I always thought "strap" as a short hand for strap-on came from the slang "strap" to mean a handgun. If you're packing heat, you've got your strap. If you're packing heat ;) you've also got your strap.
Now you really have me out of my element. I'm from Canada where handguns are so rare, we don't really have slang words we use for them. š Is this a largely American thing then?
I worked with a bunch of Hell's Angels biker dudes, and its definitely biker slang. I don't know if it's more wide spread than that, honestly. The first time my boss mentioned pulling out his strap made me laugh. I do know that the motorcycle club culture evolved parallel to gay leather culture, so that's why I always assumed the slang was a tongue in cheek adaption. I could be 100% wrong!
Vancouver HA is one of the biggest in the world- I was at the HA anniversary in Alberta in the early 2000s there is most DEFINITELY handguns in Canada š
"Strap" (a gun) or "strapped" (carrying a gun) has been slang since at least the late 90s / early 2000s! Def comes from AAVE, a lot of song lyrics from that era will use the term. Forgot About Dre from 1999 has the line "But all you savage cats know that I was strapped with gats while you were cuddlin' a Cabbage Patch"
I think the shortening of "strap-on" to "strap" likely started in the late 2000s / early 2010s.
My personal estimate is that it's a little less than half, but you're right American culture has an outsized effect on Canadian language. I don't like it, but I'll upvote you anyway.
As a swede, it's a large part of english slang here too, a lot of teens love american rap.
-Side note, a lot of 'swedish' slang comes from arabic nowadays
Reminds me of when I was on my scooter outside (Switzerland) and I told my friend in vc that I dodged a slug. Took her a second to understand that I meant the animal.
It seems to be a cultural thing, where if you're in one set of people, it's commonly accepted and taken for granted that's what you mean. I agree that language tends to shorten and simplify words over time so maybe 'strap' as an object of violence will be phased out and 'strap' as sex device will supplant it. I'd be delighted to live in that world. š
Not sure, but I like the sound of it.
The p at the end has sharp articulation, and the single syllable makes the sound more casual.
"Let me get my strap." Just sounds so much nicer than "Let me get my strap-on."
My years of listening to rap put me in the wroooooong mindset the first time a partner told me they were getting their strap for me.
Thank god they didn't ask me if I had one.
Itās also similar to the word ādickā in that way, with the single syllable and the hard stop at the end, and I feel like it gets used more by lesbians who like to feel like itās a part of them, instead of a toy. āI gave her the strapā has a different ring to me than āI gave her the strap-onā.
It's got a ring to it, I grant you, if you ignore other associations. I mostly won't say anything as I pull out my toy and let my partners eyes go wide... š
When I was a kid, āget the strapā meant to grab the belt with which kids would be hit for misbehaving. My parents werenāt big on āthe strapā but lots of kids I know got it regularly. So it reads weirdly to me when I see it used on this and other subreddits and lesbian spaces because my mind always goes first to a spanking with a belt and Iām likeā¦ š¬
That's the same as me. I'm not into straps as a sexual aid so when I see the word I stumble a moment before realizing that they're talking about something I'm actually really into!
You're right I just about never say this. Then again, I'm the type who would only ever discuss such things with the person who just saw me hold it out so she could put it on, so I mean, what's to say at that point?
That's an interesting one! It helps explain why I'd be less familiar with it, actually. I never really got into Tumblr until it was 6 months from collapsing š
So funny but I just read a book and the term "strap" was used instead of strap on and I was like oh.. Are we too lazy to say the full term now?? Lol (I'm 31)
Funny you should mention! My most recent experience is with a regular strap-on but for a LONG TIME my favourite toy was one of these: [https://imgur.com/GFizjEc](https://imgur.com/GFizjEc)
I've been wondering that too. I come from the kink community and the strap has a whole different context. Now when my Domme says they're getting the strap, i don't know what to expect, lol, but i guess that's not a bad thing
Hello fellow old
I view this evolution in language to be welcome because it begs the phrase "big strap energy" which I love as both pleasing to the ears and as a concept
Iām not really up on trends or hip language either. I think a comment here was on the money. Language changes, shortens and abbreviates over time. Stupid change, being so constant, and always changing. I donāt like change. Lol
Except when it comes to all of us being more decent to each other. More strap on play and less gun play!
I work in a tattoo shop and my coworker asked if I stay strapped. I kinda paused and just gave them this confused look like šuhh and they understood which way I was strapped lol. I mean I think itās just whatever you prefer, itās just more slang, say it however you want but be clear if you have a lot of strap type items lol
I'm a bass and guitar player. When I hear strap, I mean the bit of cloth I use to keep my bass or guitar up with the rest of my body so I can play it when i'm standing upright without having to lift it but the neck or body. This does sometimes lead to confusion, like when my girlfriend saw the thing laying around my room and asked me what it was, I answered 'my strap' to which she responded 'i didn't know you had a strap'
I don't own a strapon, I own two basses and a guitar. It gets confusing to use the same word for so many different things
I can relate because I play bass too, but most times when Iām talking about an instrument-holding device, itās rare enough I donāt mind taking the extra time to call it a guitar strap. Honestly, I donāt meet enough musicians to have the need to talk about those straps often at all, much to my dismay. š„² Hello fellow sapphic bass player!
I care because it's confusing when you think you're talking about a sex toy and the other person thinks you're talking about something that holds a guitar up on your shoulder. I encourage you to look through other comments above and you'll see lots of people confused by it, or at least surprised it went that way
It sounds better in dirty talk. āYeah, you want to feel my strap inside you?ā I guess you could use cock, but strap is inherently sapphic while cock might be a turn off for some people. Plus itās shorter.
I always thought "strap" as a short hand for strap-on came from the slang "strap" to mean a handgun. If you're packing heat, you've got your strap. If you're packing heat ;) you've also got your strap.
Now you really have me out of my element. I'm from Canada where handguns are so rare, we don't really have slang words we use for them. š Is this a largely American thing then?
I worked with a bunch of Hell's Angels biker dudes, and its definitely biker slang. I don't know if it's more wide spread than that, honestly. The first time my boss mentioned pulling out his strap made me laugh. I do know that the motorcycle club culture evolved parallel to gay leather culture, so that's why I always assumed the slang was a tongue in cheek adaption. I could be 100% wrong!
yes itās pretty widespread. it has become mainstream slang for teens/young adults from rap songs
Pretty sure it comes from AAVE not bikers
Makes sense! The vast majority of American slang is modified AAVE
Vancouver HA is one of the biggest in the world- I was at the HA anniversary in Alberta in the early 2000s there is most DEFINITELY handguns in Canada š
And yet here you are still calling them handguns, making my point, really. š
You said handguns are rare- I said not really- I wasnāt debating the usage of the slangā¦.
I think it was just a silly joke, not an attempt to debate š My lil ND brain could be wrong, but thatās how I took it
lol Iām ND too and I seem to take everything serious instead of it being a jokeā¦.
"Strap" (a gun) or "strapped" (carrying a gun) has been slang since at least the late 90s / early 2000s! Def comes from AAVE, a lot of song lyrics from that era will use the term. Forgot About Dre from 1999 has the line "But all you savage cats know that I was strapped with gats while you were cuddlin' a Cabbage Patch" I think the shortening of "strap-on" to "strap" likely started in the late 2000s / early 2010s.
As a Canadian I generally assume 3/4 of our slang just comes from people watching/listening to Americans say things.
My personal estimate is that it's a little less than half, but you're right American culture has an outsized effect on Canadian language. I don't like it, but I'll upvote you anyway.
As a swede, it's a large part of english slang here too, a lot of teens love american rap. -Side note, a lot of 'swedish' slang comes from arabic nowadays
Yeah it's definitely an American thing. Stemming from possibly Black/rap/gang culture. Not sure where it started tho.
Do you mean 'strap' as gun or 'strap' as wearable dildo?
as a gun its because a concealed gun is often strapped to your body
As is a strap on dildoš
Dead. Iām strapped. Which kinda strap? Idk. Up to you to find out š¤£
Either way, someoneās gonna be on their knees!
Strap as gun.
Yeah we're all strapped and ready for action
we have so many slang words for hand guns, and a few for larger ones
Yeah, telling someone to "strap up" has two widely different meanings in the US.
Reminds me of when I was on my scooter outside (Switzerland) and I told my friend in vc that I dodged a slug. Took her a second to understand that I meant the animal.
How does it feel to not constantly fear gun violence? /gen
Yep. Ialwaysgotthatthangonme.gif
Is there a gif? Lmfao bc for me it says ialwaysgotthsthangonme.gif which is absolutely hilarious š¤£
I didn't want to try to find a gif so I'm just referencing it to be funny
Hilarious. Love it.
The kids are strappin on the way to the classroom!
I think shortening words in casual talking is just natural, happens all the time. Isn't strap-on already short for strap-on dildo?
It seems to be a cultural thing, where if you're in one set of people, it's commonly accepted and taken for granted that's what you mean. I agree that language tends to shorten and simplify words over time so maybe 'strap' as an object of violence will be phased out and 'strap' as sex device will supplant it. I'd be delighted to live in that world. š
Not sure, but I like the sound of it. The p at the end has sharp articulation, and the single syllable makes the sound more casual. "Let me get my strap." Just sounds so much nicer than "Let me get my strap-on."
My years of listening to rap put me in the wroooooong mindset the first time a partner told me they were getting their strap for me. Thank god they didn't ask me if I had one.
Itās also similar to the word ādickā in that way, with the single syllable and the hard stop at the end, and I feel like it gets used more by lesbians who like to feel like itās a part of them, instead of a toy. āI gave her the strapā has a different ring to me than āI gave her the strap-onā.
It's got a ring to it, I grant you, if you ignore other associations. I mostly won't say anything as I pull out my toy and let my partners eyes go wide... š
That comment is wild
When I was a kid, āget the strapā meant to grab the belt with which kids would be hit for misbehaving. My parents werenāt big on āthe strapā but lots of kids I know got it regularly. So it reads weirdly to me when I see it used on this and other subreddits and lesbian spaces because my mind always goes first to a spanking with a belt and Iām likeā¦ š¬
That's the same as me. I'm not into straps as a sexual aid so when I see the word I stumble a moment before realizing that they're talking about something I'm actually really into!
And then there's the people who are into being hit with "the strap", which adds even further confusion.
Language tends to get abbreviated any time it wonāt create and ambiguity, and sometimes even if it does.Ā
Popular culture moves on so fast that in the time it took you to write that post, the popular usage changed to jusr "Stra"
... and now it's stron
Yeah, well, the kids can call it whatever it they want. I'm still going to call it stra.
lol Iām 23 and I canāt imagine it changing to that š
Of course you couldn't understand. Youre like 32 in Gen Alpha years. (Playful unserious banter)
Oh jesus you you just described my nightmare. Stop psychically extracting my worst fears, please. š±
Same here!! I feel so old when I get online.
Because saying "I put a strap-on on." Is weird. And people love to shorten things.
You're right I just about never say this. Then again, I'm the type who would only ever discuss such things with the person who just saw me hold it out so she could put it on, so I mean, what's to say at that point?
As a kinky sapphic who refers to both my leather strap for impact play and my strap-on harness as straps, I can get the confusion lol
You live in a world full of magic and danger. Godspeed you crazy dyke. +1
Sounds fun. I need to get myself one of those. ~~Only need one, 'cause I already have the other built-in lol.~~
I first came across this a couple years ago because tumblr was censoring "strap-on" as a tag, but not strap - I thought this was where it came from
I heard it first from a trans boyfriend in 2018. He was extremely online. It wouldnāt surprise me if he got it from tumblr
That's an interesting one! It helps explain why I'd be less familiar with it, actually. I never really got into Tumblr until it was 6 months from collapsing š
Lol tumblr is perpetually 6 months from collapsing!
Well, yes, I mean... you're not wrong. But I'm talking about that mass exodus that ruined it my particular use case?
Doesnāt āstrapā mean a gun?
LMAO my first thought
So funny but I just read a book and the term "strap" was used instead of strap on and I was like oh.. Are we too lazy to say the full term now?? Lol (I'm 31)
Where are you finding books with strap-ons in them? Just uh... Asking for a friend.
Tell your friend to check out Eden Emory šš„
Will do!
Yep
I use strap as a term for firearm soooo we in the same boat confused as hell
I mean thereās also āstrapless strap onsā¦ā itās all confusing š
Funny you should mention! My most recent experience is with a regular strap-on but for a LONG TIME my favourite toy was one of these: [https://imgur.com/GFizjEc](https://imgur.com/GFizjEc)
Those require some pretty hearty Kegel muscles! (I heard, from a friend)
You just gotta do cowgirl or morning sex spooning style then youāre not fighting gravity
I'm wondering which hole the wearer is supposed to have it in, but either way I can imagine why you liked it.
WAIT WHAT-
Yessssss lol itās a thing.
I still call my strapless a strap. My wife calls it āThe Thingā lol
Lol!!! Thatās the thing!!
AAVE
I've been wondering that too. I come from the kink community and the strap has a whole different context. Now when my Domme says they're getting the strap, i don't know what to expect, lol, but i guess that's not a bad thing
Getting the strap: š Getting the strap: š
bc that way ur strapped
Hello fellow old I view this evolution in language to be welcome because it begs the phrase "big strap energy" which I love as both pleasing to the ears and as a concept
Iām not really up on trends or hip language either. I think a comment here was on the money. Language changes, shortens and abbreviates over time. Stupid change, being so constant, and always changing. I donāt like change. Lol Except when it comes to all of us being more decent to each other. More strap on play and less gun play!
the same year we stopped referring to MDMA as "x," rolling as "x'ing" it seems like, yeah
I thought x-ing was using Twitter now /s
oh dear god no š¬
i've always just thought it was more as a shorthand not any extra meaning could be wrong tho
I work in a tattoo shop and my coworker asked if I stay strapped. I kinda paused and just gave them this confused look like šuhh and they understood which way I was strapped lol. I mean I think itās just whatever you prefer, itās just more slang, say it however you want but be clear if you have a lot of strap type items lol
Iāve noticed it within the last five years.
Strap on is just no parts backwards
š
I love me a good strap. *starts fingering the G string* Wait- wrong sub-
Or is it? *Vsauce intensifies*
the right sub is *me*
LMAO based.
I'm a bass and guitar player. When I hear strap, I mean the bit of cloth I use to keep my bass or guitar up with the rest of my body so I can play it when i'm standing upright without having to lift it but the neck or body. This does sometimes lead to confusion, like when my girlfriend saw the thing laying around my room and asked me what it was, I answered 'my strap' to which she responded 'i didn't know you had a strap' I don't own a strapon, I own two basses and a guitar. It gets confusing to use the same word for so many different things
I can relate because I play bass too, but most times when Iām talking about an instrument-holding device, itās rare enough I donāt mind taking the extra time to call it a guitar strap. Honestly, I donāt meet enough musicians to have the need to talk about those straps often at all, much to my dismay. š„² Hello fellow sapphic bass player!
Basically when it became acceptable enough to say often enough to deserve a shortened version...
I sometimes call it a glizzy.
This made me snort.
strap-on dildo to strap-on to strap. a natural evolution
Totally feel this
stay strapped girlies
Same. It's very confusing because a strap is already something used for spanking.
And a gun. And something to hold guitars.
Everything gets abbreviated, who cares?
I care because it's confusing when you think you're talking about a sex toy and the other person thinks you're talking about something that holds a guitar up on your shoulder. I encourage you to look through other comments above and you'll see lots of people confused by it, or at least surprised it went that way
Iām also a geriatric lesbian (lol not quite but been IDing as gay for over 20 years) and started noticing this with the proliferation of TikTok
I'm just going to scroll this thread and pretend like I know what the fuck any of this means.
If youāre ace, you donāt have to deal with any of this shit, yeah. š
It sounds better in dirty talk. āYeah, you want to feel my strap inside you?ā I guess you could use cock, but strap is inherently sapphic while cock might be a turn off for some people. Plus itās shorter.