Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition, says that there are two definitions for the noun nance,

1. A male homosexual who takes the passive role (1904+)
2. An effeminate man; lily: Where you need desperately a man of iron, you often get a nance (1883+)

But it says that thye term is said to be fr the nickname of Miss Anna Oldfield, an actress who died in 1730 and was noted for her extreme vanity, fashionable dress, etc   Nance Oldfield was only 47 when she died, but she inspired a term which first popped up 150 years later?  That may be true, but sheesh, it sure sounds improbable!

Fifty years ago, I occasionally read of nances, but I more commonly ran across nancy as an adjective, and in recent decades, I mostly see nancy as a noun, and rearely see nance at all.  Not that it's a term that I run across even once a month.  These days, of course, homosexual is considered offensive because it implies that there is something medically wrong with gays, and while gay pride parades have reclaimed queer (We're here, we're queer, get used to it) and many gays seem comfortable with faggot, the other slang terms for gay males remain as offensive as ever.  Nancy gets a partial pass as it is "cute" and not patently abusive, but I'd be hesitant to use it very much.

There is also a Nancy France, which is in Lorraine, both a department (I assume that's like a US state) and the city that's capital of the department, and a a financial center as well.

The Nancy's Baby Names website says that in the late 1600s, the names Nan and Nanny — very common diminutives of Anne — became slang for “prostitute.” In their place, parents began using Nancy. but I haven't found any other source for that notion. 

James Buchanan, our only bachelor POTIUS, was called "Miss Nancy" by Andrew Jackson, a reference to Buchanan's relationship with William Ruifus King, who was VPOTUS under Franklin Pierce. Buchanan was president immediately before Lincoln, and died on 1868, which seems to put paid to those dates found in the Dictionary of American Slang (repeated in all the dictionaries I could find who offered dates.)  That makes me think Nancy's Baby Names has the better explanation, but there are still gaps in that explanation.

Oldfield was an actress, and apparently quite exceptional, and I presume that the reputation of the casting couch has been around a long time, but why would her name be used, out of so many actresses, whose names could have been used?  Dickens had a prostitute named Nancy in Oliver Twist (althgough her occupation was never explicitly stated in the book), which saw publication in 1839. 

And prison guards use NONCE to designate prisoners, especially pedophiles, who are segregated from the prison population for their safety.  Not On Normal Communal Exercise.  But I've gotten the idea that acronyms and initialisms are a fairly modern invention.

I suspect Dickens' Oliver Twist was the origin of the term.  Perhaps he had a particular woman in mind, whose nam we likely will never know.  Or perhaps someone told him of the happenings in Nancy, France, politicians and bankers having reputations to make slatterns appear highly admirable.  But without a more complete explanation about Anna Oldfield, I'd grant her amnesty.

Anyone have any comments?