Boy Toy: Modern Slang in the Middle Ages
The linguistic history of “boy toy” from the past to today
The phrase “boy toy” has been on my mind ever since Barbie hit theaters, giving us “Kenergetic” Ryan Gosling, whose job is looking good at the beach. The word has been contentious ever since its conception in the 1980s, shifting between derogatory and empowering, no matter which gender it’s applied to.
“Boy toy” as a compound has one definition predating the rise of the 1980s term as we know it today. In 1971, “boy toy” wasn’t sexual, but its usage had an air of frivolity, defined as, “an unnecessary or extravagant [gadget], designed to evoke a somewhat childish appeal in men.”
Since 1982, the secondary definition of “boy toy” has been described as “A young and attractive man regarded as the plaything of an older, often wealthier woman (or occasionally man).” In this case, Barbie is our successful career woman alongside her trophy boyfriend, “just Ken,” making him, by definition, a boy toy. The Oxford English Dictionary also recognizes that the word has been used to refer to women as well, making it less about gender and more about power.
The British variant, “toyboy,” recognized by the OED in 1981, quotes its first appearance in The Guardian with a much more sexist slant toward the women in the…
