Here are some cartoons I drew back in the 1950s when I was in my 20s and thought I would become a professional cartoonist.

These cartoons give you an idea of what I frequently had on my mind in those days — women's breasts.  (Well, I must confess to still being often preoccupied with women and their anatomies.)

Nowadays, however, I need someone to tell me if I'm out of touch with reality, hopelessly naïve, or just laughably old-fashioned. "I'm talking about some of the "everyday language" I hear — language that I am generally uncomfortable using.  In fact, I don't use it.  Well, I'm using some of it here — but only to amplify my question.

For some reason, I never got into using the "four-letter words" that were expected in locker rooms, waterfront bars, and in the military.  Yes, during my three+ years in the army I forced myself to use some of them — to keep from being viewed as a total misfit.

In any case, I always felt more comfortable in the company of women, since they didn't use those words either — at least not in my presence.  Nowadays, however, the word "breast" seems to have vanished from the language — unless you're talking fried chicken or medical jargon.  I notice the only words used by the ladies of Barbara Walters' The View are boob and boobs, with an occasional nod toward jugs, hooters, or knockers.  (Tits appears to be totally passé.)

But it's not just TV and the movies — many of my female friends feel right at home telling me about problems they're having with their boobs — everything from bra-size issues to wondering if they should have them reduced or enlarged.  ("I used to like having big boobs, but at my age gravity is beginning to take its toll.")  When they follow this by telling me their ass is getting too wide, I usually remember that I have an urgent appointment somewhere else.