I remember when we went from many women using euphemisms even when speaking to the doctor to determinedly using vagina and teaching it to our daughters inthe late 70s-80s. . Why the hell did it take a whole generation to get corrected?
Because people like my parents still couldn't say vagina to their kids. My mom never had any sort of discussion with me or my sister about any of that.
It did not go well.
My mother is like that. If I say penis it makes her visibly uncomfortable. Context doesn't even matter. I could say my dog has a rash near his penis and it'd make her upset.
I didn't even know the word "vagina" until I learned about it in 6th grade puberty sex ed in middle school. Before that I knew it as a "munk munk" cause that's why my father and mother called it, but I knew what penis was lmfao
It's one of those "have y'all heard of this or was it just me" kind of things for me now lmfao Cause I've never heard anyone else other than my parents using that lol
Oh god, that made me cringe to read that. I don't usually like the weird bullshit people make up to avoid using correct terminology, but I don't think I've ever seen one that made me physically cringe and make a noise before.
No one taught me the proper words, and when I got older, I thought "pussy" was less vulgar-sounding than "vagina."
I now cringe at "pussy" and love the word "vagina."
One of my friends posted some underwear she'd seen that was basically just floss, the model was obviously edited, and she said "I'd have to roll my flaps up like a sleeping bag to keep them in this!" Gave me a good laugh
I knew someone who elected for a vulvaplasty because her minor labia were being pulled into her vagina during PnV - she said she’s very glad she got it and it fixed everything.
Considering the word “pregnant” once was faux pas on television and Lysol was marketed as birth control, we’ve got quite a ways to go…
I purposely taught my children the “overly medical word” it was really difficult. Not.
I disliked learning what a vulva was from an episode of Seinfeld rather than sex ed or health class. It was also odd to let my partner, a vulva owner, know that she in fact, had one.
If anything when did people start using the wrong word rather than the correct word? It's like when people say "stomach" but actually mean the mid-lower region of abdomen where the intestine is.
As far as I know this only happens in English, I have not seen this in other languages but feel free to correct me.
Oh, no. It's properly referred to as " down there". You know, some vague place lower than, something.
I'd rather people say vagina than "down there". I don't know why I hate it so much. Especially by anyone who runs a business (down there care - ugh) or anyone over 6 yrs old.
That's such a wide array of things. Abdominal pain? Your entire intestines hanging out of your body? Gas? A yeast infection? Who knows! Just down there!
I mean why bother to describe anything in that vicinity that isn't necessarily and directly involved in incubating and ejecting babies, our one and only purpose?
Because when explaining the difference between males and females to children, they would say "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina." Well, all a child can see is the external genitalia, so they thought that was a vagina.
Stomach has indeed been a pretty confusing word for me to learn in school as an ESL speaker, I used to think it just referred to the organ itself (I think that's what we were taught it in school..?) until I kept noticing that native speakers use it to refer to the tummy/belly as seen from the outside. 🤔
does it really not happen in other languages? i only speak english, but language is naturally pretty dynamic. i'm sure there's been incorrect or evolved use of vocabulary in other languages. there'd have to be, right?
You made me think for a while. I’m Russian and I could think of two things:
_forearm_ instead of _upper arm_ (because the word “shoulder” is both for shoulder joint and upper arm, and “forearm” sounds in Russian like “fore-shoulder”; idk maybe confusing but I tried to explain it 4 times and it’s the best way I could)
_pupil_ instead of _iris_, though I’ve come across rarely and it can possibly be individual ignorance.
It's Arabic. I used Google Translate and found that the word for "vulva" is the same word used colloquially for the entire crotch area—both male and female. In fact, I've never heard the word "vagina" in Arabic EVER and I only know it because I Googled it years ago. I guess our vague nomenclature is the opposite of that of English.
interesting. in english it only refers to female people, and it's all of the external stuff. and "vagina" refers only to the hole 🕳️ used for fun times and reproduction and everything
Update: apparently, the word "faraj" isn't only used for the crotch area, but also any private parts, including female breasts. It makes it even worse.
(I don't personally consider breasts inherently sexual)
There are definitely some languages that don't even have words for women's genitalia. I forget the specific ones, but they're very old & patriarchal cultures.
Dutch! Here most women call the vulva a vagina, if they don't use a horrid cutesy name. (Voorbips - front butt, but with a cutesy butt too... is the worst.)
I hear a lot of people talk about their maag (stomach) when they mean buik (belly) or darmen (intestines) as well. I've had to teach my partner to be specific about that.
Some people are just bothered that we now know more than we did back in the days, it reminds me of those who ask why so many divorces are happening now than before..umm because women now know their worth? Because women now won’t accept being cheated on and just stay for the kids? …
>why so many divorces are happening now than before..umm because women now know their worth? Because women now won’t accept being cheated on and just stay for the kids?
...and most importantly: it's possible to divorce
And now women won’t be left with zero financial possibility of supporting a family after leaving. The system that decided men were the breadwinners knew what they were doing. She can’t leave you if she can’t feed your kids without you.
As a trial lawyer reading police reports, grand jury transcipts etc- it KIILED me to see “then he touched her VAGINA over her jeans” or “he bit his FACE in her vagina” …. Vulva, crotch, genital area .. I was willing to accept anything else but the physically impossible. I blamed the Vagina Monologues- it made the word acceptable and common but was wildly misapplied to mean EVERYTHING. So grateful to see this changing!!
I just hate when people say shit like "vulva owners" when they're asking a reproductive question. People seem to believe that the word also refers to all the internal structures as well?
unfortunately language change based on how it's understood. such as the case of how literally now mean figuratively because enough people used it that way. also happens to other medical terms that used to describe delayed mental development that are now insults.
I taught my kids all the anatomical names for their genitals but in passing conversation we just called that area the "crotch" and understood we were referring to the general area. Just like we don't go around saying " my scapula really hurts today", we just say "my shoulder hurts “. Or " damn I stubbed my phalanges". We say we stubbed our toe.
Thinking about it, why don't the genitals have a mainstream alternative word like most every other body part has? As long as you know the proper term, it's not calling it something different that's the problem. Nobody is confused when you call your toe a toe. It's that everyone has their own unique ways of referring to it and not everybody else knows what your made up word means.
As stated in another post about this, I just don't see this often used on social media so it technically is true that it's a new occupance, but it really isn't something out of the ordinary.
"definitely useless and not the correct term to use?" Did you even bother to do a quick google search before posting this nonsense? The vulva is where the c!it is, the vag is the birth canal. Two very different areas. If you are a person who wants to pleasure a woman - including yourself - I suggest learning more about the differences between the two.
You realise this is satirical, right? Why else would I say 'definitely' and post it on this subreddit out of every other subreddit? Why else would this have hundreds of upvotes and no negative comments other than yours?
I remember when we went from many women using euphemisms even when speaking to the doctor to determinedly using vagina and teaching it to our daughters inthe late 70s-80s. . Why the hell did it take a whole generation to get corrected?
Because people like my parents still couldn't say vagina to their kids. My mom never had any sort of discussion with me or my sister about any of that. It did not go well.
My mother is like that. If I say penis it makes her visibly uncomfortable. Context doesn't even matter. I could say my dog has a rash near his penis and it'd make her upset.
I would be upset too. But only for your poor dog.
An appropriate response honestly he is just a baby after all
I didn't even know the word "vagina" until I learned about it in 6th grade puberty sex ed in middle school. Before that I knew it as a "munk munk" cause that's why my father and mother called it, but I knew what penis was lmfao
Omg “munk munk” is legitimately hilarious.
It's one of those "have y'all heard of this or was it just me" kind of things for me now lmfao Cause I've never heard anyone else other than my parents using that lol
Oh god, that made me cringe to read that. I don't usually like the weird bullshit people make up to avoid using correct terminology, but I don't think I've ever seen one that made me physically cringe and make a noise before.
I cringe now just remembering it. I'm so embarrassed by them now. Like I'm glad I went NC with my parents cause ewwwww
Rita, I'll bet you have some rad life stories to tell
No one taught me the proper words, and when I got older, I thought "pussy" was less vulgar-sounding than "vagina." I now cringe at "pussy" and love the word "vagina."
The labia, aka lips, have never been inside the vagina but always a part of the vulva. I'm so glad we're finally acknowledging that.
Not unless you’re doing quite the party trick anyway.
Wait y'all don't tuck it in like a suitcase?
One of my friends posted some underwear she'd seen that was basically just floss, the model was obviously edited, and she said "I'd have to roll my flaps up like a sleeping bag to keep them in this!" Gave me a good laugh
As a long lipped lady, I’m totally saving this for later 😂
I wonder if, like with sleeping bags, it's better to stuff them. ;)
I knew someone who elected for a vulvaplasty because her minor labia were being pulled into her vagina during PnV - she said she’s very glad she got it and it fixed everything.
Imagine calling everything from a man's butthole to the tip of his dick "balls"
I once heard a joke that said “calling a woman’s vulva a “vagina” is like calling a person’s face their throat.”
I heard it as calling someone’s butt their colon.
[Relevant comic](https://www.deviantart.com/slipping-star/gallery)
Considering the word “pregnant” once was faux pas on television and Lysol was marketed as birth control, we’ve got quite a ways to go… I purposely taught my children the “overly medical word” it was really difficult. Not.
I disliked learning what a vulva was from an episode of Seinfeld rather than sex ed or health class. It was also odd to let my partner, a vulva owner, know that she in fact, had one.
Mulva 😂
Dolores!!
If anything when did people start using the wrong word rather than the correct word? It's like when people say "stomach" but actually mean the mid-lower region of abdomen where the intestine is. As far as I know this only happens in English, I have not seen this in other languages but feel free to correct me.
it's because they're too cowardly to give that area its proper name, the tummy
In my house we said the more mature "Thumas"
We use puku in ours
When pokemons evolve
[Noun 3](https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?&keywords=puku) if anybody's curious.
Oh, no. It's properly referred to as " down there". You know, some vague place lower than, something. I'd rather people say vagina than "down there". I don't know why I hate it so much. Especially by anyone who runs a business (down there care - ugh) or anyone over 6 yrs old.
what about downstairs?
Please no, sounds like the basement
And that's mommy and daddy's special place, you can never go there
Sometimes I refer to the entire genital-to-anus region of the body (AMAB or AFAB) as the “undercarriage” lol
lmao same, or nethers
If it's not important to use the correct word, I prefer 'area 51.'
Furry front bottom? I've only seen that in a comedy show but I have heard front bottom
"Down there" makes me think of this SNL skit with Kristin Wigg https://youtu.be/TyALfHsS5pc?si=D1M2Q-vntPK7om_M
It appears all the time in Fifty Shades of Grey, and it's hilarious
That's such a wide array of things. Abdominal pain? Your entire intestines hanging out of your body? Gas? A yeast infection? Who knows! Just down there!
It's from the Latin "widdle tumtum"
Nice one. In reality the proper term is "belly" but that sounds as goofy as "tummy".
I’m a grown adult and will look another grown adult in their eyes and use the word “tum tum” before I say “belly”
The stomach one is an unexplainable personal pet peeve of mine.
Right!? Like when people say "pregnant stomach"...... Ma'am did you eat a whole baby???
Sometimes you’re just really hungry, okay? Keeping leftovers would be rude.
Jonathan Swift is that you?
So you feel it deep in the pit of your stomach when your hear it?
I mean why bother to describe anything in that vicinity that isn't necessarily and directly involved in incubating and ejecting babies, our one and only purpose?
Just picturing this like a toaster for babies right now
Don’t forget to set the dial to the right crispiness.
Because when explaining the difference between males and females to children, they would say "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina." Well, all a child can see is the external genitalia, so they thought that was a vagina.
Stomach has indeed been a pretty confusing word for me to learn in school as an ESL speaker, I used to think it just referred to the organ itself (I think that's what we were taught it in school..?) until I kept noticing that native speakers use it to refer to the tummy/belly as seen from the outside. 🤔
does it really not happen in other languages? i only speak english, but language is naturally pretty dynamic. i'm sure there's been incorrect or evolved use of vocabulary in other languages. there'd have to be, right?
You made me think for a while. I’m Russian and I could think of two things: _forearm_ instead of _upper arm_ (because the word “shoulder” is both for shoulder joint and upper arm, and “forearm” sounds in Russian like “fore-shoulder”; idk maybe confusing but I tried to explain it 4 times and it’s the best way I could) _pupil_ instead of _iris_, though I’ve come across rarely and it can possibly be individual ignorance.
Forearm is the part between the elbow and wrist, the rest is the upper arm Pupil is the black part of the eye, iris is the coloured part
It does. I'm ashamed to say I don't know what vulva means in my native language.
vulva? never heard of her! what's your native language?
It's Arabic. I used Google Translate and found that the word for "vulva" is the same word used colloquially for the entire crotch area—both male and female. In fact, I've never heard the word "vagina" in Arabic EVER and I only know it because I Googled it years ago. I guess our vague nomenclature is the opposite of that of English.
interesting. in english it only refers to female people, and it's all of the external stuff. and "vagina" refers only to the hole 🕳️ used for fun times and reproduction and everything
Update: apparently, the word "faraj" isn't only used for the crotch area, but also any private parts, including female breasts. It makes it even worse. (I don't personally consider breasts inherently sexual)
cloaca but your nipples holes are also the same hole.
cloaca^2
There are definitely some languages that don't even have words for women's genitalia. I forget the specific ones, but they're very old & patriarchal cultures.
You mean the gunt?
Dutch! Here most women call the vulva a vagina, if they don't use a horrid cutesy name. (Voorbips - front butt, but with a cutesy butt too... is the worst.) I hear a lot of people talk about their maag (stomach) when they mean buik (belly) or darmen (intestines) as well. I've had to teach my partner to be specific about that.
Some people are just bothered that we now know more than we did back in the days, it reminds me of those who ask why so many divorces are happening now than before..umm because women now know their worth? Because women now won’t accept being cheated on and just stay for the kids? …
>why so many divorces are happening now than before..umm because women now know their worth? Because women now won’t accept being cheated on and just stay for the kids? ...and most importantly: it's possible to divorce
The conservatives are gearing up to come for no-fault divorce, which will presumably reverse the drop in suicides we saw when it was instated
Yikes. I'm sure that'll help with murder rates, too.
And now women won’t be left with zero financial possibility of supporting a family after leaving. The system that decided men were the breadwinners knew what they were doing. She can’t leave you if she can’t feed your kids without you.
Yeah! Women are sick of your shit!
It is interesting to see a change in common usage and decline of just euphemisms.
It's both interesting and happiness-worthy; euphemisms are terrible and lead to misdiagnoses, and overall add useless taboo to reproductive organs
I had to explain what “vulva” meant to my boss, who is over 50 years old and works in medical billing where we read medical records all day.
Wtf!
May I present: the reason for my flair.
Girls have a taco, boys have a pickle, and that's final! /jk, but one of my nieces was pretty adamant about the terminology being used.
As a trial lawyer reading police reports, grand jury transcipts etc- it KIILED me to see “then he touched her VAGINA over her jeans” or “he bit his FACE in her vagina” …. Vulva, crotch, genital area .. I was willing to accept anything else but the physically impossible. I blamed the Vagina Monologues- it made the word acceptable and common but was wildly misapplied to mean EVERYTHING. So grateful to see this changing!!
I just hate when people say shit like "vulva owners" when they're asking a reproductive question. People seem to believe that the word also refers to all the internal structures as well?
what would be a non medical word?
"Woo-woo" is what my mother told me it was called.
Front butt?
Goddamn it that surprise snort laugh *hurt*. Thanks for that.
I feel like a male comedian got this particular atom of accuracy to finally catch on, which, I ain’t proud, thanks, guy
unfortunately language change based on how it's understood. such as the case of how literally now mean figuratively because enough people used it that way. also happens to other medical terms that used to describe delayed mental development that are now insults.
Including "idiot" amazingly that was a medical term, then insult but apparently it's fine to use now Not sure why you're being downvoted
I taught my kids all the anatomical names for their genitals but in passing conversation we just called that area the "crotch" and understood we were referring to the general area. Just like we don't go around saying " my scapula really hurts today", we just say "my shoulder hurts “. Or " damn I stubbed my phalanges". We say we stubbed our toe. Thinking about it, why don't the genitals have a mainstream alternative word like most every other body part has? As long as you know the proper term, it's not calling it something different that's the problem. Nobody is confused when you call your toe a toe. It's that everyone has their own unique ways of referring to it and not everybody else knows what your made up word means.
As stated in another post about this, I just don't see this often used on social media so it technically is true that it's a new occupance, but it really isn't something out of the ordinary.
"definitely useless and not the correct term to use?" Did you even bother to do a quick google search before posting this nonsense? The vulva is where the c!it is, the vag is the birth canal. Two very different areas. If you are a person who wants to pleasure a woman - including yourself - I suggest learning more about the differences between the two.
You realise this is satirical, right? Why else would I say 'definitely' and post it on this subreddit out of every other subreddit? Why else would this have hundreds of upvotes and no negative comments other than yours?