Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish Dutch pezel, diminutive of pees, meaning 'sinew'. The word is used today to signify the penis of an animal, chiefly in Australia and New Zealand.
Original uses
It is also known, at least since 1523, especially in the combination "bull pizzle", to denote a flogging instrument made from a bull's penis. It derives from the Low German pesel or Flemish pezel, originally from the Dutch language pees meaning "sinew".
In William Shakespeare's play, Henry IV, Part 1, the character Falstaff uses the term as an insult (Act 2, Scene IV):
'Sblood, you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat's tongue, you bull's pizzle, you stock-fish!
In heraldry
In heraldry, the term pizzled (or vilené in French blazon) indicates the depiction or inclusion of an animate charge's genitalia, especially if colored (or "tinctured") differently.
The bear in the coat of arms of Appenzell is represented pizzled, and omission of this feature was seen as a grave insult. In 1579, the pizzle was forgotten by the printer of a calendar printed in Saint Gallen, which brought Appenzell to the brink of war with Saint Gallen.
Modern uses
Animal consumption
Pizzles, or Bully Sticks, are almost exclusively used/produced today as chewing treats for dogs.
Glue
The pizzle of a bull was commonly rendered for use as glue.
Human consumption
In addition to being used as a dog treat, pizzles are also eaten by humans for their purported health benefits (according to traditional Chinese medicine) such as being low in cholesterol and high in protein, hormones, and vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium, although little empirical evidence supports these claims. Pizzles for human consumption are prepared either by freezing or by drying.
Scottish deer pizzles are thought to boost stamina and were used by Chinese athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Pizzles can be served in soup, and if they have been dried they can be turned into a paste. Pizzles may also be mixed with alcoholic beverages or simply thawed (if frozen) and eaten. In Jamaica, bull pizzles are referred to as "cow cods" and are eaten as cow cod soup. Like many pizzle-based foods, cow cod soup is claimed to be a male aphrodisiac.
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