Know Your Lingo: An A to Z of Sex Slang

If your partner asked you to play their rusty trombone, or settle in for a night of shrimping, would you know what the heck they were talking about?! It’s time to get yourself educated and learn how to distinguish your moped from your doppelbanger.

We've pulled together an A to Z of sex terms and slang; some of which you may have never heard of, or even considered to be a kink!

A is for Analingus
Analingus is the act of stimulating your partner’s anus with your mouth or tongue to result in pleasurable sensations. Also known as rimming, eating ass or going ass-to-mouth.

B is for Bussy
A portmanteau of the words boy and pussy, bussy refer to a man’s anus and is predominantly in queer culture, particularly among more effeminate bottoms (the anal receptive partner).

C is for CBT
No, we’re not talking cognitive behavioural therapy! Within the kink world, CBT refers to cock and ball torture – a form play enjoyed by people with penises who have an interest in having a partner (or professional dominatrix) inflict pain on their genitals. CBT can include the use of ropes, whips, or even chastity devices.

D is for Doppelbanger
You know when you’ve had a couple of drinks and you realise that hottie at the bar looks just like Jason Momoa, or Magot Robbie? Who could blame you for wanting to fulfil a celebrity fantasy?! A dopplebanger is someone you have sex with because they’re a dead-ringer for someone else – usually someone famous

E is for Edge Play
Edge Play refers to BDSM acts that are considered more intense or dangerous, such as breath play. Everyone’s level on the spectrum of BDSM activities is different, but edge play can involve a chance of real physical harm,

F is for Felching
To felch is to suck up semen out of an orifice. For instance, someone may ejaculate inside their partner's anus and then suck their own semen out of the anus with their mouth. Swallowing and the use of a straw is entirely options.

G is for Gimp
You may have seen gimp masks and suits while browsing adult stores online. Essentially, a gimp is a sexual fetishist who likes to be dominated and who dresses in a leather or rubber bodysuit with mask, zips, and chains.

H is for Horse
If your playmate invites to you to take a ride on their horse, they may not be referring to the kind that eats hay and loves sugar cubes. A horse is a piece of bondage furniture consisting of a plank supported by two legs on each end, where a person may be bent or tied over and flogged or spanked.

I is for Impact Play
Impact Play is a type of BDSM play that involves striking the body. This can be done with whips, canes, paddles, a hand, flogger, riding crop, or other instrument. If you’ve ever playfully spanked your partner during sex, that’s impact play. More than anything else, impact play requires consent and communication.

J is for Jelqing
Never heard of jelqing before? You may already be doing it without realising it has a name! Jelqing is the practice of stroking the penis when erect in a particular way to increase its size. It’s a similar concept to using a penis pump.

K is for Katoptronophilia
Katoptronophilia refers to sexual arousal from having sex or masturbating in front of mirrors or reflective surfaces – allowing people to indulge in voyeuristic and exhibitionist interests by watching and being watched during sex. It can add a layer of visual stimulation and increase connection between partners.

L is for Limits
Limits refers to an activity or sexual act that is out of bounds. A soft limit is something that you’re curious about yet unsure if it’s right for you, such as name-calling. A hard limit is something that you are certain is off-limits, such as electrostimulation.

M is for Moped
A moped is a less-than-flattering name for the least attractive person that you would be willing to have sex with. The name comes from the fact that mopeds are fun to ride but embarrassing to be seen on.

N is for Nebulophilia
Nebulophilia is a lesser-known kink that involves sexual arousal induced by fog, steam, dry ice, or smoke. Some people suggest it is linked to a person’s perception of risk – for example, the fog or smoke is a sign of danger which stimulates the fear receptors, sometimes leading to heightened sexual arousal.

O is for Orgasm Denial
This one relates to dom/sub play and is pretty self-explanatory. In orgasm denial, the dominant partner will bring the submissive close to the brink of orgasm and then back off. It’s similar to edging, however in these circumstances the sub gives complete control of their orgasm over to their dom.

P is for Portboned
You know when you’re running late because of an unexpected sexual encounter? You’ve been postboned! This word isn’t just clever – it’s also fun to say. Please work it into conversation as much as possible… particularly when arriving late to work or family events.

Q is for Queening
Queening is a fancy way of saying, sitting on someone’s face. Think of ‘queening’ as a queen sitting on her pleasure throne.

R is for Rusty Trombone
This one’s pretty easily visualise! A rusty trombone is the act of performing a hand job and a rim job simultaneously. The giver looks like they’re playing the trombone.

S is for Shrimping
Shrimping is the act of sucking on your partner’s toes, as though they were delicious little morsels of shrimp.

T is for Tribbing
Tribbing – or tribadism – is an act where two people with vulvas rub their genitals together for sexual gratification. It’s known by a lot of great phrases, like scissoring, clit-clattering, clam jousting, touchin’ tacos and gash mashing.

U is for Urophilia
Urophilia is a fancy name for watersports, or pee play. With this kink, people find urination sexually arousing. There are lots of things you can do with urine, though the most common way to enjoy pee play is to give or receive golden showers.

V is for Voyeurism
A voyeur is someone who enjoys watching others have sex, undress or perform an act that gets them off. Sort of like a peeping tom – except, when we speak about voyeurism from a kink perspective, we’re talking about consensual voyeurism. If you have voyeuristic fantasies, make sure you’re indulging them consensually with willing exhibitionists!

W is for Wet & Messy
Wet and messy is a fetish where people enjoy being covered in (or surrounded by) wet food or beverages or non-food substances like shaving cream, large amounts of lube, paint, and more during sex.

X is for XXX
XXX marks something as pornographic, and is often used as shorthand for any sexual content.

Y is for Yoni
Yoni is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as ‘vulva’. The word has gained popularity in sexual wellness forums, with yoni eggs and yoni massage now commonplace in the sexual lexicon.

Z is for Zentai
Zentai stems from the Japanese term zenshin taitsu (full body tights), and is a formfitting suit that covers the entire body, including the head, fingers, and toes. It is usually made from spandex, and wearers find the closeness and tightness of the fabric to the skin (as well as the pressure this can place against sensitive regions of the body) pleasurable.