The Dark Origin of "Sweet Fanny Adams": What You Need To Know

When it comes to slang language, there is so much that people need to know about because we often use slang in a specific way, whereas they mean something totally different. Most of these slangs are what people know about, but then there are some of these that are really unique and you need to get the in-depth details of these to understand.

The slang that we are going to talk about is one of those slangs that has a unique meaning, and people are not aware of it. We are talking about the slang that you may have heard people use randomly, which is “Sweet Fanny Adams.” You may think it is simple slang, but it sure is not that, and you really need to know how you need to use it.

Let’s get into the details below and know everything about this line, from the origin to the meaning and whether it is really okay to use this slang or not.

Origin of The Slang

Let’s begin with the origin of this slang and where it came from. Some people are not even aware of the fact that it actually came from a national tragedy. There was an eight year old girl who was known as Fanny Adams who was murdered in the daylight and it was definitely a tragic story that turned into national news right after. This murder occurred in a small town in Hampshire and it really was a horrific story that people came across.

This story is really tragic because, after the murder, her body was found in pieces and was found in that form by the investigation agency. After sometime the culprit was caught by the police, and then he was punished for what he did. After the incident, the murderer on Christmas Eve and was given the death sentence, and so it became a long-lasting story that stayed with people and even exists to date. This is where the slang "sweet fanny Adams" came from.

Sweet Fanny Adams: What People Think

Coming back to the slang, most people are not even aware of what the slang means and they keep using it without any thought. The meaning of the slang that is used today for "sweet Fanny Adams" is “nothing at all.” People use this slang whenever they have to mention “absolutely nothing,”. For example, if a person asks another what they had for lunch, they will just say "Sweet Fanny Adams" instead of saying “absolutely nothing” if they did not eat anything. 

One thing to be mentioned is that there are many people who you may hear saying “something sweet for Adam,” and they will say it very casually without knowing where this line actually came from. Once people understand the true origin of this slang, most of them stop using it because it becomes shocking rather than a fun, simple slang.

Usage In Earlier Times

Another thing that people need to know about this slang is that in the earlier times, after the murder of Fanny Adams, its usage increased in the Royal Navy. Life at the seaside was really tough and the navy people used morbid jokes that wouldn’t sound funny to normal people. The usage of the slang increased dramatically after that.

Yes, and as it may look, but the navy started to receive tinned mutton, which was cut into small pieces, and every time they received it, they used the slang “Fanny Adams.” The mutton was known to be extremely useless, and that is exactly where the meaning “nothing at all” came into existence for the word “Fanny Adams.” Most people are unaware of these details and they just randomly use them without going into the in-depth meaning.

There is one more thing that you need to know about this slang: there is still a stone that is present in Alton cemetery that is dedicated to Fanny Adams and is in her sweet memorial.

Bottom Line

When we talk about this slang, "Sweet Fanny Adams," we have to mention that many people use this slang without even knowing what it actually means. There are only a few who know the tragic story behind this slang and they do not use it in a fun way. But there are many slang terms that go in the same category where people do not know where they came from and they just randomly use them.

So, the next time you have to say to somebody “nothing at all” or “absolutely nothing,” do not use the slang "Sweet Fanny Adams," because you are now aware where it came from and how there is a tragic story attached to it.