# The two meanings of gimp - which do you know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925 "2011-04-27T18:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/1 "2011-04-27T18:30:28Z")
This thread, [“Are women gimpier than men?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=605782), reminds me of something that always makes me pause and think: many, many people use the word “gimp” in a different manner than I am accustomed to. To me, “gimp” means the guy from Pulp Fiction; a sex slave, with full-body leather, usually male. Which of course took me aback one day when my coworker said she was “gimping around”. To many other people, gimp means some sort of physical disablement. How did these two meanings come together? Who knows it which way? Poll to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/2 "2011-04-27T18:35:14Z")
Both. Although “gimpier” I would take to refer to only the “sickly” definition, just as “gimp suit” would refer to fetish gear and not a hospital gown. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/3 "2011-04-27T18:35:27Z")
There’s at least one other meaning of gimp, which is decorative trim in sewing. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/4 "2011-04-27T18:37:16Z")
I’m not familiar with the ‘sex slave’ definition. Gimp, to me, means (in descending order of personal usage): 1. The photo editing program (GIMP). 2. Someone with a physical disability, usually a lame leg and a limp. 3. Some sort of cord or rope, possibly one sailors use? That thread was the first time I’d seen the word with that ending (“ier”). It did throw me for a minute. Looking up definitions… my third definition is off by a bit and I’d not heard of a [gimp suit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimp_%28sadomasochism%29) before - I’m guessing that’s where you’re coming from. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/5 "2011-04-27T18:45:45Z")
Yes, when I googled “gimp”, all I got was that program. That made me :). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/6 "2011-04-27T19:20:51Z")
To me gimp has always meant an injured leg ---
**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:** [April 27, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/7 "2011-04-27T19:44:59Z")
I thought the whole thing about a gimp being a sex slave began and ended with _Pulp Fiction_. I remember several years ago, a local radio DJ, who was obviously a _Pulp Fiction_ fan, used the term several times on the air. He was clearly unaware it had a derogatory meaning outside of the movie. But apparently somebody at the station clued him in during a commercial break because when he came back on the air, he was offering sincere apologies and saying it had not been his intent to offend anyone. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/8 "2011-04-27T19:57:16Z")
Isn’t it also the plastic lanyard stuff kids use at camp? Otherwise, I associate it with an outdated term for an injured or disabled leg. “Had to quit on account of my gimpy leg.” ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/9 "2011-04-27T20:02:28Z")
Count me with the people thinking Pulp Fiction was trying to kick-start a term that never really caught on. The two meanings I was expecting to be in the poll were 1. (most common I would imagine) a crippled or otherwise physically disabled person. 2. (rather specialized, and I was feeling proud of myself for knowing it) gimp thread for embroidery - it’s an alternate (I think older) term for cordonnet, which is the thick bit of thread around the edges of lace or trim to make the edge stand out and keep the fine work of the lace from tearing or unraveling. I never would have thought about Pulp Fiction if you hadn’t mentioned it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/10 "2011-04-27T20:04:34Z")
Around here, gimp as in disability is rarely used. And in my circle of friends, it only ever means the other. (I mean, not that it comes up often.) My coworkers are almost all older; I’d do a poll, but I don’t need all of the shock that will come from them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/11 "2011-04-27T20:09:57Z")
f) A freeware alternative to Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/12 "2011-04-27T20:14:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I thought the whole thing about a gimp being a sex slave began and ended with _Pulp Fiction_. For me, a gimp has always been someone with a defective leg, a noun to describe someone with a limp. But then, the sexual subculture has always co-opted certain terms for their own usage, which usually fall out of use, again, after a few years. Let’s see, the term Chickenhawk now is applied to those who are all in favor of war, and of sending others to fight in their place (Hawks, in their willingness to support war but Chicken, in their own unwillingness to go). But chickenhawks used to refer to older gays that would prey on innocent young men with little experience. (Draw whatever correlation that tickles you from that.) Another one is the commonly used term, Troll (along with “trolling”), that describes lurkers on the internet who pretend to be someone else for the purpose of posting to make their purported side look bad. Took me awhile to figure that I hadn’t stumbled into some dungeon where ugly old men were cruising for favors from better looking young men inclined to service them. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/13 "2011-04-27T20:31:23Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > Otherwise, I associate it with an outdated term for an injured or disabled leg. “Had to quit on account of my gimpy leg.” If there are male dogs around, it could still have both meanings. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/14 "2011-04-27T23:43:24Z")
I ticked ‘both’ but I only know the ‘disabled’ meaning because of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/15 "2011-04-28T07:27:40Z")
Both, but I’d really only think you were talking about the Pulp Fiction variety if you said, ‘the gimp’. ‘Gimpy’, ‘gimpier’, even ‘a gimp’ all make me think of the physical-disability difference. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/16 "2011-04-28T07:48:40Z")
I’ve only heard it used for the person with the disability, and meant in a disparaging way. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/17 "2011-04-28T10:33:41Z")
It’s been a long time but it seems like I heard someone use the term as a limp. As in “he walked with a gimp”. Otherwise, don’t know what the heck it means. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/18 "2011-04-28T11:00:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I thought the whole thing about a gimp being a sex slave began and ended with _Pulp Fiction_. It’s all about context. Put ‘gimp mask’ into Google and you’ll see it’s not just restricted to Pulp Fiction references! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/19 "2011-04-28T13:08:10Z")
My sister-in-law is in a wheelchair and we lovingly address her as Gimpy, or sometimes “the gimp.” Yeah we’re all sentimental like that. I do know the definition used in Pulp Fiction because I saw the movie, but I don’t know if I’ve heard or used the word that way in any context outside conversation about the movie itself. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925/20 "2011-04-28T13:28:37Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > There’s at least one other meaning of gimp, which is decorative trim in sewing. There’s a similar material used in plaiting or braiding of such things as bracelets and lanyards and other crafts that youngsters of my generation (at least) produced at summer camp and for Boy Scouts projects. It had a plastic covering and came in many colors and was easy to work. [http://www.ehow.com/how\_6655261\_make-gymp-lanyard.html](http://www.ehow.com/how_6655261_make-gymp-lanyard.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-two-meanings-of-gimp-which-do-you-know/579925.md?page=2)