sex organs

English translation: wee-wee / pee-pee

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:sex organs
Selected answer:wee-wee / pee-pee
Entered by: Valeria Verona

03:33 Oct 20, 2003
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / children's talk
English term or phrase: sex organs
Hello, colleagues.
I need to know the words adults use to refer to both female and male sexual organs when talking to **children** (this is very important, no scientific terms nor slang). American English, please.
Thanks a lot.
Valeria Verona
Chile
Local time: 05:40
wee-wee / pee-pee
Explanation:
for either gender. Unless they say penis and vagina, which is not uncommon in the US these days.

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Note added at 2003-10-20 03:49:54 (GMT)
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Everything you always wanted to know about wee-wee and pee-pee:

http://www.thewellspring.com/TWO/23genital_euphemisms.html
http://www.napponline.org/children.html
http://scattered.org/history/001443.php
http://www.ppnyc.org/media/ParentGuide.pdf
http://www.starma.com/penis/penis.html
Selected response from:

NGK
United States
Local time: 03:40
Grading comment
Thank you all for your valuable contributions. Tnx Norbert for the references.
Regards. :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +2the actual terms for them
NancyLynn
4 +3wee-wee / pee-pee
NGK
1 +6It depends
Matthew Fagan
4 +3leer abajo
SusyZ
5 +1sex organs
Catherine Norton
4 +1kittycat/Sam sausage
sarahl (X)
3the genitals
chica nueva


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the actual terms for them


Explanation:
that is, penis and vagina; I once knew a girl who used the term vulva.
HTH, at least I hope this i what you are looking for !

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 04:40
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Matthew Fagan
13 mins
  -> thanks!

agree  Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X): that's the healthy option IMHO
5 hrs
  -> thanks!

neutral  chica nueva: Do children really speak like this? Sooo anatomical and serious...IMHO the vernacular is richer.
20 hrs
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
wee-wee / pee-pee


Explanation:
for either gender. Unless they say penis and vagina, which is not uncommon in the US these days.

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Note added at 2003-10-20 03:49:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Everything you always wanted to know about wee-wee and pee-pee:

http://www.thewellspring.com/TWO/23genital_euphemisms.html
http://www.napponline.org/children.html
http://scattered.org/history/001443.php
http://www.ppnyc.org/media/ParentGuide.pdf
http://www.starma.com/penis/penis.html

NGK
United States
Local time: 03:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
Thank you all for your valuable contributions. Tnx Norbert for the references.
Regards. :-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Matthew Fagan
8 mins

agree  chica nueva
2 hrs

agree  Rajan Chopra
2 hrs
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
kittycat/Sam sausage


Explanation:
that's what my little cousins say.

sarahl (X)
Local time: 01:40
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rahi Moosavi: :-)
1 hr
  -> thanks!

neutral  NancyLynn: must really be regionalisms
7 hrs
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +6
It depends


Explanation:
It really depends on the age of the children and for what purpose they are being told and who is speaking. If a teacher is talking to children, the safest way for them is to use scientific words, because if its not a scientific word, and the children repeat the word to their parents, the teacher is likely to get into trouble. Penis, vagina and breasts are probably the standards here. For really young children, you could probably use pee-pee or wee-wee, but I don't think it would go well in a written text. And they're also a form of slang. Just about every word that is not scientific is slang. It really depends on the context. And no matter what word you use, it will probably make the kids giggle. (And half the adults too).

Matthew Fagan
Japan
Local time: 17:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  sarahl (X): soo desuneee
1 hr

agree  Nancy Arrowsmith
1 hr

agree  Rahi Moosavi
1 hr

agree  Alaa AHMED
1 hr

agree  Rajan Chopra
2 hrs

agree  Scheherezade Surià López (X): good point
4 hrs
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
leer abajo


Explanation:
When we refer to them in publick, we say private parts but at home I use penis and vagina when talking to my son. Always have. Saludos

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Note added at 4 mins (2003-10-20 03:38:32 GMT)
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public that is no k at the end. :-)

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Note added at 9 mins (2003-10-20 03:42:57 GMT)
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I would also like to add that his school did a wonderful job on sex education from 4th grade on. Always emphasizing that we should refer to them by their proper names. Saludos :-)

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Note added at 11 mins (2003-10-20 03:45:14 GMT)
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Just so you have an idea. My son is 12 and up until age 9 or 10, I noticed many of his friends would have \"nicknames\" instead of using the right terms but I think because the school had this sex education class in 4th grade, that help them feel more comfortable.

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Note added at 12 mins (2003-10-20 03:45:49 GMT)
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that helped them. Fingers and brain are not working together tonight!

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Note added at 28 mins (2003-10-20 04:01:58 GMT)
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found this reference that might be helfpul to you
http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/talk_children_sexuality...

SusyZ
Local time: 04:40
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Matthew Fagan
14 mins

agree  Rajan Chopra
2 hrs

agree  NancyLynn: fanny means bum in Canada. I was surprised to learn its other meaning in the UK
7 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sex organs


Explanation:
Gonads? Oopa! Scientific.

Catherine Norton
Local time: 01:40
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 hr
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the genitals


Explanation:
From my knowledge (New Zealand)

Adults - the genitals (for the external ones - both genders)
Children talking to each other: your willy/balls (boys), your crack (girls)

Plus all the rest:


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Note added at 13 hrs 57 mins (2003-10-20 17:30:50 GMT)
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Young children:
\'where you go to the toilet\', where you do wee-wees (little children can\'t know about the sex organs if they don\'t know what sex is, can they?) Euphemisms could be: \'bottom\' \'between your legs\' Young children call breasts \'bosoms\'...

Older children:
Private parts (boys\' and girls\') sounds good to me. In New Zealand,\'willy/dick/prick and balls/nuts\'(boys), maybe \'fanny\'(girls). However, fanny has other meanings. \'Willy\' and \'balls\' are very common. Dictionary says \'dick\',\'prick\',\'fanny\' are offensive.

Parents might might refer to adult sex organs as \'the crown jewels\'\'my manhood\',\'in mummy\'s tummy\', \'the womb\' to children, but, \'my gonads\', probably not!!



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Note added at 15 hrs 54 mins (2003-10-20 19:28:00 GMT)
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(The above is based on my personal recall from 1960s/70s mainly, so some terms may have changed....)

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Note added at 20 hrs 13 mins (2003-10-20 23:46:37 GMT) Post-grading
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Memory still at work...:

\'cock\' definitely belongs with \'dick\' and \'prick\'
(I wouldn\'t be surprised if these words go back to Shakespeare\'s time...)
\'pubes\' might be useful, though it\'s not the organs as such (=the pubic hair region)
\'pudenda\'is a word which is not scientific nor slang, but few would know it. (It\'s quite appropriate though, much better than \'vagina\', which IMHO is overhyped and inaccurate...)

I can\'t believe none of the other answerers included the testicles in their list...


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Note added at 21 hrs 51 mins (2003-10-21 01:25:11 GMT) Post-grading
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Injuries in the general area, common in sport, etc. \'goolies\' is specifically the genitals (for boys).

(knee him) in the groin (for self-defence)
he got hit in the \'goolies\'
the crotch


chica nueva
Local time: 21:40
Native speaker of: English
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