To wonder how on earth AF has become the worldwide accepted words for period?

[Udderly]

Why not TOTM? Or something else similar? Where did it start or how did it catch on?

[usualsuspect]

I don't know anyone that says AF for periods in RL ...only on MN

[cannydoit]

ummmmmm i did not know that meant period until you just said it, what does it stand for.

[WhoAteMySnickers]

I hate AF. But at least it's better than "on the blob".

[SpeedyGonzalez]

Isn't AF "AnyFucker"?

[fearnelinen]

Shed some light please! AF?
(I have just figured out TOTM though!)

[Mrsdoasyouwouldbedoneby]

I only hear it online. RL is usually period or "i'm on", or "that time of the mth"... ahhhh realised what TTOTM stands for.

[Mrsdoasyouwouldbedoneby]

isn't AF Aunty Flo?

No real idea as to why

[onepieceofcremeegg]

Someone I know put it on fb and everyone apart from me was ??
(it was in the context she had been bf for years so this was first appearance in a long time and she was moaning about the cost of sanpro)

Clearly she isn't on here as she didn't mention mooncups.

[sabretoothtiger]

What does AF stand for?

My mother always referred to it as "tellying". I asked her why when I was about 30 and wished I hadn't. It was the time of the month when you couldn't *&^££/~ and so you might as well watch the telly! parents!

[cannydoit]

oh hang on is it after flow good god thats a bit, well i dont really know but for some reason i object to it

[FutureNannyOgg]

It's Aunt Flo, as in "Aunt Flo has arrived for a visit" which I imagine was originally a code that not everyone got - perhaps it still is

I prefer "have the decorators in", although it got confusing when we were doing the house up.

[Hassled]

I've never heard of AF outside of MN. Does it really exist elsewhere?

[manicbmc]

Why would someone put that on facebook

[FutureNannyOgg]

There was also an episode of the IT Crowd where they called it "Aunt Irma", possible to protect the identity of dear ole Florence.

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

I say 'I'm broken' just how i feel with menstral cramping and general crappy attitude

[MrsCog]

I think period is fine - surely we're all grown ups? P arrived today? Or am I just too simplistic - it's like BD or SWI - what's wrong with sex or shag? Am I breaking mn ettiquette too early in my MN career?!

[cunexttuesonline]

I think it's mainly an internet thing. Not just MN though. I don't like it, it's twee.

[onepieceofcremeegg]

manic it was her status, something like "after 3 years of absence Aunty Flo has decided to visit and she is costing me a fortune"

Not the type of status I would use but each to their own I s'pose.

[crazynanna]

I may be being disgusting here,but I thought it was Flo(w)

[Udderly]

Its all over the internet, and yes it stands for AF (though I shall think of AnyFucker now if it ever makes an appearance again after BF ) AUNT FLOW! I find it quite strange!!

[Meita]

MrsCog SWI does stand for sex or shag (with intent). It's fairly new though, I was around when it was introduced on MN!

When I was a teenager and living in Switzerland, some people would say 'Tante Rosa' i.e. Auntie Rose is visiting, it was 'code' to get out of swimming classes without having to tell the (male) teacher intimate female stuff. I never did get it though, and wouldn't miss swimming for periods anyway. Suspect it's similar with AF.

[wigglesrock]

When I first joined MN for an antenatal thread I had to look up AF, I had never seen it used, I'm in NI, we have periods or sometimes "time of the month". I now think of it as a very English thing as well as reading bands

[Udderly]

SWI is marginally better than BD'ing! Marginally!!

[ClaireDeLoon]

I hate it when people get all sneery and 'grown up' about acronyms like SWI. Not OP she's just wondering why one set of acronyms more widely used now.

I never came across AF until I joined mn, would agree TOTM I would have recognised.

[MrsCog]

Lol - due to the inaneness of BD I assumed SWI was 'swish with intent' or something! I stand corrected - thanks Meita