Might this be a generational thing, regarding preferences?

I suspect that as a vague rule of thumb, older guys might prefer it natural (as it's what they grew up looking at in 'Playboy' and in real life, while younger guys prefer shaved (for largely the same reasons).

Exceptions will, of course, apply, but I'd be interested to hear from readers who 'buck the trend' or whose partners 'buck the trend'. Any younger guys out there who like it natural? Or older guys who prefer it shaved?

And are there any ladies out there who started shaving (because it was what everyone else was doing) and have subsequently abandoned the razor?

I would like to add another spin to this. Many women experience something, often in the summer time, known as yeast infection. I recall a story of an American woman in France, experiencing the above condition in the 70s. As I remember, the woman was a gynecologist/physician and went to a French colleague for a prescription. Unlike the USA, European physicians do not prescribe antibiotics unless it is a very serious and potentially fatal illness. ( Or at least they used to.) She was advised to shave her pubic hair and allow plenty of air (meaning; wear a long skirt, but no panties under it) I am not making this up, that is what had been "prescribed" to her. Being American, of course, she was not too fond of that advice and sought a second opinion. Actually, she wanted a prescription for a cream and an antibiotic. Well, the second opinion physician did not give her anything either, but basically explained to her why yeast infections happen, how they happen and why she needed to shave. She got the picture, did what she was told to do and - voila - (no pun intended) the infection went away.
Within my own family, I have referred to this, when I found out about a female family member having a yeast infection. To my knowledge, if they did this - it did go away.
There is actually a very good chemical explanation, of why the French physician's advise works.
Unfortunately in this country we often look at European discoveries - especially if they deal with some "strange form" of not wearing panties to get rid of yeast infections.
Or even look at the Skinner report, which concluded that breast cancer was caused by bras. While embraced by European Cancer Societies, the American Cancer Society pooped it.
I don't want to go into any more details here, however - anyone interested is welcome to message me and I will explain or direct to the source - where I can.

I am "an older" guy and like it either way. My wife never liked to shave, because she thought it would take her back to her childhood. However, when she used my razors to shave her legs, that's when I either made her or personally removed her pubic hair with wax (among other things). Eventually she caught on.

Quim
 

My favorite word for the subject is "Quim". Box and sex are reasonable alternatives. I really dislike pussy; no woman has a cat between her legs. I would use the words vulva, or even c*nt rather than pussy.

For me quim really captures the essence of woman's private part. It is not overtly rude or vulgar, but also, not clinical. The word somehow captures its essence, a petite orifice that gives incredible satisfaction. Quim brings to mind snugness, warmth, juiciness, and ultimate & desirable womanliness.

My wife calls it her C U N T
 

So that's the term I use: c*nt.

Panty Free Pussies and Beaver
 

My family have been social nudists since the 1950s, and both the men and women, including family friends, have always referred to the female genetalia as the "pussy". Technically the pussy includes the labia majora, labia minora, the clitoris, the urethra and the vagina. The hairy pubic areas ( the pubic mons and labia majora ) were called their "beaver". My wife, who also a grew up in a nudist family, trimmed her beaver but shaved her pussy ( and still does ).

As a side note: I believe that the word "Vagina" if from the Latin for the Roman Gladius Sword Scabbard.


Early on my mom had to wear business suits to work, including a bra, underwear and hose and often complained of yeast infections. After talking to a few ladies at camp she decided to ditch her panties and always went commando from then on. She only wore a bra if her clothes allowed too much jiggling. That was the mid 1960s. My sister followed suit a few years later as a senior in high school.

In line with what shower is saying, the "pussy" is actually the clit, vaginal opening and labia combined. What you see when you look at a naked woman sitting or standing is often just the clit-hood and the outer labia (and maybe a bit more labia if she's an outie). You're "technically" not actually seeing her pussy; as the legs have to be open (or she has to be bent over fairly low) for the pussy to be seen in all its glory.

This distinction is apparent in social nudism. A woman hanging out with a visible vulva is often considered "more naked" than the woman who is equally as nude; but whose vulva remains "tucked away."

lyric credit unknown
 

A Pussy?

It's been the ruin of many a poor boy..

I'll thank Eric Burdon and The Animals for what lives in my head.

Using Pussy and Beaver
 

What we were trying to point out in our previous post was that in our social nudist environment the universally accepted words that were used in polite mixed company when referring to female genital areas were "beaver" and "pussy". These included my family, my wife's family, and almost all of the people with whom we have interacted at the Southern California nudist camps from the 1960s to now.

We are not advocating the exclusive use of "beaver" and "pussy", just relating that they became generally accepted as inoffensive terms when referencing a woman's genitalia among our social nudist circle of friends. By contrast penis, testicles and pubic hair were used when referencing male genitalia. The use of certain words to denote certain body parts in polite company may be a regional and time period thing.

I recall many times our parents and their friends using "pussy" and "beaver" while describing certain people at camp. They used the word "pussy" to refer to the area including the labia majora, labia minora, the clitoris, the urethra and the vagina. A few people used the word "vulva" but that term was deemed as "peculiar" and clinical and was not commonly used. The word "beaver" was used to denote the hairy areas of the pubic mons and labia majora. In this way of thinking, women always have a pussy but, in this shaving era, many women do not have a beaver.

My mom particularly liked the words "beaver" and "pussy" because they were innocuous and referenced soft, adorable creatures. I remember when my sister's pubic hair was getting noticeable my mom excitedly reported to my dad that "Susie's finally getting her beaver!" She commented to my dad that my then girl friend, Julie, "does have a nice looking pussy" after seeing her new pubic hair style for the first time.

She strongly favored the word "pussy" and once harshly admonished me for using the word "sn*tch", saying that it was a crude disrespectful and misogynist term. That applied to other words like c*nt, clit and tw*t. Most of the other slang terms that have cropped up over the years probably fall into this category, as they seem to be demeaning and objectifying.

Julie's old B&W photo is outlined to illustrate her exposed pussy and overlapping beaver regions. Note that over time her beaver has become thinned. I joke that we keep it worn down through constant use. The more recent photo shows all parts of her pussy, visible through her thinned beaver. In the cropped photo, with her legs together, you see only the top half of her pussy, but not the vagina, and her thin beaver.

Have heard it called Snootch, and that has kind of stuck. sn*tch + Cooch = Snootch