name for reverse cowgirl
- Domino Vitali/Petachi, Thunderball (1965) and Never Say Never Again (1983): Dominatrix?
- Kissy Suzuki, You Only Live Twice (1967): "kissing machine"?
- Tiffany Case, Diamonds Are Forever (1971): beautiful outside, desirable inside
- Dr. Holly Goodhead, Moonraker (1979): certainly a euphemism for holy fellatio
- Judy Havelock, For Your Eyes Only (1981): bondage term or wrestling lock
- Octopussy, Octopussy (1983): (what can I say?)
- Xenia Onatopp, Goldeneye (1995): none too subtle
- Wai Lin, Tommorrow Never Dies (1997): sounds like Way In or Whaling, both implying forceful sex
I'm having trouble deciphering Vesper Lynd (from several Casino Royale movies). Vesper means evening, but I don't see how that provocatively fits with Lynd.
As for what they all mean: maybe Bond can't be relied upon to independently identify his next sexual conquest, so they are named as though they have signs on them.
Or maybe Ian Fleming was poking fun at English society's prudish and contradictory morals.
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How did they come up with the name Pussy Galore?
Originally the producers considered naming the character Kitty Galore to appease censors, but after several British newspapers reported that Blackman would be playing the role of "Pussy," they let the name stick. And somehow censors allowed it.How did they get away with the name Octopussy?
The "Octopussy" name, specifically, is said to have been named after Fleming's pet octopus. Ian Fleming based the character of Pussy Galore in the novel (and later movie) Goldfinger (1964) on Blanche Blackwell.GOLDFINGER | Bond meets Pussy Galore
More answers regarding what is the meaning behind Pussy Galore's name?
Answer 2
The meaning of the name "Pussy Galore" is essentially "abundant sex" (with "Pussy" meaning sex and "Galore" meaning abundant).
The name "Pussy Galore" is intended to make viewers laugh. The humor is largely driven by how the name is such an obvious, crude reference to sex.
Remember the movie came out in 1964, when audiences were much less de-sensitized to sex and to shock-humor than they are today. Also note that the most recent Bond films seem to have done away with the obvious-sex-reference names for Bond Girls -- probably because that stuff just isn't funny to enough people anymore, and might even be considered offensive by many.
Answer 3
There is also a Wikipedia entry on the character, which explains the meaning and origin:
As with many of Ian Fleming's creations, the name is a double entendre—in this case with respect to pussy, which is both another word for a housecat and a slang term for vulva and vagina, while galore means an abundant or plentiful supply of something.
Answer 4
That's really a question only Ian Fleming can answer, but he did use double entendres quite often when naming his female characters. In this case the double entendre is (hidden because it's not polite conversation):
a housecat and vulva.
Answer 5
It's an obvious sexual innuendo ("pussy" is probably the most-often used slang term for "vagina", and if you don't know what "galore" means then you need a dictionary), which was spoofed in the Austin Powers movies (Alotta Fagina).
Answer 6
The word "Galore" comes from the Irish term "Go Leoir" meaning plenty.
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