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Are Some Words Too Dirty for the Dictionary?
October 6, 2009
When I was 11, I took great pride in knowing more “dirty” words than other girls in my class. While those words still wouldn’t be appropriate in a job interview, they pepper a lot of teen and adult conversations — mine included.
Sexual slang has several functions:
– Poking fun at something one considers offensive or embarrassing
– Protecting people from hearing something that might be inappropriate for young people or more conservative listeners
– Hiding ignorance of true names for sexual anatomy (When was the last time you heard the term frenulum used to describe one of the sexually sensitive areas of the penis?)
– Adding spice to a sexual routine
I’m not a fan of the first three functions because I believe the best communication stems from being direct. I do, however, encourage people to experiment with language during sexual encounters. A whispered, “Do me. Now.” can be a lot more enticing than, “Would you like to join me for a session of sexual intercourse?”
If you’re interested in adding dirty talk to your sexual bag ‘o tricks, start off easy to gauge your partner’s receptiveness to the idea. You may want to ask whether certain words turn-on or turn-off your partner. At a loss for words? Visit a magazine or book store and pick up some erotic or pornographic reading material. Don’t bother renting porn video to learn sexual slang because porn “dialogue” is typically limited to two verbs and a lot of grunting. Then again, you could turn the sound off and create your own dialogue for practice.
Another option is to read Jessica Sheidlower’s column in Slate.com. She details exactly which print and online dictionaries have all the good dirty words. (Note: the column may set off your home or office obscenity filters).
Happy reading, and happy sex!
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