# What is meant by "tits"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119 "2001-04-07T03:38:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/1 "2001-04-07T03:38:04Z")
In all seriousness, I never learned whether tits are nipples, breasts, or nipples with areolae. What is their actual meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/2 "2001-04-07T03:43:33Z")
All of the above. Usually the entire breastal package. ---
**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/3 "2001-04-07T03:47:34Z")
Then what is the difference between the meaning of “nice tits” and “nice breasts”? Why do people say “humungous breasts” but I have never heard the expression “humungous tits” Is there any slang expression for areolae? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/4 "2001-04-07T03:49:18Z")
I hear people say “nice tits” and “humongous tits” all the time. Tits = breasts. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/5 "2001-04-07T03:55:15Z")
Good job, TM. Case closed. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/6 "2001-04-07T15:00:11Z")
## The question seemed to be about _what part of the breast_ is included in the word “tit” and mostly seemed like an excuse for people to say/type the word and related terms so they could giggle about it. But here’s a SD answer to the origin of the word: Qadgop the Mercotan Member Registered: Apr 2000 Posts: 397 Jill, you locked the thread too soon! The question wasn’t fully answered! Specifically I didn’t get to put my 2 cents in! Tit is derived from Teat, a middle english word, evolved out of both German and French, at least according to Merriam Webster. Teat literally means the aperture thru which milk comes, but got generalized to mean the whole breast. And BTW, yes, the Grand Tetons thus mean exactly what you always thought it might! * * * Fools! Did they think that the yieldlessness of absolute neutronium could stop QADGOP THE MERCOTAN? And that human wench Cynthia, cowering in helpless terror just beyond this thin and fragile wall… ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/7 "2001-04-07T16:45:46Z")
As to usage of ‘tit’ vs. ‘breast’, I’ve generally seen a qualification by size and sometimes by level of respect for the owner. In all cases, both terms have been inclusive of the entire mammary. For instance a woman with very small breasts might be said to have “Nice titties.” a woman with slightly larger “Nice tits”, so you get a progression something along the lines of… Titties \< Tits \< Breasts \< Boobs \< Jugs Respect for the owner may earn her a “Nice breasts” when she may be sized in the ‘tits’ category. This may just be my perception, but a potential romantic interest generally gets kinder treatment and more genteel terminology than the female population at large. Of course, a true gentleman doesn’t voice such vulgar observations in the first place. Me, I prefer (with a tip of the hat to Frank Zappa) “Well defined mammalian protruberances.” ---
**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/8 "2001-04-07T16:51:55Z")
Thanks for re-opening the thread. It was s serious question, and, given the answers, it is still not clear what if any is the difference between the word “tit” and “breast”. Perhaps it is simply that “tit” is a more vulgar expression. I thought it referred more to the nipple and areola than the word breast did, but I never was sure. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/9 "2001-04-07T17:18:57Z")
There are questions about the meaning of slang terms, but this is a pretty subjective one. It’s more opinion-based I’d say, and borderline GQ. ---
**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/10 "2001-04-07T17:20:47Z")
What is CQ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/11 "2001-04-07T18:44:23Z")
I don’t know what CQ is, but GQ is this here forum, General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@That\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/12 "2001-04-07T21:18:23Z")
It’s not a slang word. It’s been in the language for centuries. My dictionary says tit is another spelling of teat and means nipple. It comes from Middle English _titte_, from Old English _titt_, from West germanic _titta_. Then it lists \*_Vulgar, loosely_ a breast. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/13 "2001-04-07T21:44:09Z")
Really similiar question that I was wondering about this morning–does c\*\*t (I feel dirty spelling it out) and the like refer to the vagina, or to female genitals in general? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/14 "2001-04-07T22:29:09Z")
well, it comes from the Latin “cunnus”, which is generally translated as the female pudenda, so I would expect it includes the vagina, labia, urethra and clitoris. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/15 "2001-04-08T00:16:15Z")
Tits, properly speaking, are small birds of the family Paridae, specifically the genus _Parus_. Among the species are: Alpine Tits, Black Tits, Blue Tits (common in winter), Chinese Tits, Dusky Tits, Elegant Tits, European Tits, Fire-capped Tits, Great Tits, Japanese Tits, Siberian Tits, Somali Tits, Sombre Tits, Sultan Tits, Pygmy Tits, Varied Tits and Yellow Tits. They are not related to the Boobies, which are in the family Sulidae. Species in several other families are referred to as tits as well, including Tit-Babblers, Tit-Tyrants, Bushtits, and Tomtits. I hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![trose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f9ae1b/32.png) [@trose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trose)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/16 "2001-04-08T03:03:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Colibri_ > … including Tit-Babblers … Isn’t that what got this thread closed first time around? [sub]Sorry–it had to be said …[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/17 "2001-04-08T04:44:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*well, it comes from the Latin “cunnus”, which is generally translated as the female pudenda, so I would expect it includes the vagina, labia, urethra and clitoris. \*\* But as a slang word, what does it (and t **t and p** \*y and others) mean? ---
**Author:** ![exchicagoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@exchicagoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exchicagoan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/18 "2001-04-08T05:00:33Z")
No one else brought this up, so I will— GEORGE CARLIN’S bit on why this word should NOT be on the list of words that you can’t say on network TV or radio. It’s hilarious. And he’s RIGHT. It’s a GREAT nickname. AND—thanks for straightening out the C— thing. I, like THISYEARSGIRL, didn’t know if it was meant only for that one special place or the whole area. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/19 "2001-04-14T17:27:42Z")
From [http://www.sexuality.org/l/sex/fellatio.html](http://www.sexuality.org/l/sex/fellatio.html) "Most seem to think that simply by making a cunt of their mouth. . . " Okay, based on that context, I would imagine cunt to meant just the vagina. I also read a similiar reference in the book _Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man_. Where are you people getting the word refers to female genitalia in general? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119/20 "2001-04-14T21:50:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ThisYearsGirl \* > \*\* Where are you people getting the word refers to female genitalia in general? \*\* because the latin term _cunnus_ refers to the female genitalia in general. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-tits/61119.md?page=2)