But also because it's such common practice here, that he didn't want them to feel self-conscious around other boys.

nods

I caught 5 minutes of Nip/Tuck the other day, and some pretty boy with pronounced eyebrows, who looked sufficiently familiar that I suspect he's been in, er, something or other I've watched before, possibly Dawson's Creek, possibly Buffy (only surely I'd have remembered...?) was trying to get laid, and his girlfriend looked at his bits, and then was all "Hmm. Are you part Arab, or something?" To which he said "No, no - is it a problem, that I'm not circumcised?" and she said "No, no problem. Er. But I think maybe we should just make out, 'kay?"

Poor lad. He looked gutted. When next we saw him, he had a sharp knife and was trying to do his own circumcision. (I rather enjoyed watching this, actually...I mean, the whole angstypoutyprettyboy-getting-his-kit-off, and a moment later fainting. Um.)

Oh! Which reminds me - my mother told me, a couple of years ago, that apparently my Dad (and this is SO my Dad) randomly did his own circumcision too, at some point. Not sure why, because it wasn't like he wasn't getting laid. But, yeah - got a stanley knife and some germoline, or something along those lines, and chopped off a bit of his old fella. That's Yorkshiremen for you - stoic and independent and more than a wee bit insane.

My husband, lo those many years ago, was uncircumcised but he's the only man I've ever known, in the biblical sense, who wasn't

Most of the men I've known well enough to know haven't been. Just an interesting demographic point.

I remember reading once, and I have no idea if it's correct or not, or even where I read it, but that Vitamin K absorption (or something to do with it), kicks in when a baby is 8 days old. If I'm remember correctly, this plays some part in clotting. So I always thought it was kind of neat that the religious circumcision practice for Jews included it being done on the child's 8th day.

It seems to me I heard that in the past (maybe WWII), some guys were required to be circumcised while in the armed forces. If true, I can understand how the practice grew to be so common, today.

Fay, you're totally squicking me. Eeeeew!

Poor lad. He looked gutted. When next we saw him, he had a sharp knife and was trying to do his own circumcision. (I rather enjoyed watching this, actually...I mean, the whole angstypoutyprettyboy-getting-his-kit-off, and a moment later fainting. Um.)

Oh! Which reminds me - my mother told me, a couple of years ago, that apparently my Dad (and this is SO my Dad) randomly did his own circumcision too, at some point. Not sure why, because it wasn't like he wasn't getting laid. But, yeah - got a stanley knife and some germoline, or something along those lines, and chopped off a bit of his old fella. That's Yorkshiremen for you - stoic and independent and more than a wee bit insane.

Ooof. Crossing my legs in sympathy or out of fright.

I've heard the "don't like the cold" explaination -- but do they start howling before the snipage? I'd think they'd be just a cold at that point...

I dated a guy who'd been circumcised at 13. While he'd never had sex with the foreskin, he'd masturbated both ways and liked with the hood better. I think I'd be compelled to not snip for that and other reasons -- though there's bound to be a father person with an opinion too.

I've heard the "don't like the cold" explaination -- but do they start howling before the snipage? I'd think they'd be just a cold at that point...

I wasn't present for my sons' circumcisions, but I was present almost every time they were ever naked as infants, and they HATE the cold and would howl. Ben also just hated lying flat on the changing table.

Some of the information I've seen argues that non-religious circumcision really became big as a Victorian-era prescription against masturbation, since (at least in theory) it doesn't feel quite as good without the hood.

Then again, few people can really compare -- Trudy's friend being a rare exception.

ETA: Mind you, it's a bit difficult to tell, as a lot of what's on the Nets of Inter about circumcision is strongly opposed.

I've seen several britim (britot? Whatever the plural of "brit" is) where the baby either didn't cry at all or barely cried. Generally, it was over really quickly and the baby was left with a "Huh? What happened?" expression.

My ex-husband was born when his parents were in England on a Fulbright, so was not circumcised. When they mved back here when he was four he was definitely in the minority. He made a nickel a look in elementary school, so he was very pro-circumcision at least for himself!