The word innuendo dates from the 16th century. It is a Latin word meaning literally ‘by nodding at, by pointing to’, from nuere ‘to nod’. It was first used in legal documents in the sense ‘that is to say’, serving as a formula to introduce an explanation or aside as in ‘he (innuendo the plaintiff) is a thief’. Hence it came to be used as a noun referring to such an aside; in particular it served as a pointer to the libellous or slanderous meaning alleged to be conveyed by a word or expression that was not in itself actionable.