Synonyms for pussy

katestyle said:

As mentioned earlier, 'Quim' would work well, it's origins go back a long. long way. It can be traced to the Celtic, Welsh more likely than not, as it's original spelling was 'Cwym'.

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Proof that the Welsh could be naughty even without vowels (as we know them)!

I think the old Japanese 'pillow book' refers to is as her "Jade Gate".

katestyle said:

As mentioned earlier, 'Quim' would work well, it's origins go back a long. long way. It can be traced to the Celtic, Welsh more likely than not, as it's original spelling was 'Cwym'.

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Etymology dictionaries say that the origin is unknown and the word only goes back to the early 17thC.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quim

Pilot

Tio_Narratore said:

"Cunny" was a common term in the Middle Ages. It means "little rabbit" (hence "Coney Island.' It originally referred to a large population of rabbits there; only later did it become a holiday beach area with a large population of bathing beauties).

In Medieval Eastern Europe, "mouse" served as a slang referent to a woman's furry zone.

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Coney Island was originally pronounced 'cunny' island but changed out of decency.

There was a tale that butchers' wives said to their men on Friday, 'no coney, no cunny'.

soflabbwlvr said:

This is a problem I never expected to encounter. I'm writing a fantasy piece, and I need a few good terms for "pussy." It's set in a bronze age medieval environment, and every time a character refers to the female sex organs as "pussy", it makes me cringe. It just doesn't feel right for that world. I never like to use the word "cunt", but I'm starting to think that might work better. Are there any other good options out there? Should I invent a term? How do other fantasy writers handle this problem?

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First, you have your dates all wrong. The Bronze Age ended about 800 BC and the Medieval period only started around the 5thC AD.

The Bronze Age gave rise to the foundations of language that most Western languages are based on-but the Proto-Indo-European gave nothing to sex words. Why? Blame Romans, Greeks, Anglo-Saxons and so on.

There was no Bronze Age Lit so the guys got together and had fun without needing a vocabulary of what they were doing. They were a bit like rutting rabbits.

I won't go on but think you're approaching this the wrong way.

elfin_odalisque said:

First, you have your dates all wrong. The Bronze Age ended about 800 BC and the Medieval period only started around the 5thC AD.

The Bronze Age gave rise to the foundations of language that most Western languages are based on-but the Proto-Indo-European gave nothing to sex words. Why? Blame Romans, Greeks, Anglo-Saxons and so on.

There was no Bronze Age Lit so the guys got together and had fun without needing a vocabulary of what they were doing. They were a bit like rutting rabbits.

I won't go on but think you're approaching this the wrong way.

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You're right and you're wrong. The Bronze Age and the Medieval period were separated by about 2000 years. However, I didn't say that the story was historical or that it was set in either specific period. Rather, I stated that it was a fantasy story set in a Bronze Age or Medieval environment.

Nonetheless, I don't know why I said Medieval. That was an error. The term I should have used was "Feudal", since I was referring to the economic system I am constructing. I tend to equate "Feudal" and "Medieval", as they mostly overlap on the historical timeline. They are not synonymous terms, although I sometimes use them interchangeably.

I often wondered if people are offended by "cunt" even in erotica. Not leaning one way or the other. Just wondering.

wws_wws said:

I often wondered if people are offended by "cunt" even in erotica. Not leaning one way or the other. Just wondering.

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Athalia, whom I edit, uses that word quite often in her stories. I asked her about that very thing. Her response was that women use that word all the time when talking among themselves, and the context makes plain whether it's derogatory or not. Since I haven't been privileged to listen in on such conversations, I can't verify that. Maybe she can chime in here at some point, if she follows this thread.

It may take away from the story if "cunt" is used as part of a third-person narrative. Used in dialogue I feel may help to illustrate a character's personality? I think? Love to know other people's opinions on this. Since I'm working on a historical fiction piece, what was once acceptable is no longer. Do I try to be more authentic as a storyteller or do I try to not detract from the story I'm trying to tell. Am I over thinking this? =)

wws_wws said:

It may take away from the story if "cunt" is used as part of a third-person narrative. Used in dialogue I feel may help to illustrate a character's personality? I think? Love to know other people's opinions on this. Since I'm working on a historical fiction piece, what was once acceptable is no longer. Do I try to be more authentic as a storyteller or do I try to not detract from the story I'm trying to tell. Am I over thinking this? =)

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In most cases, a man wouldn't refer to her actual genitalia, but more to which act was being performed. Terms like 'spooning' and "waxing the moon' were common in use from early periods, not sure of the circa. That might lend more authenticity to it that way.

katestyle said:

As mentioned earlier, 'Quim' would work well, it's origins go back a long. long way. It can be traced to the Celtic, Welsh more likely than not, as it's original spelling was 'Cwym'.

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I don't believe "quim" is anywhere old enough, although it is a good word. Here is a link to the Online Dictionary:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quim?s=t

jehoram said:

Athalia, whom I edit, uses that word quite often in her stories. I asked her about that very thing. Her response was that women use that word all the time when talking among themselves, and the context makes plain whether it's derogatory or not. Since I haven't been privileged to listen in on such conversations, I can't verify that. Maybe she can chime in here at some point, if she follows this thread.

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I remember that conversation. You've stated it accurately. "Cunt" is one of those words that carries a lot of baggage with it. Sort of like the word "boy" ... it can be innocent as the title given to a young male, or derogatory when applied to an adult African-American man. In casual conversations with most college-educated women nowadays, I will hear and use the word more often than "pussy" or "snatch" ... both of which I hear more from men than from women. "Pussy" comes across as a little too cutesy, and "snatch" as too crude.

As for your quasi-medieval conundrum, I would advise against coining a phrase, unless you want to go all Watership Down. Might I suggest "cleft" if you're talking about the external genitalia? If you're referring to the vagina, though, I suppose that your description of the man "entering her" would suffice.