To think that "fanny" is not an offensive name for female genitalia ?

[gonenative]

My ex was taken aside by our 3.5 yr old daughter's nursery key worker today, and told that they didn't like her using the word fanny, and that she should use the word noony instead?!

Is there a difference in offensiveness levels between these 2 names? Always thought that fanny was just a harmless kids name for vagina/vulva whatever, am I wrong?

makes the point about the Scottish usage...

We've used 'fairy' ever since our lesbian nanny from Yorkshire informed us it was so :)

Fanny is a bit rood, where I am, but surely preferable to 'noony', wtf?! Haven't crossed this one yet, think I'll go with vagina (sorry to poster a few above but vulva really gives me the heaves).

Someone said up above that they hate hearing
'Boys have x and girls don't) Me too. It's so negative.

I was brought up to believe fanny was a really dirty word. Not sure what we called our bits as children.

My DD (almost 3) has opted for "bottom" and "wee-wee bottom" for hers which seems to work fine at the moment

Tell them to be thankful that she doesn't say 'pissflaps'

There's a classic jazz song called 'I want my Fanny Brown'. About a Miss Fanny Brown, obviously

Just for all the vagina-ites: it's not a vagina. You can't really see your vagina can you - unless you lie down and throw your legs in the air? What you see is called a vulva. Do lots of little girls go around thinking they urinate out of their vaginas?

It was the word we used in my family when I was growing up so I have never thought twice about using it with my kids. I can't say it's a name that I particularly like but can't see that noony or nunni or whatever is any better. Front bottom is confusing, fou-fou is twee and irritating, vagina is anatomically incorrect and vulva just seems a rather clinical word for a toddler to be uttering to me.

Couldn't agree more, OP. IMO Fanny is the direct female equivalent of Willy -and no-one seems to have a problem with Willy.

Although thinking strongly about converting to vagine

I have a friend who calls it "mini". I say "nuni" I didn't know about its origins, i use it because it sounds unoffensive (in the same way I say willy instead of penis)

My friend made the mistake of saying 'flower' then DD was asked to draw flowers at school - that picture didn't end up on the fridge

Hey maybe that solves request for new emoticons

my mum called it a Minnie or a Nun/Nunny

we have a boy and its called a million and eight different things

clunge and ripsishere that is hysterical!

i think as a child we said mini or minikins although it's a vague memory and not a word that's stuck with me.

Danish word translates to lips of shame! They've not been taught that. I'm not the Danish speaker so no idea if this word just sounds normal or if other words are used with children

I agree with culturemulcher:

Willy - 2 syllables, ends with a y, is also a boy's name
Fanny - 2 syllable, ends in y, is also a girl's name

They should be perfect equivalents. Can't help but feel that whatever gets used for a girls bits is somehow automatically considered ruder. People end up finding ever more unusual euphemisms, presumably in the hope that if you say it in public most people won't know what you are talking about (heaven forfend!). Presumably if enough people decided to all say "nuni" then that would be considered too rude as well!

Ham wallet?
Mouse's ear?
Catcher's mit?
Velvet cup?
All fine alternatives if they can't cope with fanny

This is like the 'twat' discussion the other day (well it's sort of like that...)

I'm talking about regional variations in how rudely rude a word is perceived to be.

Unlike loads of MNers I don't think twat is particularly rude (not that I'm suggesting that as a solution to OP's dilemma, mind )

however I do think fanny is rude. It is a mild swear in Glasgow.

(cf Chewin' the Fat - 'ya couple of fannies')

So no way would I encourage DCs to say fanny. DD has a vulva and DS has a penis. End.

I hate "penis" its such a naff word. Boys have willies, men have cocks.

Roffle ripsishere

Other possible words (Slang Dictionary):

axe wound ? badly wrapped kebab ? bald man in a boat ? bean ? bearded clam ? bearded oyster ? beav ? beaver ? beefcurtain ? beef curtain ? birth cannon ? blue waffle ? box ? bread ? buju ? camel's foot ? camel toe ? candy ? chach ? cha cha ? cherry ? chocha ? cho-cho ? chonch ? choot ? clit ? clunge ? cock ? cooch ? coochie ? cookie ? coosie ? cooter ? cuder ? cunny ? cunt ? cunt punt ? cutty ? cut up ? fanny ? fish taco ? flange ? front bottom ? fuck hole ? fur burger ? fur pie ? gap ? gash ? growler ? hair burger ? hair pie ? ham flap ? ham wallet ? hatchet wound ? hoo-hoo ? hot pocket ? ill na-na ? incision ? jute ? kitty ? kooch ? kuder ? lip ? lunchmeat ? mangina ? man in the boat ? man in the boat, the ? meat curtains ? meat flap ? meatwallet ? meat wallet ? minge ? moose knuckle ? muff ? muffin ? na-na ? nappy dugout ? neden ? nookie ? open wound ? pink ? pink canoe ? pink sausage wallet ? pink taco ? pink velvet sausage wallet ? piss flaps ? pookie ? poon ? poonaner ? poonani ? poontang ? poon tang pie ? pootang ? poo tang ? pooter ? pootie tang ? promised land, the ? punani ? punanni ? puss ? pussy ? putang ? pu-tang ? quif ? quiff ? quim ? quivering mound of love pudding ? roast beef ? roast beef curtains ? slit ? smush mitten ? snatch ? snizz ? soggy box ? sprained vagina ? tampon tunnel ? tang ? trim ? tunnel of love ? twat ? twitchet ? V ? vadge ? vag ? vagoo ? vajayjay ? vertical smile ? whispering eye ? woo ? woogit ? wugget ? wuss.

No Noony I see, but I now have a new view on all those olde Folke Songes that go Hey Nonny No etc etc

'Fanny' would be considered a rude word where I come from, and it would not be considered acceptable for my secondary pupils to use the term in school unless talking amongst themselves where they wouldn't be overheard. It's just not considered appropriate in polite conversation - I would never use that word in front of my mum, for example.

My nan died of cancer of the vulva, so I think it is important to know the correct terms and apply them from a young age - less embarrassment that way.

whatmeworry: you missed orf twinkle (no end of fun when DD got confused about twinkle twinkle little star!)

and rudy, the one i grew up with hate with intense passion.

Your nursey key worker is a pedantic arse who needs to lighten up.

HTH.

We've plumped for 'girlie bits' here. I have two older boys too and I'm afraid we went with 'dinkle' only because that was what the midwife called it in hospital when she was showing me how to bathe my first son!

This thread is surprising me - I never realised the extent of (I assume) regional differences in the UK.