# what it means to earn your red wings (TMI) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903 "2004-10-18T21:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/41 "2004-10-19T22:39:43Z")
Dental Dam [https://secure.vwe.net/cgi-bin/eros/000271.html?id=Axth8ge5](https://secure.vwe.net/cgi-bin/eros/000271.html?id=Axth8ge5) besides, that’s not gross… I’m washable, plus I’ve probably had worse things in my mouth :eek: E3 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/42 "2004-10-19T23:30:42Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Yuck! Ew! Good grief, that’s just…ick. > > Can someone give me a hint as to what purple wings symbolize? I’m too afraid to click the link posted a few replies ago. > [@Edward The Head](#): > > What color would you be if you were cold, very very cold. And I’m not talking about an eskimo either. If you need more clues; imagine that the recipient is very, very unresponsive. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/43 "2004-10-19T23:49:01Z")
What I want to know is, what’s the point of purple wings anyway? Other than some sort of initiation it’s not like…whew…sorry, gagging here. Can’t think about that anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/44 "2004-10-20T00:07:43Z")
> [@photopat](#): > > What I want to know is, what’s the point of purple wings anyway? Other than some sort of initiation it’s not like…whew…sorry, gagging here. Can’t think about that anymore. I doubt it’s actually a common practice. Did you and your friends never make up funny names for stuff you never actually did when you were kids? I was going to cite “tromboning” as an example as this, but, uh… Where’s the innocent angel smiley on here? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/45 "2004-10-20T01:08:22Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > If you need more clues; imagine that the recipient is very, very unresponsive. I got it the first time. Oddly enough, I don’t find earning one’s purple wings as disgusting as earning one’s red wings. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/46 "2004-10-20T01:42:40Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > I got it the first time. Oddly enough, I don’t find earning one’s purple wings as disgusting as earning one’s red wings. Are you SERIOUS? You realize it involves performing cunnilingus on a DEAD person, right?! ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/47 "2004-10-20T01:54:30Z")
Yes. But since I’m a chick, I can only put myself in the receiver’s shoes, so to speak. I’m _pretty_ sure I wouldn’t mind someone using my body to earn their purple wings if I were dead. I don’t know what it’s like to be dead but sure as hell know what it’s like to be menstruating. It ain’t pleasant down there, lemme tell ya. Don’t get me wrong, I find both to be pretty gross but earning one’s red wings is just…ew. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/48 "2004-10-20T02:50:51Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Are you SERIOUS? You realize it involves performing cunnilingus on a DEAD person, right?! Hey-the zombie invited her boyfriend over for a cold one, OK? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/49 "2004-10-20T03:01:04Z")
Cunnilingus with a leper earns you a pair molting wings. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/50 "2004-10-21T15:48:18Z")
_Seasons of Wither_ from Aerosmiths’s _Get Your Wings_ is indelibly, permanently and appropriately now locked in my brain. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/51 "2004-10-21T15:59:28Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Cunnilingus with a leper earns you a pair molting wings. AAARGH (beats Nursecarmen about the head) ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/52 "2004-10-21T16:25:12Z")
Okay, maybe I’m just being somewhat closed minded here, but why, why, WHY would a guy want to eat “red wings”??? ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/53 "2004-10-21T16:26:56Z")
earn, rather. EARN red wings, not eat them. geesh. This is just too weird to wrap my brain around it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/54 "2004-10-21T16:31:25Z")
Maybe he’s a Spread Eagle Scout. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/55 "2004-10-21T16:46:30Z")
> [@Elenia28](#): > > (beats Nursecarmen about the head) :: joins in :: ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/56 "2004-10-21T21:11:33Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Cunnilingus with a leper earns you a pair molting wings. If you’re not careful, she might give you some lip while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/57 "2004-10-21T21:45:21Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > Okay, maybe I’m just being somewhat closed minded here, but why, why, WHY would a guy want to eat “red wings”??? I’ll bite (not literally.) Let’s get one thing out of the way first: this does not involve attaching your mouth to her vagina like a hose and proceeding to suck, swallow, suck swallow. Do you do that when she’s not menstrating? Then why the _hell_ would you do it when she is? And if THAT’S why you guys are considering “earning your red-wings” then I’ve never gotten them and I never will. Based on my limited medical knowledge that it generally isn’t a very good idea to reintroduce things that have willingly left the body, I’d say that that method of earning your wings probably isn’t very healthy. Now, on with it… For me, it’s almost always when I’m buzzed and wanna go down and just don’t give a damn. There are a few precautions you might want to take, though. First of all, you don’t really want to go tongue-spelunking in there. A good exterior lickdown is plenty enough for these occasions. Secondly, you don’t want to do it on a girl that wears pads. In fact, I don’t even have sex with girls that use pads anymore; they’re a total mess. Lastly, you don’t just go around doing this to Betty Sue Randombang. Save it for the ones you really care about. The ones that are comfortable enough with you to laugh when it’s 3am, you’re both drunk, and you come up to kiss her and you have blood on your chin. One final note: I really just don’t think menstration is all that gross. I mean, I don’t swallow the stuff, and yes, it does smell a little…interesting at times, but you have to remember that women spend close to 25% of their time menstrating for roughly 35 years of their life. It’s normal and natural, and when I’m feeling crazy I don’t always let it get in my way. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/58 "2004-10-21T21:51:58Z")
> [@Kaboodle](#): > > I remember hearing the term when I was growing up. This is how it was explained to me. > > The first time you perform oral sex on a girl you ‘earned your wings’. The term may have come from being in front and having the girl’s legs over your shoulders. > > You earned your red wings during her period. > > You earned your white wings after intercourse. > > Never heard of brown wings… Smoking after sex? ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/59 "2004-10-21T21:56:54Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Smoking after sex? No - see this [link](http://www.gang-busters.com/terms/html/letter_b.aspx) if you really want to know (scroll down - it’s there). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903/60 "2004-10-21T22:13:27Z")
By the way, the idea of “wings” has nothing to do with the girl having her legs over your head, or “painting” wings on your chest, or anything else like that. It’s because the original Hell’s Angels were (or supposedly were, I think it’s debated :dubious: ) pilots and military men. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-it-means-to-earn-your-red-wings-tmi/269903.md?page=4)