Vocabulary Turn-offs

[FairyNiamh]

ANSWER MY QUESTION

YES, Bum is a British term. (Unless you are talking about a street bum... *runs away*)

[FairyNiamh]

That's it... I'm inventing new words!

Let me know the words you come up with please! *looks innocent... surely someone will believe it*

[Guest Zyx]

YES, Bum is a British term. (Unless you are talking about a street bum... *runs away*)

This sucks... Thanks though...

[Birddi]

Actually I hate euphanisms. Give me words like cock, fucking, tight ass, etc.

I like well done smut, be it more pronogrpahic or romantic. However, softening the blow for me is relatively useless. "Her love juice?" I truly think of needing a straw or something, and then it's more comically saccharine than anything else.

I'm going to state my biggest grievences with writers. They focus on the whole how it's done aspect, but absolutely none of the thoughts, and emotions that come with sex. It reads as two robotic dolls most of the times, and honestly, I do a Mayday Will Robinson the moment it gets trite.

[maidenhair]

Wow! I hadn't noticed this thread before or I would have posted sooner. There are too many previous posts that I'd love to reply to or comment on so I'm just going to throw in my two cents worth.

I'm pretty flexible with most of the words I've seen listed above. They don't really bother me. But I find talking dirty during sex to be a major turn-on so that might color my view. Even though I'd get majorly pissed off if someone called me a bitch or a whore in general conversation, it just does something to me when I hear it during the heat of passion...so bear that in mind when I said that really only the word CUNT bothers me. It grates on my nerves when I stumble over it while reading. (probably because of a particularly vicious school mate who used it a lot)

I find the flowery descriptions kinda annoying but not too troublesome. I, myself, have used the phrase "aching nub" in one of my stories and am frequently reminded of it!

I like the word Bum. It's not as harsh as ass or as weird as buttocks. It really does have a soft sorta ring to it. I also like to use the word belly....tummy's too kid-like and stomach really is the guts of it not the soft outer skin.

I have never heard of dingle-dangle but it sounds truly odd! lol

Cum doesn't bother me, in the literary sense!

As I said before...I'm not a fan of euphamisms. If I'm writing a sweet, romantic piece then I generally avoid full on smut. It doesn't fit. If I'm writing a juicy lemon then I call a cock...a cock and a fuck...a fuck, so to speak.

Basically, it depends on the scene I'm writing. If it's hot and nasty fucking then the words reflect it. If it's two lovers sharing a romantic but physical connection then it becomes more about the emotions, not just the physical pleasure.

Same thing applies to something I'm reading....If I want love and romance, then I don't want to read about pricks and pussy's.

But if I'm horny and I'm looking for something smutty, then anything goes basically.

Long story short....My taste on what I like to read and the way I write is a reflection of what I like and don't like in the bedroom, I guess.

[Avarion]

Some fics do, unfortunately, contain some of the most cringeworthy and horrific cliches and euphemisms, and sadly the whole experience can be ruined by inappropriate vocab. Poor spelling and grammar always gets on my nerves in every kind of context I can think of, but sometimes I can tolerate a few cliches just as long as the rest of the story provides generous compensation.

I really do hate stupid words like 'box' and 'flower' to describe a woman's vagina, although that in itself is far too clinical. I do quite like the word pussy though, even though I never used to. I don't know why I warmed to it at all! As with all things, it's about time and place, and if I saw the word 'pussy' ten times in a short paragraph I'd find a new story to read.

It's not so much specific words that get right under my skin, it's specific cliches within a given scenario, especially when it's blatantly obvious that the author in question just doesn't have a damn clue what they're trying to describe. That may not be any fault of their own, but either way, it is incredibly annoying. I can't stand reading fics that take their time to build up a sex scene and then two seconds later BAM! The guy's blown his load and the girl's 'trembling from the aftermath of her climax'... UGH!

But I think the one thing that makes me grind my teeth, clench my fists and throw a real wobbly is reading fics about a character losing her virginity. Stories of guys doing it for the first time are never half as bad, but stories of girls getting their cherries popped *really* do my head in because they never sound anything like real life. I don't want to read a load of sappy drivel then launch into a scene of hot rampant first-time sex between a couple of teenagers! When I think of the first time I think of emotional vulnerability, curiosity, fear, excitement, awkwardness and embarrassment.

Grrr... gets me so damn angry!

Edited June 27, 2008 by Avarion

[Luminita]

I don't mind, what words are used as long as they fit the story. But horrible grammer and spelling just turns me off of a story.

[Kettle]

I really do hate stupid words like 'box' and 'flower' to describe a woman's vagina,

I like "box", but then the stories I read all involve robots. A sentence like "He couldn't wait to be inside her wet folds" doesn't fit when both parties are made of metal, but "He desperately wanted to be inside her sturdy, steel box" does.

[Avarion]

I like "box", but then the stories I read all involve robots. A sentence like "He couldn't wait to be inside her wet folds" doesn't fit when both parties are made of metal, but "He desperately wanted to be inside her sturdy, steel box" does.

Lol!

Well, it is about time and place as I mentioned before. I agree it wouldn't fit at all to describe a robot's nether regions as something organic and juicy. I would imagine that would cause a bit of a rust problem =/

[Kettle]

I agree it wouldn't fit at all to describe a robot's nether regions as something organic and juicy. I would imagine that would cause a bit of a rust problem =/

In my fics the robots secrete a lubricant to help grease up the relevant moving parts and ensure that nothing gets scraped or stuck, but it's oil-based, so no rusting

EDIT: Oh, also:

I can't stand reading fics that take their time to build up a sex scene and then two seconds later BAM! The guy's blown his load and the girl's 'trembling from the aftermath of her climax'... UGH!

I like to drag out the sex scene by describing not only what the characters are physically feeling and doing, but also what they're thinking. It helps me show the reader the dynamics at work and the relationship between the characters.

[jackalman22]

I personally am not a fan of the following, although I won't ever stop reading a story if I ever see them. If I stop reading a story, chances are there is a lot more wrong with it than simply a word choice I'm not fond of. Anyway...

-Come - I much prefer using the term 'cum' (cumming, came, etc.) instead. If someone bellows "I'm coming!" or "I'm going to come!" I immediately think... is someone arriving? Where are they arriving from? I realize the widespread use of come vs. cum, but in general, it just bothers me because I feel as though the term 'cum' has evolved separately, and it should now be fully recognized as a word that can be used as a noun, verb, what have you.

-Overuse of either "pussy" or "cock" - Now, during a sex scene, I realize perfectly well that it isn't easy to keep one's vocabulary banks and wits in perfect reserve. For me at least, if sex looks or sounds good in my head, I'll get sidetracked during writing it because I just end up getting all randy. It sounds weird, but it happens. On that note, I can see how it's easy to say something like: John shoved his cock inside Mary's tight pussy without warning. His cock was so hard and he could feel the folds of her pussy enveloping him completely. He started working his throbbing cock in and out of her wet pussy until finally...

You see what I mean? There are many ways to refer to a penis, and even in nonconsecutive sentences, I much prefer to avoid overusing a single term. If I'm going to refer to body parts, whether they're breasts, penises, vaginas, whatever, I like to mix up the terminology so as the readers don't get distracted with overuse.

-Suckle - I fucking loathe this word. I associate this word with infants of any species nursing on the teats of their respective mothers. Also, it seems like such a bloody weak action.

"He suckled firmly on her neck."

or

"John suckled Mary's nipple into his mouth."

Tell me, what in the hell is wrong with just plain kissing? Or sucking? Or nibbling? Or smooching? Or "breathing-in?"

Suckling also reminds me of the business end of some sci-fi plant vine literally suckling the body fluids out of an unsuspecting prey, siphoning out its life energy or something.

Ugh, I just can't stand that word. I hate saying it, I hate reading it, and I think it can be replaced with much sexier, stronger, and more satisfying words.

Like I said, though. I'm pretty tolerant as far as my reading is concerned, but when it comes to writing, I just avoid certain things like the plague. I tend to overuse the "for all he/she/it was worth" euphemism, as it appears at least once in most of my stories. Other than that, it's all good in the hood. Or something.

[Darth Xelleon]

"He stuffed his wii into her xbox."

Yeah, that just popped into my head for some reason.

That and...

"Oh yes! OH! OH YES! OOOOOOHHHHHHHH FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER!!!!!"

Thank you and good night.

[Altari]

Grammar and spelling problems are a much bigger deal than any words. But, there are 3 words that make me hold my breath in a fic : Yet, neither, nor.

"Yet they could use neither yet nor neither correctly." This was my husband's little quip when he first noticed the phenomena in college.

Seriously, nor must follow neither, and you cannot string together conjunctions to get phrases such as and but yet (yes, I *have* seen this used in a fic!).

[Lightsshadow]

I'm pretty easy going with vocab. I've always believed 'we write for our own enjoyment, the rest is bonus' and as long as appropriate warnings are added I'm fair game to read anything.

That said however, I do have a decided preference for fics featuring description - even metaphors - over excessive 'language'. Yes, dirty words are acceptable in this genre, but do we really need to see the F-word six times in every paragraph?

[Avarion]

I like to drag out the sex scene by describing not only what the characters are physically feeling and doing, but also what they're thinking. It helps me show the reader the dynamics at work and the relationship between the characters.

That's a good sex scene. I disdain a chronicle of physical events. We all know how the biology works, we all know the sounds that are generally produced; is it really necessary to document them all without adding any substance? I often find it the case that sex scenes which merely suggest the act of sex itself are far steamier than their graphic counterparts when the writer goes to great depths to explore the characters involved and their relationship. That being said, sex scenes which are full of description and little else can sometimes feel tedious, especially if it feels the writer is going round in circles. As with most things, the key to getting it right is finding a balance.

[kaimono]

you guys are funny. but seriously there are so many words which you guys don't like, and now I am not sure what to use for my sex scenes. i meant most of the sexual terms i learnt are from reading other people's stories and they are practically all the words mentioned so far. I think maybe next time I should just write 'They had sex'. LOL.

Edited July 2, 2008 by kaimono

[Altari]

I think maybe next time I should just write 'They had sex'. LOL.

That could work!

One of new favorite authors, Lian Hearn, always gets deathly close to sex scenes, then just drops you. He talks about the kissing, the touching, the frantic behavior. He removes her clothes...Then...when they were done...

It's so beautiful and horrible at the same time.

[Avarion]

I love those build-ups! They really suck you in and get a hold of you then leave you hanging right until the last minute... and nothing happens! It's incredibly frustrating but very, very effective.

@Kaimono: Don't worry too much about what our personal preferences are; write for your own enjoyment without worrying about what other people will think. Sex is a victim of endless cliches; as a writer you are at liberty to be as experimental or as conventional as you see fit, although some things really are worth avoiding altogether...!

[Kettle]

We all know how the biology works, we all know the sounds that are generally produced; is it really necessary to document them all without adding any substance?

As well as that there's only so many sexual acts that you can describe, depending on the genders/numbers involved and your own personal limits. I have seven stories up and they contain a combined total of five blowjobs, four instances of anal sex, two handjobs and one instance of rimming. What makes each one different is the characters involved and how they feel about each other and what they're doing. I've got two stories that feature the same couple doing the same thing in the same position, but they're feeling and thinking different things in each story.

[Avarion]

As well as that there's only so many sexual acts that you can describe, depending on the genders/numbers involved and your own personal limits. I have seven stories up and they contain a combined total of five blowjobs, four instances of anal sex, two handjobs and one instance of rimming. What makes each one different is the characters involved and how they feel about each other and what they're doing. I've got two stories that feature the same couple doing the same thing in the same position, but they're feeling and thinking different things in each story.

That's what I think is most important; the feelings of the characters involved and their frame(s) of mind. You've echoed all of my sentiments regarding this subject!

[Darth Xelleon]

I once read a story (not on AFF) About a pair of rich mature distinguished gentlemen in nice suits sitting in a study in a luxurious mansion sipping tea. One of them was talking about a woman he was with the previous night, and mentioned the word "boobies".

Excuse me? That word does not belong in that setting. I closed the page and went elsewhere.

[Avarion]

I once read a story (not on AFF) About a pair of rich mature distinguished gentlemen in nice suits sitting in a study in a luxurious mansion sipping tea. One of them was talking about a woman he was with the previous night, and mentioned the word "boobies".

Excuse me? That word does not belong in that setting. I closed the page and went elsewhere.

Genuinely laughing out loud.

[Solaris]

I love those build-ups! They really suck you in and get a hold of you then leave you hanging right until the last minute... and nothing happens! It's incredibly frustrating but very, very effective.

I love that! That leaves stuff for the fanfiction writer in us all to flesh out that scene!

I actually have that happen in my original story that I am writing for publication: The Vampire Hunter.

Beth

[Avarion]

I just love it when a good build up gets my heart pounding and my mouth watering and leaves it hanging in the balance. It feels like literary masochism but damn it's addictive!

EDIT: I've just thought of something else that I regard as a vocabulary turn off; reading the build up to what promises to be one hell of a steamy sex scene only to be confronted by Jack touching Jill's curls. Or stiff curls. EWW! I know pubic hair is all part of nature and everything but Jesus Christ I do not want to read about it in a fanfic!! I *hate* pubic hair. I can't stand it. It repulses me. BLERGH!!!!!

Phew. Rant over.

Edited July 3, 2008 by Avarion

[Altari]

EDIT: I've just thought of something else that I regard as a vocabulary turn off; reading the build up to what promises to be one hell of a steamy sex scene only to be confronted by Jack touching Jill's curls. Or stiff curls. EWW! I know pubic hair is all part of nature and everything but Jesus Christ I do not want to read about it in a fanfic!! I *hate* pubic hair. I can't stand it. It repulses me. BLERGH!!!!!

>_>

Agreed.

I've developed two new peeves over the few days since I first posted.

1) Going along with yours, the pubic hairs. I get a bit miffed when people reference "the soft down" or other fluffy, cuddling images of a bush. Whose pubic hair isn't thick and coarse and stiff? It wouldn't serve it's evolutionary purpose (keeping out the nasties) if it was downy fluff.

2) The hymen. If you're going to mention "maidenhead" or "virginity" at least get your anatomy straight. It's OUTSIDE. It's always there until a woman gives birth. It has a hole in it to allow entrance. Women don't always bleed. It doesn't always hurt. Guys don't always notice it. I know it's romantic to talk about a first lover taking a woman's virginity, but, please, at least be true to basic female anatomy.