Topic for debate: what is a 'pussy'?
 

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but to me, a pussy has hair around it. Without the hair, it's a shaved pussy, and not really a pussy at all. It's...well, we can't even get that right, can we fellas? Then we seem to call it a 'vagina', although strictly speaking the outer genitals of the female should strictly be called the vulva, not the vagina.

And, to me, a 'pussy' got its name from being something soft and worth a bit of stroking and petting. OK, that doesn't rule out a shaved one, they're all still very, very, soft and worthy of a stroke and a pet, but I think we've lost sight of the original meaning. Fellas, I argue that a pussy MUST have hair. There is no other way it can be. And if we're going to talk about pussy, then it MUST have escaped the tyranny of the razor, to be presented in all its hirsute glory. Mmmm. I can't get enough of that!

The pornification of the pussy and the swimsuit meant women were 'forced' (well, no one made them, but they can be victims of fashion) to trim further and further back into the bikini line until not that many years ago we'd achieved 'the brazilian', a stripe so thin it was hardly worth having. And in shaving the delightful little kitty bald, porn directors were thrilled with ever more intimate footage, at -in my opinion- the loss of a little patch of fur that defined a woman as much as her curves, her breasts, her shapely legs and bottom.

If I wanted gynaecological detail I should have become a gynaecologist. No, to me it's that patch of fur that makes a pussy a pussy, that makes a kitty a kitty, and what more thrilling an experience to work your way through the thatch to encounter nirvana?

Bald? Bald is girls. Bald is...nothing! Bald is....almost a turn off. OK, I'm not going to argue that point here -to each his own, as they say- and if you prefer bald, well, knock yourself out. And presented with a bald option I'm hardly likely to turn it down, am I? No. But it would just make it a little less pleasurable and intense an experience, particularly orally.

But maybe the time has come to accept that a 'pussy' needs hair, and we should seek an alternative name to describe a shaved pubic region. A slit? A 'gash'? Both horrible words, to my mind, but you may feel differently about them and have your own names.

Happily, during my wanderings on the naturist beaches of Spain, I've observed that pubic hair is experiencing a comeback. Slowly but surely, little tufts of hair are reappearing in numbers we would not have seen 3-4 years ago. I'm not sure why this is, but I welcome it with open arms and can't wait until we arrive back at 1970s/80s full bushed glory.

So, guys, do you think that something hairless can qualify as a 'pussy'? Is it just laziness that we use the word? What words would you like to see used that better describes a hairless variant? Let me know, let us debate the issue.

No offence taken, Captain.

We all have our preferences. I prefer a natural look, as maybe can be guessed. The presence or absence of pubic hair is something that divides opinion, and the real purpose of the thread opener is to question people's use of words and, more importantly, why.

Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated.

My preference, as a man, is trimmed hair up top and shaved down below. I am, of course, referring to the pussy itself, and nothing else. For a short, wonderful while, my wife went shaved. I liked it, but she got annoyed (I hate to use the word 'irritated') with having to shave it almost daily to keep it smooth. Now, the hair has grown back somewhat, but she uses scissors to keep it shortened. Between her legs, its bare. And that's what matters most, as I am sure we will agree.

Thinking back to the 70's and 80's, some girls had just too much hair there. I remember a few yelps of pain as the excess hair was pulled by my cock into the vagina (the proper, medical use of that term. "Pudenda" refers medically to the whole thing). She resisted scissors at first, and I never thought to suggest shaving it all off. That seems to have developed in the 90's. Anybody remember "Mr. Smoothie's" web site back in dial up internet days?

If you study the pics here of those ladies in their 60's, you can see that nature takes its course, too. Very few truly hairy pussies on those ladies. I guess the men lose the hair on their heads, the ladies lose the hair lower down.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

Smooth, silky hair I remember from my teens, however. It never seemed to get in the way of the tongue or cock.
But those days are long gone.

My personal preference is for fully shaved, because I like to see the target and I prefer not to have hair in my mouth :)

As for terminology, I think 'pussy' refers to the flesh body part, whether shaved or not. I don't think it has anything to do with the hair. So from that perspective, I guess I equate 'pussy' with 'vagina'. For 'hair, I might refer to it as 'bush, and for 'shaved' I might refer to it as 'hardwood floor' (as in, I wonder if the carpet matches the d-r-a-p-e-s .... or if it's a hardwood floor. :D )

Is 'vagina' too medical a term to use? I don't think so. I used to hang out with some very strong-willed, independent women in a competitve environment - the kind who don't take crap off anyone. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that one of the hottest phrases I've ever heard come out of a woman's mouth in a group setting was "I have the vagina, so I make the rules." To hear women referring to it as a vagina or vag is plenty enough clue to me that that's what I should call it if I want any of it :)

"Vagina" is fine with me. Personally I think 'pussy' is a little degrading and disrespectful. Kind of like using the 'N' word for people of a certain color - it's ok for them to use it with each other, but not for an outsider to use. I see 'pussy' the same way, if a woman wants to use it in dirty talk or in personal reference then that's fine. But I won't use the word without her permission.

To throw my two cents in, bald is beautiful to look at and sexy because it is nuder than nude. But not so nice to lick, because unless it is VERY freshly shaved, it is bristly. And the bristles catch in underwear and irritate the lady (at least that is my wife's experience).
A close trim with scissors works best all around. You can see the best parts and no hair in your teeth.

DR

"What is a 'pussy'?"

You answered your own question in your first two sentences.

". . . to me, a pussy has hair around it. Without the hair, it's a shaved pussy . . ."

sn*tch, box, fur pie, pink taco, tw*t, cu*t, poontang, muff, bearded clam, beaver, cunny, fanny, gash, minge, cave, cigar box, cooch, coochie, dragon's lair, dugout, hole, honeypot, meat wallet, pooki, sideways smile, slit, snapper, the Great Depression, va-jay-jay, vertical smile, fish lips, oven, quim, poonanie, tunnel of love, hatchet wound, fur burger, putz, kebab, cock warmer, whisker biscuit, cock pit, cock holster, and trim are just a few of the descriptives that can be used to describe the vagina or pussy.

Personally, I like a well trimmed or shaved pussy since I don't like hair in my mouth, it makes getting to the goodies a lot easier and cleaning up after the fun is over is easier as well....

However, a pussy by any other name is still a pussy and most all of them are definitely worth a fuck.. :D

An alternative etymology has it coming from the French 'chas', meaning the hole of a needle (the resemblance is obvious). As this word is very close to 'chat' (cat), it evolved to 'chat' and its feminine form 'chatte' ('female cat', still in use in French today), which gives 'pussy' when translated in English.

I did. But did I answer it according to everyone else's views? Judging by the comments thus far, I'm guessing that others have a different point of view. Hence the reason why we're debating it, and it is a question that has provided some interesting responses so far.

Fuck that, I want it bald as a egg. I don't like using c*nt hair to floss my teeth with.

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

I'm 41 and I met my wife twenty years ago. At that time, shaving pubic hair was already the norm among women her age and my wife was no different. She kept her pubic area smooth and told me that she knew all her friends did shave it smooth too.

However, I wanted to know how she would look like with a full bush. At first, she didn't like the idea, but ultimately she gave in and agreed to growing it out until it was full. It turned out her hair grew quite slowly, and her pubes weren't very curly. It took five or six months before we both concluded that the hair hadn't grown any longer anymore. At that time her pubes were some 2 inches long and while initially in the first months she hated being hairy, she now had gotten a bit more used to it.

She didn't went back to shaving, but she still found her full bush too hairy for an 18-year-old and she bought a trimmer and for a while kept her bush trimmed at 3/8 inches, which was the longest setting of her trimmer.

She then went back to shaving a couple of times: growing out a bush, shaving everything away, growing out a landing strip and keeping it like that for a while, before growing out a full bush again. Between age 18 and 22, she changed her pubic hairstyle frequently between the above mentioned styles, I can recall the days we had sex in the morning and I was eating out her hairy pussy, and we had sex again in the evening and I was eating her out and everything was all smooth. She never kept it smooth for more than a few weeks though, usually after some four weeks she decided to grow out the stubble a bit so she could shave a landing strip and she would keep it like that for a few weeks until the hairs of the landing strip would get too long to keep it look nice without trimming, at that time she would start to grow out the full bush again.

Over the years, she got more and more used to having a full bush and while she thought that the shaved look or a landing strip looked nicer, by the age of 22 she actually didn't mind the bush and knew I liked it so she stopped shaving and trimming altogether. That was very uncommon for that time, around 2010, for a woman her age to keep a full untrimmed bush and for a man just a few years older to prefer a woman with a full bush.

She kept it like that for more than thirteen years. She saw friends in the gym who were bare or had a landing strip, she was the only one with more hair than a little landing strip and she decided she wanted to try a shaved look again either fully shaved or a landing strip. I told her I understood her wish, and that she knows I prefer the bush, but that I would respect her decision. She thought about it for a couple of months until she decided to shave again in January of last year. She shaved her bush away, and for the first time in thirteen years she was fully smooth again. She liked the look and she told me she wanted me to get used to it, so she started shaving every day so she wouldn't get any stubble. To be honest, I really missed her bush during the first months but ultimately I got used to the look and feel of her shaved pubic area, which is nice too. She told me she'd probably grow out a bush again one day, last year she said "maybe in winter" but she kept it smooth all winter too.

It's now smooth for almost one and a half year and that's actually the longest time during our relationship that she keeps a bare pubic area.

Coming back to the original question of this topic: whether hairy or smooth, both me and my wife always refer to it as a pussy.