Re-Published: with fundraising giveaway info below
The thing with euphemism samplers is that they are unending: there are always more themes and there are always more euphemisms (or variations of euphemisms) that one could include. There is a sense of adventure in embarking on a new one just because playing with language is fun and it is fascinating to learn about new-to-me English usage. But sometimes the research to source the text can be stressful—I have seen things I wish I could un-see and I’ve read about some things I could safely have died not knowing existed. Gunshy is too mild to describe my state of mind after last week’s Really Redwork.
So I was quite grateful for an email last week from my buddy Steven. He said he sourced most of his list of vaginal terms from an episode of The L-Word. After playing with the list for a couple of days, I kind of vaguely recall that I saw that episode sometime, despite my long-term lack of cable.
There are all sorts of issues that arise when designing a sampler. The main consideration at play here was that I wanted to use almost all the list he sent (I think I skipped only two). So I used a finer weave of linen than usual and chose a back stitch font, which resulted in letters that are less than 1/8″ wide. To keep the two edges reasonably straight, I also crowd-sourced some other (shorter) terms from friends.
This was a fun, quick design made more fun with the help of my buddies. Thanks!
On another note…Steven and I have been chatting for almost a year about a quilt I’ve designed for him. In fact, I have more sketches than is reasonable and purchased two different sets of fabrics so that I can make one for him and one for me. I’ll eventually make them, but there’s something more challenging about this one than any other I’ve made—further explanation of this will be good exploration later. Anyway, look to hear more about Steven’s influence on my work later.
Definitely check out Steven’s lovely knitting on his blog and consider contributing to his World AIDS Day project on December 1.
ETA: This sampler is a prize in Steven’s fundraiser now! See the prize page for the full listing. He’s doing a good thing for a worthy organization. Here are the details on his World AIDS Day project on December 1.
Back in the Uk growing up we always called it a “doo da” or a “fanny”, so imagine my horror when I came to the United States and people kept referring to fanny packs (bum bags in the UK). People would laugh when I would make a face lol.
Your stitchery is wonderful and I love the concept, euphemisms have always fascinated me.
Wow! So many names for one body part. It really shows how important it is and how much power is between our legs.
My mother’s euphemism was “Suzy.” ??? I haven’t heard this from anyone else. And speaking of euphemisms, do you have a non-red version planned for the post-menopausal set? ; )
I agree with Jo above, I always laugh when American’s say fanny! As a kid we called them tuppences, my husband’s daughter calls hers her lettuce. My favourite word though is Clunge. love it!
Wow, I love this! really inspiring, and also fun :D
I had a very harrowing experience with a slang dictionary in college and I haven’t been able to think of anal sex without a bit of terror since. (oh, centuries-past prostitutes, I hope those phrases were fanciful and not literal. but in a time without proper lube it seems a little too possible.)
Another amazing piece! That’s really a topic with no end, I think. So many terms. Off to check out Steven’s site!
Wow…this is fantastic and I never knew there were so many names/sayings/phrases. Impressive to say the least!