# Names of sexual positions in other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317 "2005-11-10T00:29:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/1 "2005-11-10T00:29:10Z")
Names of sexual positions in other languages What do they call things like “doggy style”, “Cowgirl” and other sexual positions in other languages? Do they just use the American words or are there other different slang expressions? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/2 "2005-11-10T00:43:47Z")
Well, I doubt the ancient Romans engaged in LXIX. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/3 "2005-11-10T01:31:29Z")
> [@FlippyFly](#): > > Names of sexual positions in other languages > > What do they call things like “doggy style”, “Cowgirl” and other sexual positions in other languages? Do they just use the American words or are there other different slang expressions? Why would we use the american words for this anymore than for anything else? I don’t know what the “cowgirl” is, but assuming that it’s when the woman is above, it’s called “l’amazone” in french. The missionnary has the same french name : “missionnaire”. “Doggy style” is also called similarily : “la levrette” (a “levrette” being a greyhound bitch). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/4 "2005-11-10T01:49:53Z")
Gah! I’m American and even I am amazed at how conceited we can be. Why would other cultures use the same words? E. Indians have their own words and phrases. The country may be uptight now, but we wrote the Kama Sutra for Og’s sake. Just FTR, I am not attacking you, just find this idea very silly! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/5 "2005-11-10T02:02:47Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Well, I doubt the ancient Romans engaged in LXIX. 🙂 Not for long. First, it took six people, and while the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th (counting from left) got a little enjoyment out of it, the one bent at the waist at the left and the one lying straight in 4th position didn’t have any fun at all! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/6 "2005-11-10T03:49:13Z")
Japanese: 正常位 (seijoui) “normal position” = missionary バック (bakku) “back” = doggy style 騎乗位 (kijoui) “horseback position” = cowgirl 横臥位 (ougai), 側位 (sokui) “side position” = spooning They do use the term for 69, but really… why would you think that America invented the terms other cultures use for sex? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/7 "2005-11-10T03:55:02Z")
> [@](#): > > They do use the term for 69, but really… why would you think that America invented the terms other cultures use for sex? … especially considering the anglophone world took this term from the French _soixante-neuf_. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/8 "2005-11-10T03:55:31Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > 横臥位 (ougai), 側位 (sokui) “side position” = spooning Once again, the french term for “spooning” is similar to the english one : “es petites cuilleres” (tea spoons). ---
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/9 "2005-11-10T04:49:55Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > They do use the term for 69, but really… why would you think that America invented the terms other cultures use for sex? My main reason for thinking that this might be the case is because you can hear the american curse words all around the world, particularly the “F” word. I guess I put sexual position names in the same catagory. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/10 "2005-11-10T05:00:58Z")
In Russian, “doggie style” is _rakom,_ which more or less means “like a crab.” There are lots more in a book I have somewhere, but I’m too tired to look for it right now, and the last time I tried to read it, some of them were described in such a convoluted way that I couldn’t possibly visualize how they would work. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/11 "2005-11-10T07:05:09Z")
“You want beef with broccoli?” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/12 "2005-11-10T07:55:58Z")
> [@FlippyFly](#): > > My main reason for thinking that this might be the case is because you can hear the **american curse words** all around the world, particularly the **“F” word**. I guess I put sexual position names in the same catagory. Bolding mine. Just FYI, according to the _Oxford English Dictionary_, that particular “American curse word” was being used in England over a century before the Mayflower sailed. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/13 "2005-11-10T14:53:29Z")
You will not believe this, but being Spanish my mother’s tongue I have no idea what most sexual positions are called in Spanish. Weird. I blame the nuns in my school. The only ones that I know are “misionario” and “en cuatro patas” (on all four legs). I should start doing some research. Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/14 "2005-11-10T15:01:14Z")
> [@Eva Luna](#): > > In Russian, “doggie style” is _rakom,_ which more or less means “like a crab.” There are lots more in a book I have somewhere, but I’m too tired to look for it right now, and the last time I tried to read it, some of them were described in such a convoluted way that I couldn’t possibly visualize how they would work. Oh, that’s awesome. “Hey, baby. Let’s crab!” ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/15 "2005-11-10T15:07:32Z")
> [@Eva Luna](#): > > In Russian, “doggie style” is _rakom,_ which more or less means “like a crab.” There are lots more in a book I have somewhere, but I’m too tired to look for it right now, and the last time I tried to read it, some of them were described in such a convoluted way that I couldn’t possibly visualize how they would work. In Russia, crab rides you! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/16 "2005-11-10T15:53:32Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > “You want beef with broccoli?” 😃 excellent:D ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/17 "2005-11-10T16:35:56Z")
An old German friend assured me that the girl wearing leather and carrying a whip is locally called “The Old Fashioned Way.” I was never sure when Ingo was pulling my leg. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/18 "2005-11-10T16:44:17Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Not for long. First, it took six people, and while the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th (counting from left) got a little enjoyment out of it, the one bent at the waist at the left and the one lying straight in 4th position didn’t have any fun at all! 🙂 All of which reminds me that the latest _Cosmopolitan_ had a cover-read story about the latest and greatest variation, called the **77**. After some maneuvering the couple look like the number, apparently. * * * True Blue Jack ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/19 "2005-11-10T17:11:45Z")
> [@FlippyFly](#): > > My main reason for thinking that this might be the case is because you can hear the american curse words all around the world, particularly the “F” word. I guess I put sexual position names in the same catagory. Well yeah but, believe it or not sex predates mass media, as well as American hegemony. Yes, even kinky sex 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317/20 "2005-11-10T20:54:38Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > > [@samclem](#): > > > > “You want beef with broccoli?” > > 😃 excellent:D 😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-sexual-positions-in-other-languages/330317.md?page=2)