Vocabulary question

[MillieDynamite]

Body language. That's a flirting gesture female to male.



You gotta have one to know one. Definitely autonomic. Try waking up in the middle of the night suspended 12" in the air. Ok, maybe 10...!

She wore a set of dangler earrings, the kind with big hoops. Eyeball those earrings, I couldn’t help wondering if those danglers wouldn’t be a bother if she had to crawl through a tight air duct to get away from our crazed killer. My small diamond studs were far more appropriate when you’re hunting a serial killer. Then again, either pair of earwear were just what he collected.

 

[NotWise]

She wore a set of dangler earrings, the kind with big hoops. Eyeball those earrings, I couldn’t help wondering if those danglers wouldn’t be a bother if she had to crawl through a tight air duct to get away from our crazed killer. My small diamond studs were far more appropriate when you’re hunting a serial killer. Then again, either pair of earwear were just what he collected.

My wife's lesson to our girls was, "the bigger the hoop, the hornier the girl."

 

[SimonDoom]

Does "his cock stiffened involuntarily" make any sense at all?

I know that getting a hard-on is not an act of will comparable to conjuring a giant boxing glove out of green energy using a magic ring, but OTOH it's not exactly an autonomic function either.

I guess I just don't the sound of "His cock stiffened despite his best efforts," which is just so counterintuitive.

I don't think so. Not really. But maybe in some situations.

An erection is, generally speaking, the result of one of three things, or some combination of the three: 1) external erotic stimulus, the response to which usually isn't a product of voluntary effort, 2) internal visualization or fantasy, which is very much a voluntary effort, and/or 3) manual stimulus, which is very much a result of voluntary effort.

"His cock stiffened involuntarily" would make sense in a situation where the character does not WANT to have an erection but does anyway because he can't help it. That, absolutely, is something that happens, especially to young men. Less common when they get older.

Same with your second sentence. I could see it making sense where a man is walking nude on a nude beach and gets aroused despite not wanting to show his arousal. He might be trying to tamp it down by, I don't know, reciting the periodic table, but he can't help himself.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

An erection is, generally speaking, the result of one of three things, or some combination of the three: 1) external erotic stimulus, the response to which usually isn't a product of voluntary effort, 2) internal visualization or fantasy, which is very much a voluntary effort, and/or 3) manual stimulus, which is very much a result of voluntary effort.

It's no secret that virtually all men get erections during REM sleep, regardless of what dreams they have. It's called 'nocturnal penile tumescence' and doctors haven't come up with a (no pun intended) solid explanation. Maybe that's a fourth cause? Related to that, a full bladder can cause one, too. A fifth? But those are hardly erotic, either way.

FWIW, women have a similar condition when sleeping, 'nocturnal clitoral tumescence'.

 

[TadOverdon]

"His cock stiffened involuntarily" would make sense in a situation where the character does not WANT to have an erection but does anyway because he can't help it.

That's exactly the situation. He doesn't want to be aroused, but is.

As I look at it, I think my problem is that the structure of the sentence seems to impute agency or the lack of it to the penis itself. The cock doesn't get excited; he does. "He snatched his hand back reflexively" - the reflex may never get farther than the base of his medula, but it's his reflex and not the hand's.

I may be overthinking or just missing the point. I'll grant that. The sentence just sits there taunting me.

 

[SimonDoom]

It's no secret that virtually all men get erections during REM sleep, regardless of what dreams they have. It's called 'nocturnal penile tumescence' and doctors haven't come up with a (no pun intended) solid explanation. Maybe that's a fourth cause? '.

This is true!

 

[NotWise]

This is true!

While that's true (and sometimes enjoyable) it probably doesn't have any bearing on the original question.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Does "his cock stiffened involuntarily" make any sense at all?

Sounds okay to me.

Maybe find a another word that taps in on the context more? - embarrassingly, awkwardly, uncomfortably.... Why doesn't he want his desire to show?

Mind you, I probably missed the part where you said he was meeting the mayor's good lady wife .

 

[TadOverdon]

He's not at all happy with what his wife's doing. But...

Gonna be very popular with the vocal LW incel fanbase.

 

[LAHomedog]

That's exactly the situation. He doesn't want to be aroused, but is.

As I look at it, I think my problem is that the structure of the sentence seems to impute agency or the lack of it to the penis itself. The cock doesn't get excited; he does. "He snatched his hand back reflexively" - the reflex may never get farther than the base of his medula, but it's his reflex and not the hand's.

I may be overthinking or just missing the point. I'll grant that. The sentence just sits there taunting me.

Well, since we're trotting out the oldies, "There isn't enough blood in the male body for both heads at the same time." Cock frequently have a mind of their own and sometimes when you really don't want to have an erection, Shwing! one happens.

I had to have a full body check at the dermatologist two days ago in nothing but my underwear and he had a young, good looking, Asian nurse working with him, and I was desperate not to get a hardon. You guessed the end of the story. Sometimes it seems when you you don't want one you get one. And sadly, vice versa.

 

[Athalia]

Well, since we're trotting out the oldies, "There isn't enough blood in the male body for both heads at the same time."

Robin Williams said something like that in an interview: "God made man with a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to operate one of them at a time." But I don't know if it was original with him.