# Words that sound dirty but actually aren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739 "2016-01-31T11:14:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/21 "2016-01-31T15:33:46Z")
punctuate plumb bob dik-dik fanny pack shuttlecock sextet sexton cunning Raper (a common last name around here) crankshaft ground strap bleed nipple cylinder head ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/22 "2016-01-31T15:35:55Z")
Intercourse used to be a generalized term for dealings between people, often used to mean business dealings. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/23 "2016-01-31T15:47:42Z")
One of my high school English teachers used to say “defunct” was one of the most misleading suggestive terms. ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/24 "2016-01-31T16:07:46Z")
pumpernickel depending how you say it, some have reacted to people using the word thinking they said purple \*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/25 "2016-01-31T16:10:56Z")
Tom Swift used to do a lot of ejaculating. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/26 "2016-01-31T16:12:09Z")
Perambulate ---
**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:** [January 31, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/27 "2016-01-31T16:29:39Z")
formicate osculate Oxpecker Blue tits Sapsucker Tapaculo (a South American bird that constantly raises its tail, meaning “cover your ass” in Spanish) spotted dick (a dessert) slippery dick (a fish) > [@HeXen](#): > > pumpernickel depending how you say it, some have reacted to people using the word thinking they said purple \*\*\*\* That actually is dirty. It means “devil’s fart” in German. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/28 "2016-01-31T16:58:09Z")
Three ball Snyder. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/29 "2016-01-31T17:03:26Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Thespian Genius! ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/30 "2016-01-31T17:15:22Z")
sillcock pedicel petiole ---
**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:** [January 31, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/31 "2016-01-31T17:25:19Z")
Götterdämmerung ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/32 "2016-01-31T18:05:26Z")
“The man and woman matriculated together after he showed her his thesis.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/33 "2016-01-31T18:15:08Z")
Animal husbandry. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/34 "2016-01-31T18:23:13Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > \Raper (a common last name around here) That’s the name of an RV dealership not too far from where I live. My contribution: bunghole ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/35 "2016-01-31T18:33:10Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > That’s the name of an RV dealership not too far from where I live. Now I know where you live. 🙂 That dealership has billboards all over the highway, or used to back when I would drive through the area. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/36 "2016-01-31T18:35:51Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > thespian > > [Booby - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booby) > brown booby > blue-footed booby > > [Tit (bird) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tit_(bird)) > penduline tit > elegant tit > great tit > > [Swallow - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow) > white-thighed swallow > pearl-breasted swallow > welcome swallow I saw some great tits in Prague. (I’m referring to the bird called a great tit.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/37 "2016-01-31T19:00:17Z")
Mukluk. French Lick. Bald Knob. Butt-joint. Fuddruckers. Coxswain. Poop deck. Pack of fags. First mate. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/38 "2016-01-31T19:16:12Z")
Regina Shiite Uranus Oedipus (my Latin teacher used to pronouce it “EAT-a-puss”) Staphylococcus jerk chicken jerkwater cockle bronze asses (Roman coins) wild ass pussyfoot melon baller eager beaver sexagesimal flyblown blowhard to blow one’s own horn low blow to keep one’s pecker up slag heap breastworks penal shittim cuniculture ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/39 "2016-01-31T19:51:36Z")
Oh, and the gastric reflux medication **Aciphex**. Whoever named that really has a tin ear. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739/40 "2016-01-31T19:56:30Z")
A little OT, but not entirely. The way kids are taught to read and write now, their spelling is not corrected on their early paper, so as not to discourage them from writing. They are just supposed to sound out words, and write, write, write, with no comments on whether a spelling is “correct” or not. So once this kid in a classroom where I was interpreting wrote an essay about her favorite place to eat: Cuntuky frid chiken. Cuntuky. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-dirty-but-actually-arent/744739.md?page=3)