I hate the thought of ‘bad words’. Words hold whatever power you give them. After all they are just words.
But jism completely throws me out of a story. Say it aloud… Jism… it is just an ick of a word.
If you put some thought into it or google it, there really are no GOOD words for semen. Think about it. Can you think of one?
Come doesn’t squick me out but cum has such a pRon vibe to it. Ejaculate is so clinical. Cream is just wrong and makes me think of Catherine Coulter. Love juice… ewwwww.
Urban Dictionary gives you these gems. I think some of these one person made up and just wants to create a word. Although there is prolly a romance novel somewhere with man milk.
I think semen might been one of those things the author just doesn’t name. Isn’t it a given once the fireworks go off and the sexing is done? Does it have to be given a name?
Yes, Virginia, sybil has been reading too much erotica. Uh erotic romance? No wait I mean romantica! Whatever…
I had an editor try to get me to use “cum” (referring to the substance, not the action)…I just couldn’t do it. I used “seed” instead. Because yeah, it feels too stroke-book to use “cum”.
Only 2 of the terms you mentioned kinda don’t work for me: semen (a little clinical) and luuurve juice (hilarious.) But jism, cum/come cream I can deal with. There’s a couple of other terms that really sounds porno to me: spunk & spume.
The latest slang word for semen is ‘skeet’. It can also be used as a verb. It’s found mostly in rap songs, I believe. I know this because all the cool kids are saying it.
Skeet? Really? Everytime I heard that word I think of Chris Rock using that stupid (L’il John?) rap/song in his routine. lol. Chris’s stand up is funny as hell.
Well, as long as it seems to fit the story I’m okay with whatever it might be called…for example, I think jism would be totally out of place in a historical, you know? However, in a contemporary, I guess it’s fine (mostly because I have male friends that use the term). But I SO agree there doesn’t seem to be a good name for it. Makes me glad I’m not a writer. Yikes!! :o)
We should all be ashamed of ourselves for liking that fucking song /chrisrock
heeee I LOVE him, one of my top three fave funny guys
Skeet doesn’t bother me in rap but I don’t think anyone is going to confuse rap with romance *g*
Alison Kent uses the word cum and it didn’t bother me but I made enough of a note of it to remember it *eg*.
The book I am reading now for review is a historical and uses jism and I was just sort of eh? But the etymology link says 1899. I am not sure what is odder that it is in the Online Etymology Dictionary or that I felt the need to look it up.
Well, I would have had to look it up except the context probably would have tipped me off.
I liked the ‘byproduct of male orgasm’. Yeah, let’s just say that next time 😉
CindyS
It must be funny as hell to read the weblogs at places like Online Etymology Dictionary. Can you IMAGINE the shit that comes across on query strings? Just think, Sybil, the NSA is probably tracking these things, too. 🙂
“Cum” and “jism” remind me too much of the amateur pr0n that people used to post on bulletin board systems in the 80’s. They definitely squick me out.
“Seed” works for me.
NSA, the etymology people and anyone else tracking should SO thank me for the hours of entertainment my searches must bring them ;).
Hey maybe I have an fbi file.
seed is less porny but I still wonder if there is really a need to NAME it…
I guess I just find semen in general unromantic, silly me ;).
Man Juice? hahaha that’s priceless.
I don’t really think it needs to be named. Like “warm wetness between her thighs” is enough for me, man. ha ha
How bout Love Larva?