Anatomical and sexual terms in stories

[uberundunter]

Well, it safe to say that most stories found at Literotica include a few of them.

Now that I have undertaken to write an erotic story, I am struggling with choosing terms. In my personal life, I use "penis," "vagina," etc. in normal conversation (hmm, trying to remember the context the last time that happened). In the bedroom, we use those same words, but also use some of the other common terms, such as cock, prick, cunt, etc. It's a mixture.

When writing, I'm finding it difficult to do the mixing and matching. If the narrator refers to his "mail member" it sounds as if he is trying to be delicate. "Penis" sounds a little formal, or even clinical. "Cock," "prick," etc. deliver with greater impact, and often make for more realistic dialogue, but seem unpolished in narration. Similar issues arise regarding female genitalia, with some additional complexity. In my mind, "vagina" and "cunt" are synonyms, similar to "penis" and "cock." "Pussy," one the other hand, can refer to the vagina, specifically, but also is used to refer to the entire area, i.e. vulva, labia, etc. AND vagina, as a whole. Of course there are other words as well.

Do I have it right, so far?

The thing is, I have, for instance, known many a woman who would never want use or hear used the word "pussy" when referring to her own nether region. But, in a story, using the word "vulva" would sound stilted. I guess "mound" could be used in many cases, but when would you suggest using or avoiding "mons"? Or, does it make less difference than I think it does? Since "cunt" sometimes (most often?) used as insulting reference to a woman (i.e. to the entire woman), is it a word to avoid when referring to a woman's vagina?

Can anyone offer suggestions or guidelines regarding the use of the formal and informal/slang terms to make a story more effective, while at the same time preserving a bit of literary quality?

Thanks.

[sr71plt]

I'd equate "vagina" to "phallus" in a story and "cunt" to "cock." And the nature of the story would determine which combination I'd use--more reserved for the first; down and dirty for the second.

What I also don't do is try to find a new word for either each time I use them. That gets silly and distracts from the story, I think. By the nature of the stories I mostly write under this account name, I don't use "vagina/cunt" much at all. And I pretty much stick with "cock" for most of my GM stories because of the nature of the stories.

I would not use "pussy" or "love box" unless I was trying to be really, really juvenile in the level of the story presentation or unless my female character who used the term was a real bimbo. Some of these terms can just spoil the atmosphere of the story for me. And those are two terms that stop me dead in a story.

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by uberundunter

If the narrator refers to his "mail member" it sounds as if he is trying to be delicate.

"Male member". Some things shouldn't be sent through the post.

[Dream_Operator]

Originally Posted by Bramblethorn

"Male member". Some things shouldn't be sent through the post.

Unless of course, you have a detachable penis:

Detachable Penis

[MistressLynn]

I had this saved. Maybe something here will help.

Originally Posted by Tx Tall Tales

Appetite - craving, demand, gluttony, greed, hunger, inclination, longing, lust, passion, ravenousness, relish, taste, thirst, urge, voracity, weakness, willingness, yearning,

Arouse - agitate, awaken, electrify, enliven, excite, entice, foment, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, provoke, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, thrill, waken, warm, whet,

Brutal - atrocious, barbarous, bloodthirsty, callous, cruel, feral, ferocious, hard, harsh, heartless, inhuman, merciless, murderous, pitiless, remorseless, rough, rude, ruthless, savage, severe, terrible, unmerciful, vicious,

Delicious - enticing, exquisite, luscious, lush, rich, savory, tempting,

Ecstasy - delectation, delirium, elation, euphoria, fervor, frenzy, joy, rapture, transport,

Ecstatic - delirious, enraptured, euphoric, fervent, frenzied, joyous, transported, wild,

Erotic - amatory, amorous, aphrodisiac, carnal, earthy, erogenous, fervid, filthy, hot, impassioned, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, raw, romantic, rousing, salacious, seductive, sensual, sexual, spicy, steamy, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, venereal, voluptuous,

Gasp - gulp, heave, wheeze, choke, inhale, snort

Heated - ardent, avid, excited, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, frenzied, furious, impassioned, intense, passionate, raging, scalding, scorched, stormy, tempestuous, vehement, violent,

Hunger - appetite, ache, craving, gluttony, greed, longing, lust, mania, ravenousness, voracity, want, yearning

Hungry - avid, carnivorous, covetous, craving, eager, greedy, hungered, rapacious, ravenous, starved, unsatisfied, voracious,

Liquid - damp, ichorous, juicy, moist, luscious, melted, moist, pulpy, sappy, solvent, succulent, viscous, wet / aqueous, broth, elixir, extract, flux, juice, liquor, nectar, sap, sauce, secretion, solution, vitae,

Lithe - agile, lean, pliant, slight, spare, supple

Moving - (exciting,) affecting, affective, arousing, awakening, breathless, dynamic, eloquent, emotional, emotive, expressive, facund, far-out, felt in gut, grabbed by, gripping, heartbreaking, heartrending, impelling, impressive, inspirational, meaningful, mind-bending, mind-blowing, motivating, persuasive, poignant, propelling, provoking, quickening, rallying, rousing, significant, stimulating, simulative, stirring, stunning, touching,

Need - compulsion, demand, devoir, extremity, longing, must, urge, urgency / desire, appetite, avid, burn, craving, eagerness, fascination, greed, hunger, insatiable, longing, lust, taste, thirst, voracious, want, yearning,

Pleasurable - charming, gratifying, luscious, satisfying, savory,

Pleasure - bliss, gluttony, gratification, relish, satisfaction, thrill,

Penis - baby maker, bratwurst, cock, choad, dick, dong, dork, fire hose, hammer, hose, Johnson, joystick, knob, manhood, member, one eyed monster, one eyed snake, package, packet, pecker, peepee, peter, phallus, prick, rod, roundhead, sausage, schlong, schwanz, shaft, thumper, tool, trouser snake, wang, willy

Rapacious - avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, predatory, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious

Rapture - bliss, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, glory, gratification, passion, pleasure,

Rigid - adamant, austere, definite, determined, exact, firm, hard, rigorous, solid, stern, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding

Thrust - (forward) advance, drive, impetus, impulsion, lunge, momentum, onslaught, poke, pressure, prod, propulsion, punch, push, shove,

Thrust - (push hard) assail, assault, attack, bear down, buck, drive, force, heave, impale, impel, jab, lunge, plunge, press, prod, ram, shove, stab, transfix, urge,

Thunderstruck - amazed, astonished, aghast, astounded, awestruck, confounded, dazed, dazed, dismayed, overwhelmed, shocked, staggered, startled, stunned,

Torment - agony, anguish, misery, pain, punishment, suffering,

Vagina - box, cunt, gash, snatch, beaver, quim, cunny, twat, slit, hole, minge, (UK) fanny

Writhe - agonize, bend, jerk, recoil, lurch, plunge, slither, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wriggle

[sr71plt]

He missed "sword" and "rapier" for cock, which are jolly useful in a punny way for swashbuckling romances. (And, yes, I've used them--usually in dialogue bantering.)

I've also used "sausage" (I thought it fit the character perfectly) and got back a litany of "Euww!"

But "baby maker"? Not a chance in anything but parody.

[MistressLynn]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

He missed "sword" and "rapier" for cock, which are jolly useful in a punny way for swashbuckling romances. (And, yes, I've used them--usually in dialogue bantering.)

I've also used "sausage" (I thought it fit the character perfectly) and got back a litany of "Euww!"

But "baby maker"? Not a chance in anything but parody.

The thread is here, from 2009.

[oggbashan]

This is a useful Sex Dictionary.

[erotica_n_s]

I tend to use the term "yoni" for the female genitalia. See here, here or here.

But hey, I'm from India. My choices may be totally different from "western" tastes.







.

[StephenMiletus]

There is a Howto about the various labels for the sexual parts of the human body at

http://www.literotica.com/s/i-pushed...her-poop-chute

I've found it useful as a place to start, both in word selection & thinking about how & when to use these words. YMMV

[SpaceCowboy7]

I feel using cunt is more derogatory then pussy? That's what my wife would say although I don't think she would like either term.

[sr71plt]

"Pussy" sounds juvenile to me and "cunt" more straightforward. So, I use the latter unless I want the character who uses it to sound juvenile.

[Kikoro]

While I do use the terms directly from time to time, I often like to use imagery or "talk around" the sexual organs themselves to leave a little more room for imagination. I also tend to start with softer terms early in the act and as things get more heated, finish with stronger ones. I feel like it helps enhance the transition from "sexual curiosity" to "full-blown lust" between the characters.

I am not offended by the use of the word "cunt" when reading the stories of others, however, I do tend to avoid its use in my own stories unless there is some element of the story that is demeaning to the female character it is associated with.

I wholly disagree with sr71plt's assessment that the use of different terms throughout the story is distracting. If you were inventing terminology, sure, but these are words that we expect our readers to be familiar with. The overuse of a single word can get redundant to the point that the words start blurring together and you lose track of where you are in the story. An example:

He hovered over me, preparing to penetrate me with his hot, throbbing cock. My pussy waited in anticipation as the head of his cock touched the opening. He pierced into my pussy, stretching my insides as his cock reached my deepest parts.

That might be an accurate depiction of events that one would expect to be arousing, but I think you lost the reader sometime in the second sentence. Instead, you can work "around" it, avoiding the need to use the terms much, if ever.

He hovered over me, throbbing, as he prepared for the joining of our flesh. I felt the overwhelming burning anticipation as he reached my opening. When his burning rod pierced me, my insides stretched out, welcoming it into my depths.

Imagery has not only removed the problems of redundancy, but it leaves room for creative interpretation that does not detract from the understanding of the sequence of events. You could argue that the second interpretation could be either a vaginal or anal penetration, but common sensibilities tell us that there would be more indicators if it were intended to describe anal penetration.

[MistressLynn]

Originally Posted by Kikoro

He hovered over me, throbbing, as he prepared for the joining of our flesh. I felt the overwhelming burning anticipation as he reached my opening. When his burning rod pierced me, my insides stretched out, welcoming it into my depths.

I don't think readers need each step, or move, given to them either. But what they do read should make them want to read more. Authors can eliminate the problems of redundancy without making it dull. I don't find anything sexy about that one at all.

[Kikoro]

It was a contrived example. The lack of a scene, mood, or even physical features prevents it from being enjoyable. That, and the image just wasn't there in my head when I wrote it. If you want to criticize, at least give me the benefit of doing so on a real work, where it can be applied constructively.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by Kikoro

It was a contrived example. The lack of a scene, mood, or even physical features prevents it from being enjoyable. That, and the image just wasn't there in my head when I wrote it. If you want to criticize, at least give me the benefit of doing so on a real work, where it can be applied constructively.

I'm glad to read that you consider that contrived yourself. It was sooooo Barabara Cartland and would be exhibit A on why I'd counsel not to throw the thesaurus at your reader. It's fine if you disagree with me, but I thought your example was a howler.

And, hey, it's you who gave it as an example of support for your postion.

I wasn't suggesting using the exact same term every time in a long passage. I was suggesting not find a different term for it each time it's used. The reader doesn't really care that you own a thesaurus.

[Kikoro]

The point was to use imagery instead of concrete terms where possible. The example was awful, but it does at least give an idea as to what I meant. Next time I'll skip the example or reference complete works so we don't get hung up on it.

[sr71plt]

That depends entirely on the style you're writing in, doesn't it? Different needs for different styles.

I usually don't write Barbara Cartland style myself. For those who do, yes, the flowery, heavy imagery approach is a good one.

[Kikoro]

Imagery is useful in many contexts, from romantic to lust-charged to graphically violent to grotesquely disgusting. It is not limited to the flowery approach, and it can help you avoid the pitfalls of redundant word usage and hypnotic phrasing.

[sr71plt]

Yes, and the glory of fiction is that there are a million styles in which to do it successfully. Yes, fine, use imagery as you wish.