# The purpose of 'sexual' in 'metrosexual' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071 "2008-10-22T16:13:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/1 "2008-10-22T16:13:39Z")
When I picture a metrosexual, I think of a male who is in tune with modern urban culture, including fashion, music and art. Additionally, he is well-groomed, clean cut, educated, etc. His sexual preferences do not impact my vision of a metrosexual. So why the -sexual part of the word? What purpose does it serve? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/2 "2008-10-22T16:15:11Z")
It rhymes with “heterosexual.” ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/3 "2008-10-22T16:16:48Z")
It rhymes with “heterosexual”, and as far as I know is used exclusively for heterosexuals. IOW, it’s a straight guy that has some traits and mannerisms that would be stereotypically “gay”. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/4 "2008-10-22T16:17:53Z")
Metrosexual’s are by definition straight. Or as South Park described it “It means we appreciate the gay culture, but are not gay ourselves.” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/5 "2008-10-22T16:30:17Z")
The etymology implies that they are attracted to cities. Or subways. Does that make **mattmcl** a metrosexual? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/6 "2008-10-22T16:42:58Z")
_Faux_mosexual is a less popular alternative. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/7 "2008-10-22T16:54:07Z")
It’s just a silly suffix, like putting -gate after any scandal. Metrosexual, though, has a resonance to it in some circles, where using stuff like facial moisturizers or doing other girly things regarding appearance is seen as unmanly, ergo homosexual. I don’t agree with that line of thought, but there you are. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/8 "2008-10-22T17:31:56Z")
Wait…to those saying that it rhymes with “heterosexual”, how do you figure? “Metro” is two syllables, “Hetero” is three. Or are people pronouncing it “het-tro”? ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/9 "2008-10-22T18:34:14Z")
I think it’s just the “-ro” part that rhymes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/10 "2008-10-22T19:02:38Z")
> [@](#): > > “Metro” is two syllables, “Hetero” is three. Or are people pronouncing it “het-tro”? There are meterosexuals. They’re straight men who secretly use the metric system. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/11 "2008-10-22T22:42:42Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > …in tune with modern urban culture, including fashion, music and art. Additionally, he is well-groomed, clean cut, educated, etc. Appreciation of culture is not part of the definition. The point is that he’s not gay but overly self-absorbed and vain about his looks. A metrosexual is someone who takes longer to get ready than his date. The play on words is that he is not gay, but he’s not a typical hetero either, so they had to invent a new category. Yes, it has nothing actually to do with sexual orientation, but it’s a tongue-in-cheek term. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/12 "2008-10-22T22:59:51Z")
Yes, I’ve always understood the term to mean a man who has a “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” sort of sensibility, a sense of style and fashion (stereo?)typically associated with gay men, but who is not gay. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/13 "2008-10-23T00:46:14Z")
Huh, at the risk of starting a boring poll, I’ve always pronounced ‘Hetero’ as having two syllables (‘Het-ro’), and so does everyone else I know. Ho ho. And metrosexual, as noted, came about due to its difference to the stereotype of straight men being slobs, with no idea about hygiene, fashion, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/14 "2008-10-23T00:52:15Z")
Gets Discounts on the new ‘Metro-Card’\* \*Assumes ‘term limits’ replaced by ‘banana republic politics’, ‘Free Press’ to be replaced by ‘Fox News’ and that the definition of Democracy is be determined by binding arbitration at the John Birch Society. ‘One man One Vote’ may be replaced by ‘One Vote One Share’ at the discression of the Board Members. Offer to vote offered for for limited time only; Many will vote, one will win. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/15 "2008-10-23T02:02:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There are meterosexuals. They’re straight men who secretly use the metric system. And the meteorosexuals are the ones who jerk off to the weather channel. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/16 "2008-10-23T02:39:25Z")
> [@riker1384](#): > > It rhymes with “heterosexual.” I thought it was becuase it rhymes with _homo_sexual. Which would make sense based on what some other people are saying (gay traits but not gay themselves). ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/17 "2008-10-23T09:07:10Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Wait…to those saying that it rhymes with “heterosexual”, how do you figure? > > “Metro” is two syllables, “Hetero” is three. Or are people pronouncing it “het-tro”? If I’m being lazy and not pronouncing my words properly, I’d actually make it ‘hetra’. And, for that matter, ‘metra’. Most of the time, I’m not that lazy… but it can happen if I’m tired, or speaking quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/18 "2008-10-23T09:49:51Z")
Because, you know, _real men_ are slobs. Or something. What, you use moisturiser? You _gay_ or sumthin’? HAW HAW HAW. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/19 "2008-10-23T12:10:55Z")
> [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](#): > > If I’m being lazy and not pronouncing my words properly, I’d actually make it ‘hetra’. And, for that matter, ‘metra’. > > Most of the time, I’m not that lazy… but it can happen if I’m tired, or speaking quickly. But then you’d sound like Hank Hill. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071/20 "2008-10-23T14:25:37Z")
Hank Hill on helium, maybe. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-purpose-of-sexual-in-metrosexual/469071.md?page=2)