# homosexual terminology

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 16, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883 "2003-10-16T23:06:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Badbug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Badbug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badbug)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883/1 "2003-10-16T23:06:45Z")

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While in Toronto on the weekend my friend and I were reading a magazine in the village called “Fab”. We read articles referring to such terms as rimming and shrimping. What exactly is this and is it a male thing? Being female we never heard these terms in our circles.

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**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883/2 "2003-10-16T23:11:54Z")

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‘Rimming’ is not an exclusively homosexual term ( at least not if it is being used in the sense in which I know it). It is anilingus, i.e. using the tongue to stimulate the anus. ‘Shrimping’, I have no idea.

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**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883/3 "2003-10-16T23:17:17Z")

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There are two definitions of “shrimping” as they relate to sex. You can google them both. Try

“shrimping toes”

and

“shrimping straw”

Warning: the results you get are probably not safe to view at work.

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**Author:** ![jormundgondir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@jormundgondir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jormundgondir)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883/4 "2003-10-17T00:12:09Z")

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yeah, at least in the vernacular i’ve heard, shrimping typically refers to your garden variety toe-sucking foot fetishes, and is not limited to gays.

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**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homosexual-terminology/207883/5 "2003-10-18T01:45:42Z")

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Of course we pioneered the terminology, but then we’re always ahead of the game. 😉

Esprix