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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Sprogs in a Poop Factory
Grant Barrett
San Diego, California
1532 Posts
(Offline)
1
2007/12/12 - 3:57am

My latest column in the Malaysian Star has appeared: Sprogs in a Poop Factory. It's about the slang names we give children.

Guest
2
2007/12/12 - 10:31am

I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I love my two daughters, but am not a fan of children in general. Ankle-biters has always been one of my favorites (also used for small dogs.)

Sheri in AZ

Emmett Redd
3
2007/12/13 - 2:50pm

Children--porch monkeys
--deduction

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
4
2007/12/13 - 8:20pm

I loved that piece, too. Hadn't heard "porch monkeys." Nice.

Speaking of Poop Factories, I was delighted to see that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution chose for its book title of the year (even though the book's out of print): "Cooking with Pooh."

Grant Barrett
San Diego, California
1532 Posts
(Offline)
5
2007/12/14 - 3:47am

"Porch monkey" is far more often used as a racist term for a black person, so I'd avoid it.

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
6
2007/12/14 - 7:51am

Ooooo, thanks for the clarification, Grant. I hadn't heard that use. Disappointing!

Guest
7
2008/01/20 - 8:31pm

A young couch-potato = a carpet-spud.

Guest
8
2008/01/23 - 7:23pm

I heard someone say once that he was too poor for carpet so instead of rug rats, his kids were linoleum lizards.

When kids are at that stage of climbing everything, they can be called drape apes.

hedbanger
9
2008/02/20 - 2:21pm

my late friend from seattle always referred to toddlers as "wet ends".

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
10
2008/02/21 - 12:18pm

hedbanger said:

my late friend from seattle always referred to toddlers as “wet ends”.


NICE.

hedbanger
11
2008/02/21 - 8:41pm

isn't it? 🙂
actually i should have said that he referred to those still in diapers as wet ends.

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
12
2008/02/23 - 11:57am

Well, I suppose it's possible that if they live long enough, they'll be "wet ends" at the other end of their lives, too! Oy.

ablestmage
Wichita Falls, TX
31 Posts
(Offline)
13
2010/04/26 - 8:21pm

As a member of the greater "childfree" community (of those who, for an absurdly wide variety of reasons, prefer not to have/bear/raise/be-near children), I can tell you there are quite a number of terms, a few of which refer to children — many of which come from the more aggressive, offensive (or deeply offended), overtly anti-children clusters (whereas I'm okay with others having them, just prefer other activities).

EDIT: might help if I actually read the OP article first =P

"Crotchfruit" comes to mind and is my favorite (though haven't dared use it much in public, though I find it strikingly funny).. Boob-munchers, snot miners, yard apes, rug rats, nose miners, linoleum lizards, pablum pukers, droolmeisters, crotchcricket, crotchfruit, crumbgrinder, crumbmuncher, and several others from the Childfree Wiki entry on slang.

There are several other colloquial gems used within the bunch, such as a "Bingo" (the person who, upon discovering your position, asks to the effect of, "Now why on earth is that a good idea?" and also used to refer to the question itself). However, there are several rather disparaging terms listed there, but a healthy number of funny terms — such as overzealous breastfeeding moms who feel within their liberty to do so despite local laws: the uber-boober.

johng423
129 Posts
(Offline)
14
2010/04/28 - 7:33am

A college student I know, who does not like children, once wrote a paper arguing that children are a sexually transmitted disease. (That's harsh!)

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