Of Purple Prose and Euphemisms

[Rumple Foreskin]

This is romance oriented, but I thought some of the AH crowd might enjoy the following excerpt from:

"The Purple Prose Eater"
by Deb Stover

Included in: How to Write a Romance For The New Markets
Genesis Press, Inc ISBN: 1-885478-46-1
Copyright by Deb Stover -- All Rights Reserved

Here's an opinion on using graphic slang from one of the masters of the romance genre, Anne Stuart: " Words like 'cock' should be used judiciously. Sometimes the shock value can be very erotic. Sometimes it can be jarring."

Anne later commented that she considers the word penis a " whiny, nasal little word." Then she confessed, and I quote, " I once, God help me, called it 'the raging beast of his desire,' but I saved my reputation when I saw the galleys and almost barfed."

She also admitted that in her novel Night of the Phantom, she used the phrase " filled her with the hot wet tumult of his love." When she saw it in print, she wanted to scream.

The entire article can be found at: http://www.debstover.com/purple.html

Rumple Foreskin

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

I love euphemisms, but I don't like those floral romantic ones. Nah-ah. No way.

Some of my faves for the female anatomy:

--her liquid slit

--Venus mound

--rear grotto

--winking eye of God

--her hot, plump sex lips

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I love euphemisms, but I don't like those floral romantic ones. Nah-ah. No way.

Some of my faves for the female anatomy:

--her liquid slit

--Venus mound

--rear grotto

--winking eye of God

--her hot, plump sex lips

*opens file of attractive euphemisms*

Thank-you, madam, I can see this being a fruitful realm of linguistic exploration.

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

*opens file of attractive euphemisms*

Thank-you, madam, I can see this being a fruitful realm of linguistic exploration.

mwah! I adore these linguistic dalliances, bear.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

 

[midwestyankee]

Recently I sat in on a workshop on writing erotica. Asked for our favorite words or expressions for body parts, one of the participants offered up "the mossy grotto."

I don't see that phrase fitting well in any of my bdsm-themed stories. Nope. Not at all.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I used to read dirty books in the sixties, and they had to use euphemisms, such as "His proud young manhood" or "his rampant engine of lust" or similar things. "Mossy grotto" was another one.

"Mount of Venus" is a perfectly acceptable term, like vagina or other words. I actually use the term, or sometimes I shorten it to "mons."

 

[midwestyankee]

I used to read dirty books in the sixties, and they had to use euphemisms, such as "His proud young manhood" or "his rampant engine of lust" or similar things. "Mossy grotto" was another one.

"Mount of Venus" is a perfectly acceptable term, like vagina or other words. I actually use the term, or sometimes I shorten it to "mons."

Mound of Venus is, literally, the English translation for a common medical term for the mound that surrounds the clitoris: mons veneris.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

"Serious authors" cringe at the use of imaginative euphemisms, but I love them. And seeing as how I am nowhere near being a serious author, I'm ok with that

 

[sr71plt]

The Romance genre Deb Stover is writing about and the erotica level at a story collection such as Literotica are two different animals.

 

[TE999]

The title of a classic work of erotica, 'The Perfumed Garden', always struck me as an appropriately lyrical term for the female anatomy.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

When I started writing for Ellora's Cave, you could use "cock" but you couldn't use "prick" or "dick". You could use "pussy" but "cunt" was strictly verboten (and is to this day as far as I know.) You couldn't call a woman a "hot bitch", though another character could. The rules also stated that the heroine only have one lover throughout the book. Anal and lesbian scenes were not permitted.

Times change. I think the "prick & dick" rule still applies over at EC as does the "cunt" prohibition, but just about anything goes sexually.

I've written porn where the use of "cock" and "dick" and all of that works just fine, and then I've written stuff where it really didn't fit and I talked about thrusting "himself" into her. It really depends on the context and the effect you're trying to achieve.

But the word "cock' itself is becoming pretty widely acceptable. Certainly better than calling it his willie or his pud.

There's no lack of euphemisms for dicks and pussies. What's missing are decent euphemisms for tits and nipples. Mounds and nubs just doesn't cut it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I recall one or two that werent perfumed gardens.

 

[tickledkitty]

There's no good word for anus either. I usually end up just calling it an anus if I mention it at all, though that is a bit clinical. Asshole sounds too crude sometimes. The rest of those cute little words are just...ick.

 

[Boxlicker101]

When I started writing for Ellora's Cave, you could use "cock" but you couldn't use "prick" or "dick". You could use "pussy" but "cunt" was strictly verboten (and is to this day as far as I know.) You couldn't call a woman a "hot bitch", though another character could. The rules also stated that the heroine only have one lover throughout the book. Anal and lesbian scenes were not permitted.

Times change. I think the "prick & dick" rule still applies over at EC as does the "cunt" prohibition, but just about anything goes sexually.

I've written porn where the use of "cock" and "dick" and all of that works just fine, and then I've written stuff where it really didn't fit and I talked about thrusting "himself" into her. It really depends on the context and the effect you're trying to achieve.

But the word "cock' itself is becoming pretty widely acceptable. Certainly better than calling it his willie or his pud.

There's no lack of euphemisms for dicks and pussies. What's missing are decent euphemisms for tits and nipples. Mounds and nubs just doesn't cut it.

I usually refer to them as breasts and nipples. Sometimes I refer to "Her adorable pink nubbins" or similar term.

I don't like "mounds" very much, but I use it to avoid using one word too often. Sometimes I will say something lke: "He switched his attention from one breast to its succulent twin" or something to that effect..

Who needs euphemisms? I write of cocks and pussies and fucking, but I try to avoid being too repititious.

 

[Boxlicker101]

There's no good word for anus either. I usually end up just calling it an anus if I mention it at all, though that is a bit clinical. Asshole sounds too crude sometimes. The rest of those cute little words are just...ick.

I just call it an ass, whether I am referring to the anus or the buttocks. If I refer to an asshole in narration, it is describing a nasty person. If I am writing of an M to F TS as I often do, I refer to her pussy although, technically, she doesn't have a pussy.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I like "globes", especially "swaying globes" when the lady is riding cowgirl.

 

[Jack_Samuel]

There's no good word for anus either. I usually end up just calling it an anus if I mention it at all, though that is a bit clinical. Asshole sounds too crude sometimes. The rest of those cute little words are just...ick.

I remember reading a story where the author used "her chocolate chakra"

Loved it

 

[MichaelWest]

I try to use words that fit the character, the setting or the tone. For me the words used are an attempt to convey emotion.

I admit to drafting a story that was very tame in language to avoid the "jarring" or "offensive" tone that say cock or ass or cunt might be read as, but then my reader advised me it was sexier if I used those more direct words than a flowery substitute.

And I use different terms to avoid repetition, it just feels strange to write the word pussy or cock or ass a hundred times sometimes.

I loved the several new ways to say the same thing offerred! Thanks.