About Menstruation Slang Menstruation can be a sensitive subject to both sexes and all ages. And while times have changed, periods are still somewhat of a social taboo. The word 'period' itself is a euphemism resulting from an awkwardness surrounding discussion of the topic. Menstruation slang expressions appear to fall under a series of categories, chiefly Colour, illness, sanitary protection, blood and regularity There is an certain level of humour behind many menstrual expressions, which may lead some terms to be considered offensive. However, as the taboo surrounding the subject declines, more and more terms will be coined as society becomes more accepting of how Menstruation is approached. Menstruation being a taboo subject may go some way to explaining the sparseness of any etymological information regarding its slang terms and euphemisms. Many of the words arise out of secrecy and sensitivity, so therefore rarely leave behind any evidence of who coined the terms and why. Nevertheless, predictions as to the origins of these slang terms have been made by several sources, these being the etymologies included here. The terms have been collated from several sources and cover a mere selection of those used within the English-speaking world. This dictionary by no means includes ALL menstruation slang. The dictionary entries should be addressed as an expression of how both women and men view menstruation, the female reproductive system and femininity.
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© Steph Greenwood. srg12@le.ac.uk. University of Leicester. 2005 |
