Crossdressers-Haven.com

In reading the mail on this board, it occurred to me that we (the crossdressers) are developing a new subset of English, with old words given new meanings. Perhaps this is not unique to this Board, but since this is the first I encountered, I'll start my linguistic analysis here.

For example, notice the different ways we describe a state of attire. When wearing men's clothes, we say we are ...
in drab
in male mode
in boy mode
not dressed

When wearing women's clothes, we say we are ...
dressed
en femme
in girl mode
in drag

At least those are the common terms I've seen, but I'm sure there are many others that you are welcome to add. I suspect that our CD lingo probably overlaps that of the gay community, but connotations of the words may differ.

Some of our abbreviations are inimitable: GG, TG, SO, TV, and CD (not to be confused with television and compact disc), for example.

Having a specialized jargon has advantages. It is economical of words, and there is the feeling of fellowship, of belonging to a group subculture, that makes one feel secure. Unfortunately, it is often used to obfuscate. Jargon exists in many areas, and the psychologists probably have the corner on the market.

I invite you to contribute to the beginnings of a CD lexicon, assuming there will be enough to make it interesting.

Willy

OK, here's a 'breakdown' of some of the more commonly used terms (here and from other groups):

CD: Crossdresser
TV: Transvestite
TS: Transsexual
TG: Transgendered
DQ: Drag Queen
GF: Girlfriend
SO: Significant Other (meaning wife, husband, boyfriend, or girlfriend - whichever is applicable)
GG: Genetic Girl
GW: Genetic Woman
GF: Genetic Female (Also can mean girlfriend depending on the context in which it's used)
GM: Genetic Man (or genetic male)
DH: Dear Husband, Dear Heart, Dead Head, (there are others)
DRAB: Dressed as a male
DRAG: Dressed as a female
ENHOMME: Dressed as one's genetic gender
ENFEMME: Male dressed as a female

These aren't specific to the TG community, but are commonly used internet 'jargon' terms:
LMAO: Laughing my *ss off
ROFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my *ss off
IMO: In my opinion
IMHO: In my humble (or honest) opinion
TY: Thank You
YW: You're Welcome


Dixie
http://www.geocities.com/senorita_cd

Dont laugh ,

The first time I saw reference to TV I was trying to work out what the television had to do crossdressing , the coin eventually dropped.

( DIGA ) dressed in girls apparel , this is one of my own that I used before I had a name.

Hi all,

Willy,

Glad to see another logophile pipe up on lexical issues (although, in the context of this forum, the word "lexical" can be taken to mean, "adj., in the manner of, or in the way prescribed by, Alexandra" ex.: a lexical rant ).

English isn't my mother tongue, but I'll try to contribute what I can. I find there isn't much I can add to Dixie's rather exhaustive list (although I do have a minor quibble: just as the expression en femme means "as a woman," en homme literally means "as a man," so it can be considered "dressed as one's genetic gender" if, and only if, you're a man).

To "DQ: Drag Queen," I'd add "DK: Drag King," the genetic female equivalent (or opposite number) of our own RuPaul, for example.

I know, Willy, that you're talking about English language idioms, but I find it interesting to point out a few things from my own French language. For example, whereas, in English, there are, at least, two different words (or expressions) to denote, on the one hand, a flamboyant, crossdressing performer--a Drag Queen--and, on the other, a "regular," often closeted, crossdressing person--a Crossdresser or a Transvestite--no such distinction exists in French. When we refer to un travesti (notice that the word is masculine, although, in these parts, popular usage "transsexualized" the word... we refer to une travestie, even though the individual is male), when, as I say, we refer to un travesti, we could be talking about either a regular crossdresser or a drag queen, or a even to a person suffering from an alleged mental disorder, the context determining which. Also, there is no equivalent French term for "crossdresser." The word travesti is the only one, but a rich one it is; it means one thing should I describe myself as such to a therapist and quite another when I refer to myself as such to a "sister." We do have an expression that refers specifically to drag queens, though: un personnificateur feminin, literally, a "female personifier," or, in English, a female impersonator.

Anyway, that's about French (which is probably Greek to most of you! ). Back to the list. I'd add the FI (Female Impersonator) mentioned above, along with Mimic (or Female Mimic). Other possible terms to include in our jargon:

Eonist (coined by sexologist Alfred Kinsey, I believe, after the Chevalier d'Éon de Beaumont, a famous crossdresser in the employ of King Louis XIV of France);
Autogynephile (the "lover of one's self as a woman," mentioned elsewhere in this forum);
Fe-maling (often used in critical circles);
I've heard some refer to the practices of "blanding" (as in, "I'm blanding in with the crowd") and "brighting" (where I get to show my true colours).

Well, there are probably a host of other terms we could add. It's just after 5:00 am on a Sunday morning and I'm beat, so I can't think of any right now. Anybody else want to chime in on this?

This thread is a lot of fun. Thanks for starting it, Willy!

Love,
CJ

I had always thought the term " drag queen " refers only to "gay crossdressers ".
Normally a person that is called a queen in Aus' is refering to their homosexuality , on that score I would object to anyone using that term to refer to me.
The term crossdresser is a more appropriate title for hetro , or is that a
" drag king "
Or am I off track completely ??

To use Darlenes phrase , please enlighten me??

Hi Merinda,

I thought drag queen meant someone who performs in drag?

Ok, so I really posted to say I like the new avatar.

Beauty

Allô CJ et al,

Je parle français un peu. I have a little book of French that I have found invaluable, especially in Paris. Title: "Merde!", and subtitled: "The REAL French You Were Never Taught at School."

The word they give for a transvestite is the male: "un travelot", shortened to "un trav." The number of different words for a homosexual is impressive.

I am delighted at the logophilic response to my note, but I think we should stick to English, which, actually, is the richest language of all. However, when I am in France I temporarily assume that French is THE international language. I keep friends that way.

Thanks much, Dixie, for your list. There are some there that are completely new to me.

Please keep the words coming. I'm keeping a list.

Willy

Hi all,

Merinda,

You're right, drag queens usually (but not always) are gay. Often, they're either performers of some kind or part of a flamboyant clubkidz scene. Their often exaggerated mannerisms and theatrical makeup single them out as being crossdressed in order to entertain, as a form of spectacle. Not so for crossdressers. If someone calls you a drag queen, they're making a mistake... they have RuPaul in mind, not Merinda Widget. "Mado Lamothe," our own local drag diva (and owner of the city's best-known drag cabaret), is a good example of what a drag queen can look like (um, unfortunately, I guess)...

http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/ ... 502/c6.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.majellart.com/i_art_montreal ... n_mado.jpg

Willy,

Yes, travelot and trav are often, too often, used (although not here--only in France). They're pejorative terms, always used in a condescending manner. Maybe that's why they don't teach that particular French in school. One of my anglophone friends refers to crossdressers as "Spoofs," alluding to both our supposedly being gay (the "Poofs" of the U.K.) as well as to our being farcical imitations (of women, presumably). I could tell him he's wrong on both counts (and I've tried) but that won't stop him from using the word, I fear. He likes the sound of it too much. Would it be a word I'd want them to teach in school? Not likely. This is a conundrum: do we include pejorative terms in our jargon? I think not, but, then, the vocabulary surrounding us (crossdressers) remains incomplete. Having said all this, I don't take myself so seriously that I can't see the humour in some of these terms (and, as Ahzz would be quick to point out, they'd only apply to me if I let them). One of my colleagues, upon seeing my calendar pix en femme, told me I make a "funny girl." "More funny than you think," I replied.

Love,
CJ

Beauty wrote:Hi Merinda,

Ok, so I really posted to say I like the new avatar.

Beauty

Thanks beauty , I uploaded over 70 different Merinda photos onto my computer yesterday and burnt them onto a compact disc , this (cropped) avatar was me wearing a pink top and blue shortalls.

CJ ,

Thanks , the example photos you posted are exactly how I would describe a drag queen.

Hi all,

Merinda,

I completely forgot: I also wanted to tell you that your avatar looks great. You seem to have a sunny disposition. And your smile is infectious! Good show, girl!

Love,
CJ

Hi Merinda,
Love the pictures and I like the DIGA! that's cool!
Virginia

Hey CJ.

Hmmmmmmm...... Fe-maling.......I like that. Sounds rather appropriate.

Willie (and others who may be interested),

After posting my first rteply to this topic I rememberd that I have a listing of these terms on my web site. In addition there are several links on the same page which are excellent resources to many more of the abbreviations and "shorthand languages" we use.

Access the site at http://www.geocities.com/senorita_cd then click on the "GRITS" logo. This takes you to the main menu page. Scroll down and click on the "Terms and Definitions" page and there you'll find the listings. The links to various other sites with definitions of the "labels" we oten use are near the bottom of this page.

Hope this helps,
Dixie http://www.geocities.com/senorita_cd

Fe-maling sounds nice, no nasty connotations there.

Please add my own particular speciality to the lexicon - UNDERDRESSING

Hi Dixie -
Looks like you are several steps ahead of me.

Hi Ginny -
Could you give me a quick definition of UNDERDRESSING?
I suspect it refers to the underwear we love so much, but is it the quantity? the quality? the type? or all of the above?

Willy