I like "hooha" because it's silly and random without being mean. Although the last time I used it here I was sneered at for being immature and self-loathing. *rolls eyes*

I'm actually perfectly happy with the term vagina as it stands. But perhaps I'm odd.

I like cunt, honestly, but only when referring to it myself. My boyfriend and my pet name is Snoopy. It's silly.

It discovered it straight from The Vagina Monologues, Monkeybox.

I don't use it in conversation really, but I love the word. MONKEYBOX. I really want to use it in the title of something, Monkeybox productions, maybe.

I've never had a pet name for any of my body parts, honestly. For slang usage, I like "cunt."

I just brought up this conversation at work. Guys said "vajayjay" sounds childish. The 73-year-old "entertainment editor" said she hates Oprah.

I say call it whatever you want, as long as the name belongs to you.

Personally, I too enjoy "vag."

Well, I've been knownt to use 'undercarriage' for the outside bits. As in 'I'm really not sure about this whole trend of waxing your undercarriage'.

Girl Parts works nicely for me, as well.

Well, I have been recently introduced to the hilarious word "bajingo." Apparently the corresponding genital euphemism for males is the "dirty how-do-ya-do." Bwahahahahaa!!!

Personally, I say "coochie."

It's a cute word but I still would have preferred, you know, vagina.

Shonda Rhimes, the creator and executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy,� who brought the word into full public view, never intended to promote a euphemism or slang term for the female anatomy. Rather, she fought to use vagina in the script.

“I had written an episode during the second season of ‘Grey’s’ in which we used the word vagina a great many times (perhaps 11),� Ms. Rhimes wrote in an e-mail message. “Now, we’d once used the word penis 17 times in a single episode and no one blinked. But with vagina, the good folks at broadcast standards and practices blinked over and over and over. I think no one is comfortable experiencing the female anatomy out loud — which is a shame considering our anatomy is half the population.�

This blogger said it so much better than I could:

"But, there's a little bit of a problem here, I think. Yes, it's catchy, playful, even F.C.C.-friendly, but, more than anything, it's avoidant. And it connotes that our vaginas are. . . not so acceptable to us (or anyone else)."

You can read all of it at
http://www.everywomanhasaneatingdisorder.blogspot.com/

When I was little, I called it a "cookie".

I used to not like "pussy" but I grew fonder of it as I got older, and the first time I heard it in an un-ugly fashion.

I'm with the people who prefer to simply call it "vagina." However when I'm writing (yay erotic fan fic), I'll alternate between cunt and pussy.

I like this topic. I used to say vagina all the time, but after I read Inga Muscio's "Cunt. A Declaration of Independence", I had my own little declaration, and adopted cunt. Alot of my friends say chocha or gina (pronounced like china).

"The reduplication in “jay-jay� is childlike, he said, like “pee pee or doo doo,� and that “cleans up� the word.

As Joel McHale, the host of “The Soup,� put it: “It’s not derogatory. It’s not ‘You’re being such a vajayjay right now.’ It’s kind of a sweet thing.�

“Vajayjay,� he said, “is like your good buddy.�"

I'm just not sure how I feel about that. I don't mind slang words, but when it comes to the vagina I think I prefer names that command respect or show strength. There's a time for humor or silliness, don't get me wrong. I just think that adult women speaking about their (adult) vaginas shouldn't be reduced to using a nickname because it seems "nicer" to those who are uncomfortable with the term vagina. If they want to use it for comic effect or because there's a note of absurdity to it, fine. But in serious, honest discussions I'm all for serious, honest language.

Splendora. It's a town in Texas, but that seemed such a waste for such a pretty word.

My mom calls it her "cave," my boyfriend calls mine my "lady bits," and I usually say vag or va-china.

I think 'pussy' sounds more emphatic, however, I've read "Cunt: A Declaration of Independance," and became more interested in the word 'cunt.' However, I liked the word cunt previously from "The Vagina Monologues." Personally, I didnt like Ingas book, as it seemed anti-choice.

I like saying vagina because it freaks people out. But vag would probably be my favorite slang term.

As for the Grey's Anatomy episode, I understand why Rhimes would be pissed off. I am now, too, that I know the story. But before reading the article, I didn't get the big deal about them not using "vagina." For those who haven't seen it, the context of the scene is an intern (George) helping his female resident (Bailey) while she's in labor. While he's holding her back, he's watching intently in the mirror and making comments as the baby is crowning. Bailey is annoyed by it and in a highly irate voice yells "Hey! STOP STARING AT MY VAJAYJAY."

Personally, I can see how in that kind of high stress situation, a woman, even a doctor, would not be particularly likely to say "vagina." She's in pain, pissed off, trying to communicate her message in the most concise possible way and purposely trying to shock him. Doesn't the slang kind of make more sense?

I like cunt and pussy because it's claiming words meant as insults. When I said cunt in front of my older sisters, this wide-eyed dead silence that followed was awesome! They didn't know it can be used in ways other than to demean, and now they use it freely themselves.

I've used twat and snatch in the same way, but I am ignorant of the history behind the last two, and don't know if they have other connotations.

When I am feeling especially self-high, I like to use power box, which is probably also from V-Monologues.

Chocha and cosa are used a lot in my culture, but I don't like cosa because it means "thing" - as in "that thing" - an unmentionable, something to be avoided and not discussed by its name, something shameful.

evil olive - I love it!

I also like "vagina" but my problem with it is that it only refers to a specific part and using it to refer to a woman's entire nether regions is inaccurate. When I am talking about the whole area I tend to say "lady parts" but write "pussy" or "cunt" (props to Inga Muscio, who I just met yesterday).

Seriously though, I may have to adopt the term Splendora.

When my cousin was young she was having some vagina related issues. I'm not entirely sure what exactly was going on but she basically summed it up saying "my Vagina is on the outside." I never really got what she was saying, and I didn't really want to pry too much into her private part issues.

She seemed really upset about it though, so we were joking around to make her feel better and started calling it her "Vagernal." (vagina + external)

We all had a good laugh, and I always find myself wanting to use that word. (And then realizing that no one else knows what a vagernal is.)

I love 'poonani'!!!

I usually use pussy or coochie. Lady-bits or lady-parts works too. The only word I can't stand is vagina--it sounds cold, medical and creepy to me.

When I'm thinking in Portuguese (my other native language) I use the standard Portuguese slang word, but I'm not going to type that here because I've dealt with enough American guys' Carnaval fantasies already--I don't want to give them a glossary too.

Vajayjay sounds dumb and prissy to me.

i refer to my own as a vagina or cunt but i use the term 'padoodle-doo' when referring to my doggie's! (best doggie in the WHOLE WORLD!!!)

When talking about my 3 month old daughter's vagina, I use the term ' frissy', but in most other situations I use proper terminology. I would be more inclined to use slang terms but most of my friends are guys and I want them to know that not everyone says pussy or ( my least favorite word ever, I remember it being used in grade school when asshole boys would make fun of my friends and me) coochie.

Embarrassing childhood memory:
In the fourth grade we had to listen to a talk about our bodies and such. Apparently, I believed that the woman giving the talk was saying "bagina" instead of vagina. So I continued to use that word until one of my friends laughed at me until I cried.

I have since reclaimed "bagina." But in reality, I stick to vagina. I like to refer to both male and female genitalia by their formal names.

Embarrassing childhood memory:
In the fourth grade we had to listen to a talk about our bodies and such. Apparently, I believed that the woman giving the talk was saying "bagina" instead of vagina. So I continued to use that word until one of my friends laughed at me until I cried.

I have since reclaimed "bagina." But in reality, I stick to vagina. I like to refer to both male and female genitalia by their formal names.

In general, I use "vagina," but I use "hoo-hoo" when I am being less than serious. I use "vajayjay" sometimes with my husband because it makes him giggle. I got "hoo-hoo" from a friend's little girl, but, while it's cute, it bothers me that parents don't teach their children the proper names (probably because my parents taught us the proper names - my mom also hates it when pregnant women say to small children "There's a baby in my tummy!"). I'll never understand why it seems to embarrass people to hear the word vagina, especially from a little girl.

gwyllion: I use "hoo-hoo" for my dog, but I may switch to "bagina" 'cuz that's just too funny.

"It’s not derogatory. It’s not ‘You’re being such a vajayjay right now.’"

that cracked me up. you're being such a vajayjay right now.

but you know i think he's right, and it tracks as not derogatory because it comes from women, you know? it doesn't have this long sordid history like pussy or cunt - it's like it's more organically non-derogatory, and not something complex that we have to try to "reclaim."

so, while i'm all for normalizing the word vagina (and i think the root of vajayjay's coming about speaks to that need!), i think this is a pretty good (and fun, admit it!) step forward.

I usually refer to it as "nethers" or "whosey-whatsits" accompanied by a wave of the hand. If I'm being serious, it's vagina or genitalia, though.

My favorite is Twat.

Runner up is "vagine" pronounced ala Borat.

"Minky" is my absolute favourite, although when I was 6 my sister and I, for lack of any nicer name than front bottom decided to call it a flower, which I also use.

I'm all for finding nicer pet names - most of my male friends are musicians and the names they use are horrid and sound weirdly violent.

Pink parts works well as a unisex term, as in "we bumped pink parts"

I like your story, Shinobi. "Vagernal" makes me think of a diary about vaginas - vagina journal thing. Since I'm a writer, that's particularly appealing to me.

I usually just use vag. Succinct. I like the soft "g." It's fun to say, especially when you stretch it out a bit.

i'm sorry i have to post again.

i just remembered a conversation i had with a friend of mine a few years ago who took a swim aerobics class with a very earthy, old-flowerchild-person, who wore tatty old shorts in the pool in lieu of a bathing suit.

My friend had a conversation with her as she perched splay-legged on the side of the pool. My friend's comment was an exasperated "her shorts were so baggy - it was hard to concentrate on what she was saying with her lunch-meat just all hanging out"

i laughed until i peed myself!

i don't like it at all. I think it sounds cute and like something a child would say. Do we really need to infantalize women further? It seems to me like a way to reduce the power of women's sexuality by hiding it under cute names.

I'm all for ladyparts, or vag, or even cunt, it all depends on the usage :)

I like cunt myself. Here is the original definition of cunt:

(UK, US, slang) The female genitalia, especially the vulva.

BTW, I posted on my blog about "vajayjay" and how many people either love the word or hate it. I hate to break it to you ladies, but I have a bad feeling that vajayjay will be sullied, just like other words to describe the female anatomy.

Jessica, et. al., please pray that I will be wrong this time.

Funniest I ever heard is "love taco." We actually use "girl parts."

I have tried to work a riff on the word "cooties" in there somewhere but The Lovely Wife merely threatens to slug me.

I hate that I have to use different terminology in different company. I'll never use a term like "vajayjay" because it sounds childish. I'm not a child, and I remember trying to convince people of that for years. My last boyfriend called me his "girl" until I told him the next time would be the last. If I'm talking about my vagina, I probably am not worried about offending people.

ps: I think my favorite terms are twat and pussy.

I alternate between vagina, yoni, and bukiluki. Bukiluki I picked up from Ayun Halliday's book The Big Rumpus. Both bukiluki and yoni are all encompassing for the female genitalia (at least I know for sure yoni is, and I just assume for bukiluki). So, I like to use those terms mostly, especially with my daughter. Vagina, while the technical term, since it is derived from the Latin meaning literally a sheath, I kind of shy away from it politically b/c the definition implies it is meant to hold something. I want my yoni to stand on its own! Oh, and I like cunt too b/c of Eve Ensler and Inga Muscio. In the bedroom, my husband and I call mine Vancouver as a pet name.

Hmmm...

Cunt, pussy and twat are all favourites. I also like jiggly-bits. As in "my jiggly bits are so bleeding chafed right now!"... mostly because of the shocked/amused/confused looks I get...

Sometimes I'll refer to them as my genitals.

I hate "queef, fanny (UK usage), froo-froo, and all those sorts of words. Too floury. And this "vajayjay" thing just sounds too similar... too cutesy.

Hee! "Vancouver."

I embrace almost all of the terms in different contexts. "Vagina" is nicely specific (and sometimes one needs to be specific). My fave — the one that has the best snicker value to me — is O'Keeffes.

I am Swedish but grew up in Italy. My mom would always call it "mufsan" which I never cared for, but Italians call it "figa." I know it has fairly vulgar connotations there, but I like using it here. Besides, it makes eating Fig Newtons seem daring, somehow.

I am Swedish but grew up in Italy. My mom would always call it "mufsan" which I never cared for, but Italians call it "figa." I know it has fairly vulgar connotations there, but I like using it here. Besides, it makes eating Fig Newtons seem daring, somehow.

my dance troupe squandered a whole rehearsal talking about what words our moms used with us to talk about our vaginas, and what words we were going to use with our kids. "front bottom", "weepy", "peeper", "orgit"... tons of others.

i call mine Senorita. she takes a siesta every four weeks or so.

my mom used to call it a "tikawaddely" when she was little, my grandma still talks about that. personally i use any term pretty much, but "vagina" is especially good for people who don't tolerate "dirty" words--it's completely scientific and still shocking.

I use "na na" (from the Foxy Brown album 'Ill Na Na'), usually when I'm referring to things hanging out of clothes. As in 'Britney, put your na na away, honey!'

I also use "bidness", usually when discussing unpleasant things coming into contact with the vagina. As in "I was at the beach and got sand all up in my bidness" or "at the club last night, that guy was trying to put his hands actually inside my bidness, can you believe?"

I use "chocha" in everyday conversation. Someone told me it's Puerto Rican slang, but I don't actually know the truth about the root of it. (enlighten me?)

As for myself, I like to call her "Lola" in my head. Yep, she was a showgirl. Hehe.

"Cooch" or "Veeger" (though with my kids I use "vagina" and will continue to do so until they're older). The first Star Trek movie takes on a whole new meaning when you use Veeger.

After seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 2, I couldn't help but call my vagina Kraken. When tentacle thing burst out of the water and Jack Sparrow jumped into it's toothy mouth, all I could think of was "GIANT VAGINA!" Just like Starship Troopers.

"If you're lucky later, my Kraken will take down your pirate ship."

Ok, so that's a more extreme slang term. I'm a fan of the straight-forward vagina, sometimes cunt. I hate coocher and pussy.

For sex, my boyfriend and I fuck or have sex or "play Scrabble." The latter can lead to interesting conversations. We're in a long distance relationship so I sometimes have a Facebook status of "Lindsay is wanting to play Scrabble badly right now." My well intentioned friends bring over a Scrabble board and offer to play, and well, I'm a Divinity school student so they're not big on the premarital sex so telling how I'm sexually frustrated isn't quite as appealing for them.

I like to call mine a magical wonderland.

My partner and I call mine my "hyena". I know hyenas are sort of ugly animals, and also vicious, but I kind of like the idea that I have a vicious, ugly, laughing vagina. Really though, I just think "hyena" - if detached from the beast - is a pretty, intimate-sounding word. It refers to my vagina and surrounding region.

i.e. "My hyena is hungry."

FINE CHINA

A few years ago, my best friend and I discovered this term, which her 13-year-old sister and friends had been using. I love it!

I actually really like the term vajayjay. It describes exactly what I want it to, since the word vagina doesn't. It definitely lends itself to a more playful context, but that's the kind of girl I am. Besides, if I don't take it too seriously, maybe it'll be nicer to me every couple of weeks...

Vagina, amusingly enough.

For the whole genitalia, I like to say "girly bits" and I refer to my boyfriend's genitals as "boyly bits". Because I think it's hilarious.

Unfortunately, some people who maybe didn't think it was funny so much as brilliant have started using it seriously.

Vagina is just fine but I also like Twiffer.

I don't know, I think I might have to promote "hyena" or "fine china" to the top of the list. Best names EVAR.

Ladies (and gents), I gotta say I really needed the laughs - especially today. This is a great topic...hyena? lunchmeat?

I actually like O'Keefes...Anyhow, to the post that asked, chocha is PR slang, yes. Root of it? Don't know. Although I will say that you will also hear it (in a series with other colorful words) when something like slamming your toe on a corner happens...

I use vajayjay all the time...mainly when my dog stands up with that region pointed at me and I announce that I have a face full of dog vajayjay.

I'm always open to new vaginal slang.

When I was little, probably somewhere around 3 or 4, I dubbed mine my "boobus toobus," which still remains an endless source of amusement to my parents. Now I'd have to say "twat" or "the goodies" is probably my favorite.

haha, lbacher , I had that exact thought when I saw POTC2. Thought I was the only one.

I was talking about it with my friend and said something like "when Jack Sparrow got swallowed by the giant vagina-monster" and all my friends looked at me like there was a vagina-monster growing out of my forehead.

I prefer "Vagina," but said in the voice of Julianne Moore.

my favorite word for vagina is "coochie-snorcher" from the vagina monologues, though i don't think i've ever used it in conversation.

a coworker of mine calls hers "yum-yum"

in conversation with friends i tend to rely on vag and twat... though i think i might have to bring "fine china" into our vernacular. when i'm away from my friends though, i'm not afraid to say vagina in public, in fact i kind of enjoy it... it makes some people uncomfortable.

until about second grade, i thought the word vagina was virginia... so i was always hesitant to say it out loud when we were learning geography-- "jamestown... vir...gin...ia?"

I like 'my womanly parts' or my 'cooch' or 'My pretty kitty'

Hmm. I don't have any favorites but I do have a LEAST favorite, awful one. Growing up in redneck central, they always used derogatory language to refer to the vagina, and it was - or course - representative of women b/c women are only their sexual organs.

These guys would always call it "split tail," as in she's split down there. Sentence use was usually, "I'm gonna get me a piece of split tail."

Guh.

I'm perfectly comfortable calling it my vagina, no matter who I'm talking to be it my doctor or my boyfriend. To specify parts of the vulva I just say 'clit' or 'lips' or whatever.

I actually had this conversation with some of my girlfriends recently, and we went online to look at lists of slang terms for the vagina, trying to find ones we liked the best. One of my favorites was 'honeypot' because of how positive it sounded. It never caught on in my daily speech though because saying it makes me feel juvenile, the same way I feel when I say pussy. Like a cop-out. If I had to choose a slang, I would go with cunt because of how powerful it sounds.

Funny aside: One of my friends has named hers LaTuna Canyon from a street sign in Texas. Maybe instead of slang terms we should be thinking up names.

Jem - O'Keefes is amazing! Heheh. I am fine with nicknames (not euphemisms) for vagina; there are plenty that people prefer to use for penis too. We have non-scientific names for lots of other things too that aren't really problematic. Like belly, I love my belly, not my stomach! I'm gonna experiment with some your suggestions. Fine china's a good one.

i usually say vag or lady parts, but i'm ok with vajayjay (or bajingo--seriously, it's so ridiculous that i have to like it).

i'm not really into cunt or pussy when used anatomically. as far as i'm concerned, they are tainted words that have been transformed entirely into insults after a long history of use in that context. i do enjoy calling people "cunts", though.

Mine's name is Rosemary, but I like calling a spade a spade and a cunt a cunt. I remember absolutely appalling a bunch of guys when I said the word "clitoris" in front of them... good times. People are cute when they're shocked.

There is a great episode of Scrubs where Elliot's plotline is based around her inability to say 'vagina', despite her being a doctor, and having one. Vajayjay and Bajingo were pretty hilarious in that context, and with me being a foreign-type, I'd never heard them before. Now I realise that Americans actually use these terms. Crazy! You people and your waspy comedic television lives! I'm voting for 'fine china' now, also.

yup- my daughter and I use "Yoni"

though I have to say- if I ever have a boy I would be at a loss for an empowered word......

Wedding vegetables.

British slang (I assume, heard it on Top Gear, could be just him) and absolutely love it. Context was for male bits but I think it could be either, really. And it's pretty absurdly hilarious.

I'm a guy, but I like twat. It just looks and sounds so unlike anything either derogatory or sexy that it can only be a term of endearment.

Though I've never been able to determine with pronunciation is correct: rhymes with at or rhymes with shot. I prefer at.

Alas, ecclescake, it was peepers who first mentioned O'Keefes

I'm fond of quite a few, depending on the context in which they're used. I love Yoni, cunt, twat, vag, vagina. I had always viewed cunt as being one of the more derogatory terms for a woman's genitals, but I've realized that any word is as offensive or harmless as you make it. My partner tends to like the word cunt, which actually surprised me at first. I've actually become more addicted to the word.

I've never really been fond of the word pussy though. Perhaps it's the prevalent use of the word in macho-culture - Using the word to emasculate one another (and in turn, perpetuating the perception that women are inherently weak). This, I'm saddened about, especially on my monthly trips to visit my family (3 brothers, all of whom have little to no regard for civil rights in general). Sorry, big tangent.

Yes, we often hear "twat" and "cunt" used in immensely profane ways, but I generally see them used as a means of debasing a person's rude behavior. I don't know if the distinction is so great though. It's much like using the word "dick" or "prick" when describing a person (usually a man) whose behavior is just unpleasant - period.

eeclescake, wait! how can you enjoy calling people cunts? you are just reinforcing the idea that cunts are bad things. you may not want to call your own that, but calling other people that clearly reinforces the idea that it is derogatory.

and btw, i don't know the history behind vajayjay except greys anatomy. if that's the source, what's the problem? a strong black woman came up with the term, which we all should own. it's no more childish than the other nonsensical words.

Ooooh! Senorita! I like that one.

Am I the only one that uses the term 'vagoo'?

I didn't say I enjoyed called people cunts... ah, it was the person below me. Cunt does roll of the tongue (er... don't take that out of context!) very well as an insult but I'm very aware of the connotations of that and won't even attempt a defence. Mind, so does calling someone a complete dick. Does it make it okay if we use both? Hmmm.

My cat's name was Vanessa, but my mother, for some unknown reason, couldn't remember her name. So she called her "Bajingo." I never explained it.

Thus, it's my favorite.

I grew up without any word whatsoever to differentiate my vagina from the rest of my "bottom." Therefore, when I did learn those clinical words, I was fascinated with them. These days, I'm usually happy with 'vagina,' and try to avoid words like 'pussy' and 'cooch,' even for reclamatory purposes. The only time I was finding 'vagina' awkward was in some intimate situations with my fiance, so we had a little brainstorming session: I didn't like 'pussy' because of its pornographic connotations, but I did like that it seemed like something furry, soft, and attitudinal. "What else is soft, furry, and opinionated?" I questioned.

"A chinchilla?" he replied.

And thus, the soft, furry, quirky, nippy, mellow, adorable term CHILLA was born.

'Fine China' is a close second, though.

Grimwomyn: since "yoni" is Sanskrit, you could always use that language's term for the penis: "lingam". Doesn't roll off the tongue as well as the Latin and Greek "phallus", mind you.

When explaining what various sex toys do (part of my job), I almost always use the proper medical terms, though I bite my tongue when people say "vagina" and mean "vulva".

Despite its use in macho culture, I'm fond of "pussy". It seems to me to carry with it connotations of feline affection. I also like "cunt", which apparently means "cradle" in its original tongue and is cognate to "cunning".

"Ladybits" and "boy bits" are terms I picked up here and quite like. "pink parts" is another one I'll have to remember.

I'm trying to use vulva, since apparently vagina is actually incorrect for most of the times we're referring to it. I don't really like any of the cute names, yet.