I'm guessing the etymology is the same as for the American "taint"?
You had me afwen until ortcut provided a fine comparative piece to bridge that cultural gap. Fine community orientated work there.
Yes a Taint....is a Tisnae
This issue appears to be a compression and/or friction issue (I'm not qualified to say this but it would be my best guess). Some posters above have mentioned the saddle type (heavily padded) as being a possible contributor as well as non-cycle type clothing like denims and the like. They all sound absolutely bang on to me but what I don't understand is why there is compression/friction there in the first place. I was always led to believe that one should 'perch' their glotus maximus bones (arse bones...i really don't know what they're called) on the saddle so it is those bones that are carrying the weight of the trunk when cycling. When I'm cycling my perineum/taint/tisnae is barely in contact with the saddle if at all. is this a fit issue? Can someone maybe throw some light on this fit issue to clarify if the gents encountering issues can rectify and prevent future reoccurrence? Or am I 'perched' incorrectly?
My cycling friend let this issue fester and there were further complications (all sorted now but it dragged on for a bit longer than it should have) so don't hesitate to have it looked at if there is any doubt. Ulcers outside of the mouth deserve greater scrutiny. As I said I am not medically trained but my partner works in care and this is an area that she discusses now and again so i know a wee bit about ulceration. However, your doctor will know a hell of a lot more.
BTW, I like your new avatar, Surfindixon! Interesting that that image makes an appearance on Good Friday. Pull those two fingers together a bit, and I can see it on the wall of a Byzantine church!
Most unintentional ortcut. Neil (the character that is my Avatar) was far from a saint though. He was one of the characters in an anarchic comedy that had a great impact on me and every other teen in early 80's. Coincidence? You may be on to something......when I was reading your reply i remembered that in the first ever episode Neil did try to commit suicide by crucifixion but he just couldn't manage to hammer the last nail in.
UK.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_You...on_Watkins_Pye
Happy Easter to All when it arrives tomorrow.