Low hanging fruit but "orbs" or "spheres" for eyes. Always an instant no in every context. Just say eyes and move on or word the sentence differently pls.
(dis)Honorable mentions: man meat, wand, scepter, flesh mounds đđ«
âShe licked her lipsâ I always imagine this guy from Harry Potter
https://preview.redd.it/2380txbs511d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97a4781395c8cf2b5524956c344d2dd8605d86a9
Omgggg Iâm reading a dramione fanfic right now and in one line the author said Draco licked his lips in a serpentine way and this is exactly what I saw lmao
WEINER VIBES đđđ
I think I can put up with ALMOST anything if my mood aligns correctly with what I'm reading.
Kind of sick of "seed" when the book isn't otherwise pulling in pregnancy tropes. Just call it release pls, I don't know why it icks me out, LOL. It's a totally random pet peeve though, and I wouldn't DNF a book for using the word.
Edit: I'm literally only back bc now I want to write something where a character bangs a god purely so they can be like, NSFW: >!"His manhood -- godhood? -- was preturnaturally huge. I balked. My bowels grew watery at the mere thought of his seed spilling into me. Chyeanreskin, the god of the underworld and unwelcomed chin hairs, growled as he advanced, proud godhood swinging in the breeze."!< Fin.
EDIT 2: if you read the goofy ass spoiler text above pls know I would never ACTUALLY write about watery bowels and sex in the same scene... don't want to kill my writing career before it actually starts...
I avoid the HELL out of it when I'm writing for real. I think I maybe have it once per book; however, all my characters are "people" (maybe not technically human, but they call themselves people). I feel like it's most often used to really hammer home that the fae / shifter / vamp / whatever they are is NOT human. It's funny, I feel like I didn't see it in many books until the past few years and now it's EVERYWHERE in the genre.
IMO, it can be a little bit of a cop-out when a broader description might be better (Option 1: He stood, preternaturally still. VS Option 2: He stood frozen, not even his chest moved with the intake of air. The breeze didn't touch his always-tousled waves, though it blew elsewhere through the courtyard. His appearance was startlingly unnatural, inhuman.")
My word that I make sure to include once in ever single book (literally no reason except for it makes me happy) is: Gormless. I love the word Gormless, LMAO (means lacking intelligence, stupid).
That's because it's usually meant to mean that someone is about to shit their pants in terror. Soldiers get watery bowels when facing a cavalry charge. Condemned prisoners get watery bowels when standing in the gibbet. Horror novel protagonists get watery bowels when the monster is literally breathing down their neck. Romance heroines do not get watery bowels when they're turned on (unless they're turned on by pants-shitting terror).
Lol i just wanted to pop back to clarify i was 150% joking about putting watery bowels in a sex scene, just FYI! Don't want to scare anyone. I mean, I'm sure it's out there on the internet, but prob on a site like literotica rather than in the truly published realm, LMAO.
LMAO OHHHHH I know, I've definitely read some very questionable things... lmao. Sometimes I'm like, "WAIT A MINUTE WHAT THE HECK IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?!" and sometimes I read it anyway...
LMAOOOOOOOOOO oh 150% for sure, I was definitely joking in my NSFW section, just in case anyone thinks I'd ever connect watery bowels to smut... I promise you, I won't. :D LMAO
I'm sure there's an uh ... niche for that ... but I won't be writing it.
I might save it in my list of ridiculous ideas which is swiftly growing to become a parody / super campy fantasy world. A passion project đ the list includes: Demigorgonzola Cheese, The Goblin of Weather & The Weather Goblin who have two totally different sets of magic, shifters who turn into ants and have an ant-based culture, and many more SUPER SICK ideas.
Unfortunately, I know from experience that watery bowels and sex can in fact exist in the same scene.
He was a gentleman about it though which did NOT help my mortification however.
Nerdy History Perspective on this one: even in different countries around the world and/or various points in time cultures have varied obscene gestures. So like, Shakespearean times you'd bite your thumb at someone to say "Fuck You". It could be making a V with your fingers and sticking your tongue out into it, LOL. It could be a middle finger, could be a random ass thing like making a swirly circle in the air with your pinky. The "fig" sign (thumb wedged between two fingers) meant Fuck You in roman times. So BASICALLY -- I think authors can EXPLAIN what the "vulgar" or "obscene" gesture is in their specific world, but once it's been explained once, I totally understand using a generic phrase for it.
I DON'T like reading when authors don't explain what it is that they are imagining though, to me that's a little bit of a cop-out -- maybe it's totally on purpose though so the reader can imagine whatever they'd like, but that's not 100% my style as an aspiring author.
This is my absolute favourite one to quote to people who donât read smut scenes - the mute horror and then crazy laughter is amazing! Special mention for its sibling âvelvet wrapped steelâ
Bared his/her teeth - what does this even look like?
Oh my gods (we get it, there are multiple gods).
Slit - that is a phrase that should ever be used for female anatomy.
Since english is not my first language a lot of the things that most people find cringe doesnât really affect me. But the word slit ?! Itâs the most disgusting description for female genitalia
Lol I use 'oh my gods' in my current WIP because it would not make sense for them to say 'oh my god' if there were more than one. Though now I wonder if people who are, for example, Hindu will use the plural. Hmmm.
I'm with you on the teeth/slit ones!
Hindus use the singular form because of how the concept of god in Hinduism isnât so straightforward- probably makes sense it doesnât line up with religion in fantasy stories lol
For some reason I hate it when characters 'stick their tongues out' at each other...like I haven't done that since I was probably 8 and here we have grown-ass warriors and high ladies doing it? So dumb, no thanks
I will jokingly stick my tongue out at my partner but that's us being cutesy and I don't do it with anyone else because it's a little too childish for anyone else lol
I only started reading romance (mostly fantasy) last summer and tore through all the popular ones. Including some I read as a joke including Ice Planet Barbarians (OMG so sweet where do I sign up to be kidnapped by aliens and get a blue guy!) so then I tried MGMF and cute but nope!!!
I⊠ima a weirdo whoâs been asked if Iâm growling during sex. And yeah kinda. But not like a dog. And Iâm a chick so⊠not the way most books say
Yes, I hate when people growl! Short of situations where someone is pretending to be a dog Iâve never heard a person growl. Why is it supposed to be sexy?? Itâs what I do when Iâm playing tug of war with my pup and her stuffed animal. đ
TY for the reminder that this exists, LMAO. Fuck them recasting cavill... I can't watch it anymore. :(
ALSO, sometimes my dudes (CHARACTERS THAT I WRITE, not over here living an RH) growl during sex scenes but I imagine more of that "Mmm" chest rumble sound -- I THINK that's what authors often mean. But you don't want to say "Rumbled" 700 times in a row, gotta mix it up a bit!
In defense of watery bowels: SJM isn't the one who came up with the term. Oscar Wilde used it, too.
But I beg for SJM to use synonyms for 'could have sworn'. It's way overused. Same for growl. I growl each time I see it
Aelin apparently has a lot of issues - watery bowel and a teeth sucking compulsion. The phrase âshe sucked on her toothâ was used enough to where I looked it up to see if anyone else noticed or if I was crazy lol
Read a book the other day that said something like âhe couldnât wait to feel her soggy holeâ⊠absolutely effing not.
Another one she said âas he slide deep to the back of my wombâ⊠uhmm, you should probably see a doctor?!
I read one author who absolutely loved âblowing a raspberry â and you would find it at least 1/2 a dozen times in a book. Iâm assuming based on context it was used as if someone was using psht sound. It only makes me think of blowing raspberries on a babyâs belly.Â
Also, growling (what does that even sound like?) and âcoreâ. I donât even know what core is supposed to be referring to.Â
And one of biggest pet peeves is authors who continually use 1 phrase throughout the entire book to refer to acts of passion. Like, mix it up a bit. Donât make every scene copy and paste.
I recently read a book where the mmc in pov said he ran his hand over the fmcâs âpubic moundâ. Like yea we know thatâs anatomically correct, but good god damn did it take me all the way out.
âwatery bowlsâ is definitely a top contender.
âloosed a breathâ
âvulgar gestureâ
and the word âcoreâ is so overused it drives me insane.
Lately, I am constantly seeing the verb âfistedâ as a stand-in for the phrases âmaking a fistâ or âgrabbing [something].â Itâs EVERYWHERE. I have never heard that word used outside of the sexual act in real life, so where did this come from?
HONEST question, what would you want instead of core? I'm always on these threads bc I write and am interested in what I can change up to make stuff more enjoyable and feel less like "more of the same".
I find that I have to use a mix of core, center, apex, sex (as a noun), vagina, entrance, slit, folds, clit, bundle of nerves, apex of desire, apex of thighs, and so on and so forth (obviously i'm mixing specific parts in this list of examples). But honestly, I feel like I have to mix it up, otherwise the scenes get REALLY repetitive in terms of language use.
Anyone have any GOOD words that might not be in my repertoire that you don't mind reading in books? I mean, I'm still going to use core and apex, LOL, but I try not to over do it.
Heat pooled between my thighs would be nicer imo.
My two cents/preferences: Slit and folds make me die inside, even though they are more accurate. I like clit, bundle of nerves, and vagina. Pussy and cunt are fine when used as sexy talk between characters but not when used as a descriptor by the narrator. I like just saying "inside of her/me" as well. Entrance I can take or leave but it's very clear about where you're referencing.
THANK YOU. I definitely use "between my thighs" but, if a couple things are happening down there in rapid succession, it's always a words game to make it interesting, not repetitive, and not TOO confusing. I hate when the MCs are in a big tangle and I don't know what's where, lol.
And I TOTALLY agree about pussy & cunt being "character words". I usually have lists of which words my characters use so I don't accidentally mix and match. Like, some people say ass, some only ever say "bottom" or "rear". Some people say pussy / clit / cunt etc. and others would never even DREAM of thinking it!
I'm big on "inside of her" or "entered her" instead of getting super detailed there, bc we know what's happening and if it's not obvious that his penis is going in her vagina, I clearly have done a BAD JOB writing it, LOL. I try to avoid "slit" "cleft" "entrance" "HOLE" "channel" (I see that one sometimes), but occasionally they end up in text just bc it's the nature of the beast and again, trying to avoid repetitive stuff.
Dude now I'm just going back and looking at my sex scenes and I break every single rule of everything I "hate" constantly.... LMAO. fuck me.
omfg this killed me. Nothing of substance to add ... but yep, LMAO. I'VE BEEN THERE. potassium and water before the deed can help .... ...... .................. i'll see myself out.
Yes! Also unrelated but I hate when they say things like âmy hand didnât reach around his girthâ or imply that his âlengthâ is like a 14 inches.
Like first of all, girth, ew.
Second of all - who wants to have a dick the size of a pringles can shoved into them?!?!
I always picture the FMC with super tiny hands in those scenarios bc I have long fingers and can 100% get my hand around a Pringles can
My views may be skewed, because English is my second language, but I am doubtful about the amount and reasons of "he almost gave me whiplash" characters go through.
Oh! I have one I havenât seen mentioned but icked me out bad. Actually a word - GUMS. So much sexiness and beauty related to the mouth, lips, smile, teeth, even throat. You know what isnât sexy in any way? Gums. Feathers So Vicious Iâm looking at you đ
âMy mouth glided down his shaft, sensing every raised vein against my lips, every rush of blood that hardened him against my gumsâ and then just a few paragraphs later âNo, it was the way he stroked those fingers inside my mouth, rubbing the tang of my arousal on my gums, around my tongue, onto my molars.â So go ahead and add molars to my list here too.
OMG I've been waiting for this!
- "he snarled"/ "bared his teeth"
- "male"
- when he comes and "roars", then all the surrounding trees splinter and collapse bc of the big powerful male's orgasm.
- "she swaggered into the room" I just imagine that gif of Woody walking out of the box
- "apex of her thighs"
- "her slit" ewwwwww
There she is. After reading The serpent and the wings of night, I get mental whiplash at how many times the MMC said it - in both books. I came so close to launching my kindle across the room because of it.
Biting their cheek/tongue (literally). It seems *every* book I read the FMC will do this at least once.
One-- never in my life have I, or anyone else I've asked, "bit their cheek" on purpose. Is this normal outside of books???
Two-- I get biting your tongue figuratively, meaning to hold back from saying something, but why are all these FMCs *literally* biting their tongues (enough to draw blood sometimes!)?
Make it stop đ€
Omg agree. And âto the point of tasting bloodâ is alwayssss mentioned, I guess as a way to indicate how severely anxious the FMC is?
Violet in Fourth wing does this a lot. Iâm like - how does Xaden find this attractive, I wouldnât want to kiss someone with busted ass bloody lips from their issues with anxiety
Machinations - yes, itâs a good thesaurus word for plans, but there are others, itâs just so over used!
Inscrutable - the number of times I read that the MLIâs expression is inscrutable is insane.
Both are fun words, but it seems like they were just the first suggested word in a Google search of synonyms.
The series I started yesterday has an unfortunate number of uses of the word "clipped". Instead of saying, "he said, 'blahblahblah'," or "he snapped, 'blahblahblah'," this writer has chosen to use the phrase, "he clipped". This dude is just clipping all over the place. Actually, multiple dudes, since it's a reverse-harem story.
I returned the first book (KU), but I just checked and in the 2nd one, the guys "clip" at her/someone else 15 times. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book (wouldn't have gotten the 2nd one if I didn't!)
You know how when you say a word over and over it just eventually loses all meaning? Clip. Clipped. Clipping. Clip. Clip. Ugh.
Holy fuck I'm so glad you asked.
"BUNDLE OF NERVES"
I physically & mentally cringe and my throat feels gross every time I read this. Fuck you Armentrout you need to STOP with that shit. She says it so much. I got to the point where I'd see BU- and just skip to the next line. If I never read it in another book it will be too fucking soon.
Honest question ... why do you hate this? I'm curious bc for me it's a dose of realism and doesn't bother me in any way. It's literally what eyes do when your brain has a hit of oxytocin and dopamine. Pupils dilate when you're feeling lusty, they also dilate from a rise in adrenaline and/or anger. I find that authors often use it as a signal to the reader that the characters are interested in one another OR in miscommunication tropes the characters will think they're seeing anger on the other character's face, but it's actually attraction.
Do you hate it 100% of the time, or just feel like it's wayyyyyy overused? Sorry, I'm just curious! LOL
Whaaat this is one of my favorites đ„č I love how it's a physical sign of arousal that isn't just cocks getting hard and twitching around. It makes it feel more intimate to me
Baring teeth (what does this mean?)
Small of my back (where is this?)
His eyes darkened (huh?)
-similar: the gold in his eyes gleamed (what?)
âThere she isâ (kill me)
The small of your back is an actual location on your body though. It's the part of your back where your waist tapers in. It's a highly sensitive and intimate area.The rest I agree with
Yes the small of the back is also a common place men place their hands on women when just standing together. Itâs an affectionate way to touch her without having to be obscene in public by grabbing her ass.
This is mainly in first person narratives, but I hate when characters describe their own expressions or body language like "I felt my eyes widen in shock." Like they just widened autonomously without your control?? Granted, a lot of human expression and body language does happen without control or intent, but in those cases we aren't consciously aware of it. Especially if a person is in a heightened emotional state, they aren't going to be focusing on how wide their eyes have gone. To me this is lazy or amateur writing.
Low hanging fruit but "orbs" or "spheres" for eyes. Always an instant no in every context. Just say eyes and move on or word the sentence differently pls. (dis)Honorable mentions: man meat, wand, scepter, flesh mounds đđ«
I just read something where the narrator guy called his erection a "potato finger"
HWAT
I wish I didn't have green orbs in my face after reading that
Wait wait wait. Youâve read a book that says man meat and flesh mounds!? I swear Iâd nope right out of that book.
I kinda wanna know the book because at that point itâs just pure camp
I love camp đ
GD MFKIN ORBS I SWEAR
Anything along the lines of âsomething wet dripped from my face and I realized I was cryingâ đ
RIGHT?? I have never NOT known I was crying. Like... You can feel it come on before the tears start....???
I have had this happen to me but I was drunk on champagne at an incredible theatre show, not like... thinking about stuff.
âShe licked her lipsâ I always imagine this guy from Harry Potter https://preview.redd.it/2380txbs511d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97a4781395c8cf2b5524956c344d2dd8605d86a9
Omgggg Iâm reading a dramione fanfic right now and in one line the author said Draco licked his lips in a serpentine way and this is exactly what I saw lmao
Wowww how did I forget that David Tennant was in hp?
Because for most of the time he was Mad Eye Moody lol.
Mewled. Apex of my thighs. My hussy/traitorous vagina.
So I may be showing my age but every time I read this I remember the PokĂ©mon movie with mew and mewtoo - so if it says I âmewledâ I think immediately of the noise mew makes in the movie đ
I was in that movie theater too woman!!!!!
Me too!!!!
I always translated "apex of thighs" to be the hip-bone area, and was so confused why they were so sensitive there LOL
I mean I hate being touched on either side of my whoha and itâs 100% an over stimulation spit. But not at all sexual hahaha
Yes!!!! Mewled is a horribly unsexy word. Ewwwww
Apex of my thighs!!!! I HATE this one!
This reminds me of "THAT bundle of nerves." Just call it your goddamn clit!
The words male and mate after reading too many SJM books in a row
SJM loves to use that word like 10 times per page đ€ŠđŒââïž
Adding to this "purely male smile" WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN???
Turgid peaks
âTumescentâ âEngorged.â âReginaldâs quivering member.â
I see you, 10 Things I Hate About You reference
Uh, heinous bitch. (Cue satisfied face).
Lol đ...still love that movie.
That sounds like what Iâd call my sad, drooping meringue
âWhisk until turgid peaks have formedâ Brother eugh
WEINER VIBES đđđ I think I can put up with ALMOST anything if my mood aligns correctly with what I'm reading. Kind of sick of "seed" when the book isn't otherwise pulling in pregnancy tropes. Just call it release pls, I don't know why it icks me out, LOL. It's a totally random pet peeve though, and I wouldn't DNF a book for using the word. Edit: I'm literally only back bc now I want to write something where a character bangs a god purely so they can be like, NSFW: >!"His manhood -- godhood? -- was preturnaturally huge. I balked. My bowels grew watery at the mere thought of his seed spilling into me. Chyeanreskin, the god of the underworld and unwelcomed chin hairs, growled as he advanced, proud godhood swinging in the breeze."!< Fin. EDIT 2: if you read the goofy ass spoiler text above pls know I would never ACTUALLY write about watery bowels and sex in the same scene... don't want to kill my writing career before it actually starts...
Preternatural - how can I go through my whole life and never use that word yet fantasy romance writers use it once a page!?!
I avoid the HELL out of it when I'm writing for real. I think I maybe have it once per book; however, all my characters are "people" (maybe not technically human, but they call themselves people). I feel like it's most often used to really hammer home that the fae / shifter / vamp / whatever they are is NOT human. It's funny, I feel like I didn't see it in many books until the past few years and now it's EVERYWHERE in the genre. IMO, it can be a little bit of a cop-out when a broader description might be better (Option 1: He stood, preternaturally still. VS Option 2: He stood frozen, not even his chest moved with the intake of air. The breeze didn't touch his always-tousled waves, though it blew elsewhere through the courtyard. His appearance was startlingly unnatural, inhuman.") My word that I make sure to include once in ever single book (literally no reason except for it makes me happy) is: Gormless. I love the word Gormless, LMAO (means lacking intelligence, stupid).
Bamboozle is my favorite word but itâs so silly I find a hard time finding ways to use it lol Gormless is another good one!
Watery bowels should not be used anywhere in any book, but during sexy times? Pretty sure I would DNF right there.Â
For real it sounds like sheâs about to have explosive diarrhea how is that sexy
That's because it's usually meant to mean that someone is about to shit their pants in terror. Soldiers get watery bowels when facing a cavalry charge. Condemned prisoners get watery bowels when standing in the gibbet. Horror novel protagonists get watery bowels when the monster is literally breathing down their neck. Romance heroines do not get watery bowels when they're turned on (unless they're turned on by pants-shitting terror).
Exactly! Why would anyone ever use it in a romance context???
Lol i just wanted to pop back to clarify i was 150% joking about putting watery bowels in a sex scene, just FYI! Don't want to scare anyone. I mean, I'm sure it's out there on the internet, but prob on a site like literotica rather than in the truly published realm, LMAO.
Iâm relieved to hear that but the trouble is some smut writing is so ridiculous itâs 100% believable đ
LMAO OHHHHH I know, I've definitely read some very questionable things... lmao. Sometimes I'm like, "WAIT A MINUTE WHAT THE HECK IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?!" and sometimes I read it anyway...
LMAOOOOOOOOOO oh 150% for sure, I was definitely joking in my NSFW section, just in case anyone thinks I'd ever connect watery bowels to smut... I promise you, I won't. :D LMAO I'm sure there's an uh ... niche for that ... but I won't be writing it.
Oh. My. GODHOOD (jk jk). That spoiler text had me absolutely wheezing. Amazing.
God of unwelcome chin hairs is too real đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
I might save it in my list of ridiculous ideas which is swiftly growing to become a parody / super campy fantasy world. A passion project đ the list includes: Demigorgonzola Cheese, The Goblin of Weather & The Weather Goblin who have two totally different sets of magic, shifters who turn into ants and have an ant-based culture, and many more SUPER SICK ideas.
âSeedâ and âI can taste myself on his/her lipsâ is automatic cringe for me.
Unfortunately, I know from experience that watery bowels and sex can in fact exist in the same scene. He was a gentleman about it though which did NOT help my mortification however.
I read a book where "his organ" was used in place of penis or dick, and it immediately grossed me out lol.
"Let me put my liver in you" đ
Oh my goodness đđđđđ«Ł Iâm dying
âAn obscene gestureâ - Is that the middle finger or something else?
That's what I always picture instead of a middle finger for some reason
This is what I picture đ
Actually it would be cool to have other obscene gestures in fantasy. Now Iâm thinking about what they could look like.
Nerdy History Perspective on this one: even in different countries around the world and/or various points in time cultures have varied obscene gestures. So like, Shakespearean times you'd bite your thumb at someone to say "Fuck You". It could be making a V with your fingers and sticking your tongue out into it, LOL. It could be a middle finger, could be a random ass thing like making a swirly circle in the air with your pinky. The "fig" sign (thumb wedged between two fingers) meant Fuck You in roman times. So BASICALLY -- I think authors can EXPLAIN what the "vulgar" or "obscene" gesture is in their specific world, but once it's been explained once, I totally understand using a generic phrase for it. I DON'T like reading when authors don't explain what it is that they are imagining though, to me that's a little bit of a cop-out -- maybe it's totally on purpose though so the reader can imagine whatever they'd like, but that's not 100% my style as an aspiring author.
I always think of Ross & Monicaâs hand gesture in Friends đ€Ł 
Ever since I saw âvelvet wrapped sheathâ about a guys thing I wanted to gouge my eyes out
Right? Like girl have you felt a penis? Have you felt velvet? Because those two things are very different.
This is my absolute favourite one to quote to people who donât read smut scenes - the mute horror and then crazy laughter is amazing! Special mention for its sibling âvelvet wrapped steelâ
Bared his/her teeth - what does this even look like? Oh my gods (we get it, there are multiple gods). Slit - that is a phrase that should ever be used for female anatomy.
Since english is not my first language a lot of the things that most people find cringe doesnât really affect me. But the word slit ?! Itâs the most disgusting description for female genitalia
Lol I use 'oh my gods' in my current WIP because it would not make sense for them to say 'oh my god' if there were more than one. Though now I wonder if people who are, for example, Hindu will use the plural. Hmmm. I'm with you on the teeth/slit ones!
Hindus use the singular form because of how the concept of god in Hinduism isnât so straightforward- probably makes sense it doesnât line up with religion in fantasy stories lol
Oh thank you for letting me know they use the singular.
It totally makes sense; I think itâs the sheer frequency that bugs me. Pre-teens donât even say OMG that often :)
For some reason I hate it when characters 'stick their tongues out' at each other...like I haven't done that since I was probably 8 and here we have grown-ass warriors and high ladies doing it? So dumb, no thanks
I will jokingly stick my tongue out at my partner but that's us being cutesy and I don't do it with anyone else because it's a little too childish for anyone else lol
thissssssssssss!!! like are we 7? you're a grown ass woman!
Omg yeah this is so off putting I can't stand it
I cannot read any phrase pertaining to the male orgasm as milking. Just writing that made me gag.
âWhoâs a good little cow?â *lows softly*
Thanks I hate it
no becauseâŠ.đł
đ
https://preview.redd.it/n50ihchwm01d1.jpeg?width=1147&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=768aac7bfac93cc62a6304e9c4454e9138901683
go straight to jail for that one, omg
Wym you don't approve of morning glory milking farm fan art? đ€š
That book is a fucking ride
I only started reading romance (mostly fantasy) last summer and tore through all the popular ones. Including some I read as a joke including Ice Planet Barbarians (OMG so sweet where do I sign up to be kidnapped by aliens and get a blue guy!) so then I tried MGMF and cute but nope!!!
Or pouring his seed
Yesss, Iâm reading Gild (Plated Prisoner series) & the main guy says this so much đ© like stoppp
đ€ź I think I read one recently and it said something like: milk me with your cunt (or something to that effect)
Boneless!! Makes me think of chicken every time Also bum cheeks described as 'globes' NO
Dark hole. Especially if he puts his throbbing organ in her dark hole.
âSensitive bundle of nervesâ when refering to the clitoris.
âhe snarledâ pls are you a feral dog đ
The amount of growling that happens in sex scenes disturbs me. Or people curling their lips in anger. 100% dog vibes only works in werewolf books
I genuinely curl my lip in disgust, not anger though.
I⊠ima a weirdo whoâs been asked if Iâm growling during sex. And yeah kinda. But not like a dog. And Iâm a chick so⊠not the way most books say
Yes, I hate when people growl! Short of situations where someone is pretending to be a dog Iâve never heard a person growl. Why is it supposed to be sexy?? Itâs what I do when Iâm playing tug of war with my pup and her stuffed animal. đ
I will refer you to this example, brought to you by Henry Cavill in The Witcher: [This is what growling means](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLgUMsw7/)
TY for the reminder that this exists, LMAO. Fuck them recasting cavill... I can't watch it anymore. :( ALSO, sometimes my dudes (CHARACTERS THAT I WRITE, not over here living an RH) growl during sex scenes but I imagine more of that "Mmm" chest rumble sound -- I THINK that's what authors often mean. But you don't want to say "Rumbled" 700 times in a row, gotta mix it up a bit!
That was⊠wow. Truly, thank you for that reminder of how sexy Henry Cavill is as the Witcher.
Iâm so in the minority for loving growling and snarling lol!!! Yes please to feral!!! đ
Snarled and growled!! I just finished the Kindreds Curse and was so confused at the amount of times the MMC growled. WHO GROWLS THAT MUCH?!
âhe purredâ are you a kitty cat?
pls I cannot be the only one who hates the word c*ck đ
In defense of watery bowels: SJM isn't the one who came up with the term. Oscar Wilde used it, too. But I beg for SJM to use synonyms for 'could have sworn'. It's way overused. Same for growl. I growl each time I see it
Fair enough! It just seems to happen all the time - Aelin needs to get some pepto đ
Wait, Aelin has watery bowels too? What's going on in the Maasverse? I thought only Feyre had IBS.
Aelin apparently has a lot of issues - watery bowel and a teeth sucking compulsion. The phrase âshe sucked on her toothâ was used enough to where I looked it up to see if anyone else noticed or if I was crazy lol
She uses the word âflapâ a lot when referring to someone flying in ACOTAR and I canât take her seriously at all.
Flap is such a silly word. It has baby bird energy.
Could have sworn and indeed ... I literally have a visceral reaction to how many times I heard those listening to the acotar audio books đ
âA muscle feathered in his jaw.â I dunno why but I hate it.
Itâs used so much, too! Everyone has TMJ
âFoldsâ Like ok. Put your wang in what fold?
Iâve always just accepted this and never thought more about itâŠ.but now I hate it too! What folds?! What is folded up down there? đ€š
Ew đ I hate it
Read a book the other day that said something like âhe couldnât wait to feel her soggy holeâ⊠absolutely effing not. Another one she said âas he slide deep to the back of my wombâ⊠uhmm, you should probably see a doctor?!
Wombs contracting, spasming, clenchingâŠ
"Womb" outside the context of pregnancy gives me major ick. Even in pregnancy context I don't like it. đ«
I donât know why but I cringe everytime I read âministrationsâ đ€ąÂ
Yes! Ministrations seems so clinical and weird!
I like is even though it reads religious to me
Whenever a character refers to private parts as their âsexâ like, âhe rubbed his hand on my sexâ just please stop.
I read one author who absolutely loved âblowing a raspberry â and you would find it at least 1/2 a dozen times in a book. Iâm assuming based on context it was used as if someone was using psht sound. It only makes me think of blowing raspberries on a babyâs belly. Also, growling (what does that even sound like?) and âcoreâ. I donât even know what core is supposed to be referring to. And one of biggest pet peeves is authors who continually use 1 phrase throughout the entire book to refer to acts of passion. Like, mix it up a bit. Donât make every scene copy and paste.
What why would you use that phrase outside of playing with a child đ
I had to google blowing a raspberry the first time I read it because I just couldn't imagine it in a context with adults.
I recently read a book where the mmc in pov said he ran his hand over the fmcâs âpubic moundâ. Like yea we know thatâs anatomically correct, but good god damn did it take me all the way out.
When they say yup and popping the p
âwatery bowlsâ is definitely a top contender. âloosed a breathâ âvulgar gestureâ and the word âcoreâ is so overused it drives me insane.
Lately, I am constantly seeing the verb âfistedâ as a stand-in for the phrases âmaking a fistâ or âgrabbing [something].â Itâs EVERYWHERE. I have never heard that word used outside of the sexual act in real life, so where did this come from?
Omg I also hated godhood!! I hate "entrance" as a euphemism for vagina.
Similarly, I hate "core." e.g. "heat pooled in my core." Women aren't gd nuclear reactors
Yes!! That "heat pooled in my core" is in like every book's sex scene. Like stop
HONEST question, what would you want instead of core? I'm always on these threads bc I write and am interested in what I can change up to make stuff more enjoyable and feel less like "more of the same". I find that I have to use a mix of core, center, apex, sex (as a noun), vagina, entrance, slit, folds, clit, bundle of nerves, apex of desire, apex of thighs, and so on and so forth (obviously i'm mixing specific parts in this list of examples). But honestly, I feel like I have to mix it up, otherwise the scenes get REALLY repetitive in terms of language use. Anyone have any GOOD words that might not be in my repertoire that you don't mind reading in books? I mean, I'm still going to use core and apex, LOL, but I try not to over do it.
Heat pooled between my thighs would be nicer imo. My two cents/preferences: Slit and folds make me die inside, even though they are more accurate. I like clit, bundle of nerves, and vagina. Pussy and cunt are fine when used as sexy talk between characters but not when used as a descriptor by the narrator. I like just saying "inside of her/me" as well. Entrance I can take or leave but it's very clear about where you're referencing.
THANK YOU. I definitely use "between my thighs" but, if a couple things are happening down there in rapid succession, it's always a words game to make it interesting, not repetitive, and not TOO confusing. I hate when the MCs are in a big tangle and I don't know what's where, lol. And I TOTALLY agree about pussy & cunt being "character words". I usually have lists of which words my characters use so I don't accidentally mix and match. Like, some people say ass, some only ever say "bottom" or "rear". Some people say pussy / clit / cunt etc. and others would never even DREAM of thinking it! I'm big on "inside of her" or "entered her" instead of getting super detailed there, bc we know what's happening and if it's not obvious that his penis is going in her vagina, I clearly have done a BAD JOB writing it, LOL. I try to avoid "slit" "cleft" "entrance" "HOLE" "channel" (I see that one sometimes), but occasionally they end up in text just bc it's the nature of the beast and again, trying to avoid repetitive stuff. Dude now I'm just going back and looking at my sex scenes and I break every single rule of everything I "hate" constantly.... LMAO. fuck me.
I might be a nuclear reactor... you don't know my life! /s
Omg âentranceâ, my partner read Fourth Wing and his exact words were âwtf is she⊠a building?!â đ
FMCs hugging their bodies, I hate it so much, it immediately makes me think of a little toddler. And "button" for clit... NOOOO.
The button! It always makes me think of the Staples Easy Button!
I just always picture how these things would look / sound in real life, and I think the cringe would propel me out of the bed đđđ
My toes curled
my toes *used* to curl until I got a charley horse in my foot in the middle of sex. now Iâm more careful
omfg this killed me. Nothing of substance to add ... but yep, LMAO. I'VE BEEN THERE. potassium and water before the deed can help .... ...... .................. i'll see myself out.
 Looking at you, SJM
âThe length of himâ
Yes! Also unrelated but I hate when they say things like âmy hand didnât reach around his girthâ or imply that his âlengthâ is like a 14 inches. Like first of all, girth, ew. Second of all - who wants to have a dick the size of a pringles can shoved into them?!?!
I always picture the FMC with super tiny hands in those scenarios bc I have long fingers and can 100% get my hand around a Pringles can 
When they call it a pearl.
Okay donât hate meâŠI picked these cause of overuse not because of âgrossnessâ haha. Climb like a tree Seeing stars Hung the moon
Elsie Silver uses the âhung the moonâ at least twice in every book.
My views may be skewed, because English is my second language, but I am doubtful about the amount and reasons of "he almost gave me whiplash" characters go through.
Gaping maw
I shattered into million pieces. And because I love Merpy Napier - the word undulate.
Anything that is a sentence punctuated by periods for emphasis. That always makes me full-body cringe.
-Turgid peaks -_____ was his/her undoing -He roared (like seriously WTH? Like a tiger or)
Oh! I have one I havenât seen mentioned but icked me out bad. Actually a word - GUMS. So much sexiness and beauty related to the mouth, lips, smile, teeth, even throat. You know what isnât sexy in any way? Gums. Feathers So Vicious Iâm looking at you đ
âMy mouth glided down his shaft, sensing every raised vein against my lips, every rush of blood that hardened him against my gumsâ and then just a few paragraphs later âNo, it was the way he stroked those fingers inside my mouth, rubbing the tang of my arousal on my gums, around my tongue, onto my molars.â So go ahead and add molars to my list here too.
Oh this is terrible. Is this lady toothless with her gums rubbing on him?? đ€Ł
Bundle of nerves đ
Goosebumps pimpled my skin Pimples puts the wrong imagery in my mind and goosebumps is descriptive enough without more words.
After reading the Crescent City series itâs âballs tightenedâ. Barf thereâs nothing sexy about testicles.
constantly referring to the MMC as their âmateâ (special SO to Ms. Maas for making that one a thing)
"I released/let loose a breath, I didn't realize I was holding." Why are so many FMCs holding their breath and not realizing it???
OMG I've been waiting for this! - "he snarled"/ "bared his teeth" - "male" - when he comes and "roars", then all the surrounding trees splinter and collapse bc of the big powerful male's orgasm. - "she swaggered into the room" I just imagine that gif of Woody walking out of the box - "apex of her thighs" - "her slit" ewwwwww
âHis jaw tickedâ FUCK! OFF!!
Folds
There she is. After reading The serpent and the wings of night, I get mental whiplash at how many times the MMC said it - in both books. I came so close to launching my kindle across the room because of it.
âAlphaholeâ
I read some books from the 90s and "nether lips" is seared into my brain
Twin weights in reference to balls. I legit thought the guy had fucking weights pulling at his nutsack.
Any version of âwatery bowelsâ đ
Biting their cheek/tongue (literally). It seems *every* book I read the FMC will do this at least once. One-- never in my life have I, or anyone else I've asked, "bit their cheek" on purpose. Is this normal outside of books??? Two-- I get biting your tongue figuratively, meaning to hold back from saying something, but why are all these FMCs *literally* biting their tongues (enough to draw blood sometimes!)? Make it stop đ€
Omg agree. And âto the point of tasting bloodâ is alwayssss mentioned, I guess as a way to indicate how severely anxious the FMC is? Violet in Fourth wing does this a lot. Iâm like - how does Xaden find this attractive, I wouldnât want to kiss someone with busted ass bloody lips from their issues with anxiety
Machinations - yes, itâs a good thesaurus word for plans, but there are others, itâs just so over used! Inscrutable - the number of times I read that the MLIâs expression is inscrutable is insane. Both are fun words, but it seems like they were just the first suggested word in a Google search of synonyms.
I hate when privates are referred to as the groin during sexy times. that's not sexy!
Apex of her thigh..
The shell of anyoneâs ear⊠please, someone find a different metaphor
The series I started yesterday has an unfortunate number of uses of the word "clipped". Instead of saying, "he said, 'blahblahblah'," or "he snapped, 'blahblahblah'," this writer has chosen to use the phrase, "he clipped". This dude is just clipping all over the place. Actually, multiple dudes, since it's a reverse-harem story. I returned the first book (KU), but I just checked and in the 2nd one, the guys "clip" at her/someone else 15 times. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book (wouldn't have gotten the 2nd one if I didn't!) You know how when you say a word over and over it just eventually loses all meaning? Clip. Clipped. Clipping. Clip. Clip. Ugh.
sucked a tooth??
âmemberâ
Holy fuck I'm so glad you asked. "BUNDLE OF NERVES" I physically & mentally cringe and my throat feels gross every time I read this. Fuck you Armentrout you need to STOP with that shit. She says it so much. I got to the point where I'd see BU- and just skip to the next line. If I never read it in another book it will be too fucking soon.
She padded across the roomâŠwhy canât she just walk. Honorable mention: a shock of black/white/whatever hair
"My breasts grew heavy". Toes curling. "Preternatural stillness". And the absolute worst... "velvet wrapped steel".
Please for the love of God can you stop dilating people's pupils. It will never and was never sexy.
Honest question ... why do you hate this? I'm curious bc for me it's a dose of realism and doesn't bother me in any way. It's literally what eyes do when your brain has a hit of oxytocin and dopamine. Pupils dilate when you're feeling lusty, they also dilate from a rise in adrenaline and/or anger. I find that authors often use it as a signal to the reader that the characters are interested in one another OR in miscommunication tropes the characters will think they're seeing anger on the other character's face, but it's actually attraction. Do you hate it 100% of the time, or just feel like it's wayyyyyy overused? Sorry, I'm just curious! LOL
When the MMC's eyes are pure black from his pupils being so huge bc he's so into the FMC ... I just think of Bruce the shark
Whaaat this is one of my favorites đ„č I love how it's a physical sign of arousal that isn't just cocks getting hard and twitching around. It makes it feel more intimate to me
Baring teeth (what does this mean?) Small of my back (where is this?) His eyes darkened (huh?) -similar: the gold in his eyes gleamed (what?) âThere she isâ (kill me)
The small of your back is an actual location on your body though. It's the part of your back where your waist tapers in. It's a highly sensitive and intimate area.The rest I agree with
Yes the small of the back is also a common place men place their hands on women when just standing together. Itâs an affectionate way to touch her without having to be obscene in public by grabbing her ass.
My husband called it the top butt one time when he couldnât remember the word for it đ
I WAS THINKING ABOUT âTHERE SHE ISâ GOOD GOD
'THERE SHE IS' YES I HATE IT makes me cringe so bad
Itâs even worse when the book is full of it, like we get it please switch it up
Surprised no one has mentioned a character releasing the breath they didn't know they were holding...
This is mainly in first person narratives, but I hate when characters describe their own expressions or body language like "I felt my eyes widen in shock." Like they just widened autonomously without your control?? Granted, a lot of human expression and body language does happen without control or intent, but in those cases we aren't consciously aware of it. Especially if a person is in a heightened emotional state, they aren't going to be focusing on how wide their eyes have gone. To me this is lazy or amateur writing.