Sleep with. Make love. Get it in. All of these words can be used to communicate the act of sex, but their origins are unclear. The average person thinks about sex 15 times a day, but they may have never thought about the origin of the sexual jargon. Some of the explanations are factual, where others are fiction or simply myths, but that’s up to you to decide. Now let’s get intimate, shall we?
Do it
Nike was actually trying to get free publicity by encouraging immature tweens whom were afraid to utter the word “sex” to instead say in hushed tones, “Did you do it?!”
Fornicate
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fornication as consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other. This term is interchangeable with any word meaning sex, but it used to be synonymous with adultery and suggested a sinful action in many religions. The Latin verb “fornicare” referred to the act of a man visiting a brothel, and the word has been translated to mean whoredom and sexual immorality.
Hooking up
This word could mean anything from kissing to going all the way, so we’re not even going to touch it. Arguing about correct usage is like trying to explain to your grandparents the difference between being together and dating.
Tap that
Back in the olden days, if there was a nice stream of water, one man would look to another and say, “I’d tap that,” meaning they would use it as a source of drinking water. Another common phrase used for a fine looking lady was a “tall glass of water.” Put the two together, and voila! Or maybe they are referring to tapping a new keg, because beer and women are the easiest ways to a man’s heart.
Get laid
In 1900, Chicago was home to one of the most well-known whorehouses in America, the Everleigh Club, so the phrase “getting Everleighed” was abbreviated to “getting laid.”
Bang
It likely originated from the loud noise associated with a gun shot, which was imitated when the front of the male’s thighs and the woman’s buttocks would clash when she is mounted from behind. This is a demeaning sexual position for some, which is why “banging” someone is now deemed a derogatory saying for sex. A similar explanation can be used for “smash” and “hit it.”
Get lucky
Out of all the fish in the sea, if you can meet someone to embark on a relationship with, or at the very least a sexual interaction, that’s pretty lucky.
Homerun
The easiest way to explain sexual activities without going into explicit details is paralleling it to America’s favorite pastime. With every base gained, the game gets a little more interesting and impressive, and the same can be said for relationships. Sex is the big kahuna of all possible interactions, so naturally it is regarded as the most exciting thing that happens in baseball.
Bone
This originates from the common expression used during the Black Plague when men were trying to repopulate and asked women to throw them a bone. Just kidding. Men get boners, and they use them to have sex. Self-explanatory.
Slay
The latest and greatest term used by teenagers everywhere. One simply cannot pass a picture of a guy with a lot of girls on Instagram that does not have “slayer” in the comments. One of the lesser-known definitions of slay is “to delight or amuse someone very much,” so it’s fitting. It is also used in the pop culture/fashion world to describe someone that’s on top of his or her game (i.e. “Slay, Gaga!”), which makes sense because having sex is perceived as cool to the youngins.
F*ck
This word can literally be placed anywhere and it would make sense. It can be used as any part of speech to express surprise, outrage, humor or delight. In medieval England, single people could not have sex unless they had the king’s consent. The king gave them a placard to hang on their door while they were having sex. The placard had four little letters that stood as an acronym for Fornication Under Consent of the King. Other legends include the acronym “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,” a legal offense for having sex out of wedlock.
Knock boots
An old western term derived from the act of removing all of one’s clothes but their boots when having sex, thus creating a knocking noise during penetration.
Copulate
Originating from the Latin word copula, meaning fastened together.
Honorable mentions:
Get busy, Get it on, Shag, Get some, Ride, Rail, Making babies (or be a sarcastic asshole with this one), Bump uglies, Screw/Nail, Horizontal hustle, Hankey pankey, Hokey pokey
