Dirty Word Spellings: Help!!!
Writers, I’m in need of your help. I need a dirty dictionary that I can use as a reference text in editing erotic stories. To my knowledge no such book exists (is there a website out there, please advise) so I’ve decided to use you authors as a reference source. Please give me your valuable input on the preferred spellings of the following words. Your help in this important matter is greatly appreciated.
1. blowjob or blow job or blow-job
2. handjob or hand job or hand-job
3. ass cheeks or asscheeks
4. doggy style or doggy-style
5. G-spot or G spot
6. G-string or G string or g-string
7. cock slut or cockslut
8. bare-assed or bare assed
9. fuckfest or fuck fest or fuck-fest
10. strap-on dildo or strap on dildo
11. hard on or hard-on
12. butt plug or butt-plug
1. blowjob
2. handjob
3. ass cheeks
4. doggy-style
5. G-spot
6. G-string
7. cockslut
8. bare-assed
9. fuckfest
10. strap-on
11. hard-on
12. buttplug
These are only my personal preferences, of course.
Did this with my wife (and editor) Joessam, where we differ I note it:
bare-assed
1) blowjob
2) handjob
3) ass cheeks (wife says asscheeks)
4) doggy-style (I’m ambivalent but she’s certain)
5) G-spot
6) G-string
7) cockslut
9) fuckfest (wife says fuck-fest but isn’t sure)
10) strap-on dildo
11) hardon
12 butt-plug
Thanks, Joe! Love that you did this with your wife. Nothing like dirty words to bring a couple together.
It looks like we have many of the same preferences for spellings. My only difference is “hardon.” I’ve never seen it spelled as a solid compound before. Has anyone else? Please weigh in on this debate. I usually spell it as an open compound: “hard on”
That word “cockslut” always puzzles me because the word “cocksucker” is a solid compound but what about the word “pain slut”? I usually always see this word as an open compound.
Generally, I like the hyphenated terms better.
I’m ashamed to say, reading this list, I hardly ever have used any of these terms. How depressing is that for someone who thinks they write erotica?
I only have one that I’m sure of: cockslut is WAY more gratifying than anything hyphenated. It’s a thing in itself. Mmmm.
Hyphenations rule most things. I do prefer “fuck fest,” however…I mean, it’s not like it’s a specific festival, in which case it would be “fuckfest.” And I prefer “cum-slut” over “cock-slut,” but that’s just getting down to personal preferences and tastes (hehe, I made a funny).
1) blow job (What’s it modifying? Squishing it together takes the place of a hyphen. Blow-job ____? Hence, two words: blow job.)
2) see #1
3) see #1
4) see #1 EXCEPT if you were to say “doggy-style position” because then it’s modifying something. But standing alone? “Doggy style.”
5) G spot, because it’s for Gräfenberg spot, and also, see #1 on hyphens and modification. HOWEVER, Wiki has it G-spot (although it’s not the King of Style Guides).
6) g string
7) cock slut, see #1
9) fuckfest. Because I said so. Because I’m the mommy, that’s why!
10) strap-on dildo because strap-on is modifying dildo.
11) hard-on. I don’t know why.
12) butt plug, see #1
Courtesy of Mojo’s Filthy Style Guide.
I’m with Rgrl on closing up some of these terms–it’s just fun, feels good in what it suggests about how you should say it out loud. So yes, cockslut (a term I never use), blowjob, handjob, asscheeks (usually), fuckfest, hardon (easily typo’d as Hadron, for some real fun).
But…doggy-style, G-spot and G-string (both in good old Webster’s actually), bare-assed, strap-on (often as a noun rather than an adjective before dildo), butt plug.
The joys of copy editing! Copy-editing? Copyediting?
I really have no business replying to this post as grammer has always been my biggest downfall. However who could resist an intelligent conversation that uses the term fuckfest?
Oddly enough I haven’t used many of these terms either. Of the ones I have used these are my choices:
1. blow job
2. hand job
10. strap-on dildo
11. hard on
12. butt plug
I don’t know if this means you should avoid my choices or embrace them
I have a question for the class. I’ve always used come as opposted to cum. Mostly because came is the past tense so doesn’t come make more sense? I’ve been called out on this several times but always insisted I’m using the correct spelling. Does anyone have an oppinion?
That’s an easy one.
“Come” is always used as a verb.
Ex. I’m going to come in your mouth.
“Cum” is always used as a noun
Ex. There was cum all over her face.
May I add a few more observations, before the guy with the stage hook pulls me out of here?
1. Style is about choices. Settle on a style that reinforces the identity you want your work or your publication to have–your own style sheet. But let it evolve as usage does, on the weather front where “standard” butts up against “nonstandard.” Same with dictionaries. A lot of our dirty words *are* in them. Pick one you like and let it be part of your style sheet. The Chicago Manual, among stylebooks, is excellent for giving a rationale for such decisions, a way of thinking rather than just a bunch of rules.
2. Compounds seem to evolve toward closed-up-ness. Back when I made my living as a copy editor–copyeditor?–this thing we’re writing on now was a Web site, even to Wired magazine. In Webster’s it still is; American Heritage gives website, and I’ll wager most folks now think that’s “right.” And really, back then, according to Webster’s, I was a copy editor, even though what I did was copyediting. Now, no doubt, I’d be a copyeditor. Or unemployed.
3. On the other hand, even though these words may be evolving toward a closed style, an open style is usually preferable if it conveys the meaning you want. Best not to litter your copy with hyphens.
4. Be guided by meaning–and, like poets, by the music of the words, the way they *feel*. Consider “I’m a word perv; reading about spelling gives me a hard on.” No, it doesn’t; it definitely gives me a hardon. Consider the difference between a “cock sucker” and a “cocksucker,” and certainly between a “mother fucker” and a “motherfucker.”
I haven’t used any these often. Plus I’m sure if I have used any in more than one place, I’ve been inconsistent. You do realize that if you added a sentence around each of these words right now you’d have one of the filthiest pieces of flash fiction ever invented?
Here’s my take:
1. blowjob
2. handjob
3. asscheeks
4. doggy-style
5. G spot
6. g-string
7. cock slut or cockslut < Both. Context dependent, imo
8. bare-assed
9. fuckfest
10. strap-on dildo
11. hardon but don't confuse it with hadron
12. butt plug
Forget the flash fiction you can find all of these terms in Louis Friend’s wonderfully filthy books “Freedom is Slavery” and “Life on my Knees.” Reading his work is an education in itself.
There really should be a dirty dictionary. Any chance of expanding this list further?
(Also, I see “hard-on” more often than the alternative.)
Thanks, everybody! You writers really came out of the woodwork to help a girl out.
Variant spellings are the blessing and the curse of the English language. After reading your comments I think I’m going to take City Different’s advice and create a style sheet based on my own preferred spellings and stick with it. Such is the luxury of having one’s own publishing company—the House Style trumps all other styles. Muwahahhahahaha!!
I still don’t agree that “hardon” should be a closed compound. It just looks weird to me.
Laurel, I can certainly expand this list further if you like. I have a whole list of dirty words that I’ve complied since getting into the erotica biz (for copyediting purposes). Yep, I’m really making great use of that English Degree I paid so much for. My mother would be very proud.
Ohh. Yes, please. That would be fantastic. =] I usually end up spending far too much time worrying about the spellings rather than the context.
OK, Laurel, I’ll compose an alphabetical list of dirty words that are not found in a standard reference text. I’ll include the variant spellings for every word for as we have discovered there is a lot of debate amongst erotic writers and editors. I’ll update the list as others leave comments on words they want included.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Here’s the way I would use those words.
1 blow job.
2 hand job
3 ass cheeks
4 doggy style
5 G spot
6 G string
7 cock slut, I like that one, it sounds dirty and things that sound dirty excite me. What can I say, Honey? I’m a Dirty Old Man.
8 bare assed, now on this one, my spell check, really gave me big balls! It doesn’t like ASSED!
I guess it wants us to use something less exciting. Well maybe you say something like this, “butt naked” That’s not too hot, but spell check didn’t break my balls about it either.
Or you can, just say to yourself, Screw it, and add it to your dictionary. That’s what I just did.
9 fuckfest this is another one, spell check doesn’t like either!
That freaking spell check thing, doesn’t like anything that sounds HOT.
Needless to say I like fuckfest! So Screw grammar and spell check!
I’m adding fuckfest to my Dictionary too.
10 butt plug
I don’t feel qualified to weigh in, as I pretty much never use these terms.
However, I think I’m with Joe, speaking in a strictly clinical, grammatical sense. No reason erotic writing shouldn’t be done properly. 
May I add a few more observations, before the guy with the stage hook pulls me out of here?
1. Style is about choices. Settle on a style that reinforces the identity you want your work or your publication to have–your own style sheet. But let it evolve as usage does, on the weather front where “standard” butts up against “nonstandard.” Same with dictionaries. A lot of our dirty words *are* in them. Pick one you like and let it be part of your style sheet. The Chicago Manual, among stylebooks, is excellent for giving a rationale for such decisions, a way of thinking rather than just a bunch of rules.
2. Compounds seem to evolve toward closed-up-ness. Back when I made my living as a copy editor–copyeditor?–this thing we’re writing on now was a Web site, even to Wired magazine. In Webster’s it still is; American Heritage gives website, and I’ll wager most folks now think that’s “right.” And really, back then, according to Webster’s, I was a copy editor, even though what I did was copyediting. Now, no doubt, I’d be a copyeditor. Or unemployed.
3. On the other hand, even though these words may be evolving toward a closed style, an open style is usually preferable if it conveys the meaning you want. Best not to litter your copy with hyphens.
4. Be guided by meaning–and, like poets, by the music of the words, the way they *feel*. Consider “I’m a word perv; reading about spelling gives me a hard on.” No, it doesn’t; it definitely gives me a hardon. Consider the difference between a “cock sucker” and a “cocksucker,” and certainly between a “mother fucker” and a “motherfucker.”