#fandom lexicon

[duckprintspress]

Fandom Lexicon: Tumblr Masterpost

For several months, we posted entries to our fandom lexicon, covering the entire alphabet over 20-some-odd posts. Now that we've posted the entire core lexicon, it's time for a masterpost for those who want to access the Lexicon on Tumblr!

While it’s a given that every fandom has it’s own fandom-specific language, many people find entering general fandom difficult because as a whole, fandom uses a lot of slang, abbreviations, and language in ways that people are unfamiliar with. Encountered a word you don’t know? Maybe we can help!

Because it’s hard to draw a line between “this is fandom terminology” and “this is general internet lingo,” we’ve included a lot of terminology common to many internet spaces even if the term isn’t fandom-specific.

Want to view the entire searchable lexicon all in one place? Check out the Lexicon on duckprintspress.com!

Spot a mistake? Encounter a term we didn't include? Let us know!

Tumblr Lexicon Posts:

A

B

C

D and E

F

G

H

I, J, and K

L

M and N

O

P and Q

R

S

T

U, V, and W

X, Y, and Z

Numbers and Characters

[ipseitydelrey]

Sei!! I'm obsessed with your writing!

Since your requests are open... I was thinking maybe.... NSFW alphabet with Reid? 👀

aaaa thank you so much !!

nsfw alphabet ☆ spencer reid

ship spencer reid x afab!reader

warnings smut, use of protection (wrap it before you tap it, kiddos!!), p in v penetration (i feel like this goes w/o saying), oral (m and f receiving), hair pulling, mutual masturbation, wet dreams, teasing, sex toys, he’s self-conscious :(, slight mention of what cat adams did (only implied), also he’s bi <3

A = aftercare (what are they like after sex?)

it’s quite possible that spencer loves aftercare more than actual sex. he’s so enthusiastic about taking care of you; he’ll get food and water, run a bath, cuddle, etc.

B = body part (their favourite body part of theirs and of yours)

although he’s pretty self-critical about his looks, he does like his hair. his hairstyle changes frequently so he always appreciates it when you compliment him or you run your fingers through his hair.

spencer probably feels awful that this is his favourite part of your body, but he loves your boobs. no matter the size or shape, he lives resting his head on your chest like it’s a pillow.

C = cum (anything to do with cum)

either in you or in a condom. he doesn’t really like it when it gets everywhere. although, if he does end up cumming anywhere else (like on your stomach or face, etc.), he will definitely try to clean it up quickly.

D = dirty secret (a dirty secret of theirs)

it’s not too much of a secret but it still sort of counts: spencer has wet dreams about you. since you also sleep in the same bed, during those dreams, he would subconsciously rut against your leg and moan in his sleep. so far (at least to your knowledge), this has only happened once because you woke up to him doing it. you both are aware of this fact, but spencer isn’t aware that you know. you haven’t told him because you don’t wanna embarrass the poor guy.

E = experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

with women, very little; not even sex or second base, at most he has made out and gotten his shirt off but that’s it (we’re not including cat adams in this discussion of course). with men though? he’s not a virgin, so he does have some experience.

although if we’re counting what he knows through books and articles, then in theory he would be amazing in bed.

F = favourite position (this goes without saying)

if he’s on top, he loves missionary. the position gives him the opportunity to kiss you while he thrusts into you; he loves the romance and intimacy of it too.

if he’s bottoming, then he likes it when you ride him, especially if you’re facing towards him. he can still kiss you — giving him his much needed intimacy — and he loves to watch the way your chest heaves as you bounce on him. fondling your boobs is an added bonus! another position he loves is when you fuck him with your tits. that one doesn’t need an explanation.

G = goofy (are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)

he thinks he’s serious (he’s trying soooo hard, he wants it to be perfect) but he’s unintentionally goofy. usually during sex, he shares little tidbits about the benefits of an orgasm, or how eating pineapple can make cum taste like the fruit…and it’s hilarious. it doesn’t really bring you out of the moment, just makes you laugh.

H = hair (how well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

spencer has a mouth-watering happy trail. much like up north, down south it’s unruly, but can still be classified as well-groomed.

I = intimacy (how are they during the moment, romantic aspect...)

not much can be said, but expect tons of “i love you”s as he cums. he’s a romantic at heart, of course he wants some romance during sex.

J = jack off (masturbation headcanon)

he doesn’t masturbate a lot, maybe once or twice per two weeks at most; that’s if he’s not with you. in your presence is a whole other story. it was a bit awkward jerking off in front of you at first, but over time he’s come to love it (ngl kinda wanna write a drabble for this one).

K = kink (one or more of their kinks)

why do you think he keeps his hair long? it’s just begging to be pulled! seriously, during a makeout session, you got a little curious and your hand trailed to the back of his head and you gave his hair a lil tug. the result? an involuntary moan. and as mentioned before, mutual masturbation is on the table.

L = location (favourite places to have sex)

he believes any sort of sexual intimacy should be confined to the bedroom. he values his privacy and he doesn’t want to risk getting caught in the middle of having sex by anybody.

M = motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

you being smart, especially when you teach him something new (which doesn’t happen often but when it does, he’s so turned on). that’s pretty much it. genuinely loves it when you correct someone else, or if you work with him in the BAU, when you realize something about a particularly hard case that causes a breakthrough.

N = nope (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

doesn’t want to hurt you in anyway shape or form. it’s likely that later in your relationship, when you trust each other more, you both might experiment with biting or spanking, but that’s as far as he’s willing to go. sensory deprivation (especially with blindfolds) are also a no.

O = oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

he’s so different, yet so similar when both giving and receiving oral; he doesn’t have a preference.

if he’s giving, then he’s giving. at first, he wasn’t too good at it (you had to keep giving him pointers and tell him what you like and don’t like, but he has the basics down), but over time, he does get the hang of it. in short, his tongue has other uses than just rambling about statistics.

if he’s receiving, it is the hottest thing you have seen and heard. he gets so flushed in the cheeks and so sweaty, his hair starts to stick to his forehead as he’s panting. and the noises? the noises he produces makes you want to rut against the bed, the couch, his leg, wherever you can.

P = pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

if he’s bottoming, he does like it when you go fast, especially if he’s pent up (and maybe has been edged for a while too). but if he’s on top, then he loves to go slow. although most of the time, he’ll go whatever pace you want him to go.

Q = quickies (their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

he doesn’t like quickies, especially early in your shared sexual life. he does prefer to take his time and not have any interruptions and the like, but quickies are bound to happen with how many cases there are.

R = risk (are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

this is a man of science we are talking about; of course he’s game to experiment in the bedroom. with his limited experience (especially with women), he doesn’t know exactly what he likes and doesn’t like. but as for risks, almost never. the closest he’ll probably get to fucking in public is in a motel/hotel. he doesn’t want to get caught in such a compromising position.

S = sexts (yes? no? pictures?)

he doesn’t really understand why people would sext when they could just A. say it to their partner directly or B. just call and listen to their voice. he understands why people send nudes even less; he doesn’t want to take pictures of himself in that way, or even risk sending them. the technophobia is real with this man.

T = toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

doesn’t own any, but he isn’t vehemently opposed to using them (either on you or him) if you own some.

U = unfair (how much they like to tease)

spencer doesn’t really like to tease so much as he likes to be teased. it gets him all riled up, especially if you tease him in public. as long as the teasing is masked well, he’s all for it.

V = volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make)

the way this man moans is symphonic, it’s mind boggling. he is loud, his noises can reverberate through the room. he doesn’t just moan, he’s got a whole arsenal of sounds; whimpers, whines, cries, etc.

W = wild card (get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

the first time he got hard in front of you was a complete accident and he was so embarrassed, rapidly spitting out apologies and slight self-deprecating comments. you tried to calm him down - which sort of worked, thankfully - and asked if he wanted help with it. the event didn’t escalate into full-on sex, but hands were enough for him and you both.

X = x-ray (dick size)

like him, his cock isn’t particularly girthy, but it’s long, definitely above average. in fact, it’s long enough that you could still feel the aftershocks of it even when it’s been a day.

Y = yearning (how high is their sex drive? how many rounds can they go for, how long do they last...)

the man is so touch-starved that at this point, any form of intimacy would be near too much for him. so, his sex drive would probably be high, but he would still only be able to go maybe one or two rounds. later in your relationship, he might be able to go longer than that.

Z = zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

spencer is the type of guy to feel sleepy after sex, even if he cane only once. the activity takes a lot out of him, but he would still prioritize you first before himself. after he does his whole aftercare routine, he’s out like a light. this could be different if he has a migraine, in which case he’ll probably be up for a couple more hours (yay insomnia).

[saliosis]

"wordgirl" was made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you.... thank you.

[bonefall]

i found a god awful doc about this one person (who, too, is a god awful being) trying to reason why mudClaw would be a bad leader. I'ma try to find the doc but meanwhile I'll submit this because someone could have the link, I'll need your honest thought about it bcs why are we defending oneWhiker now

Anon, buddy, I'm gonna have to sit you down and gently discourage you from casually calling random human people "god awful beings" in my inbox like this. Not when you're just talking about relatively basic media analysis. That isn't ok or normal.

I hope that when I speak harshly, it's coming from a place of condemning hurtful actions and the tangible harm that they cause. I don't appreciate people trying to get me to directly beef with other people directly by requesting I break down their individual posts or analysis documents (when I ask for people to share links, it's so I can see and prepare to counter the ideas because they usually "float downstream" if they get popular); but in a second ask, you linked this document and there's nothing harmful in it. In fact, it's got a far more neutral tone than I'd take if I was writing an analysis about Mudclaw.

If you couldn't tell the difference between a document like this and one that contains active abuse apologia rhetoric, I would be filled with concern. But I don't think you read it. I think you maybe skimmed it and stopped reading, or just heard the title.

Because this document literally says this;

and your takeaway, something you felt so strongly about that you came to me hoping I'd validate it, was "Why Are We Defending Onewhisker Now."

Art is a tool we can use to explore our own biases, and teach us something about ourselves. That overwhelming sense of anger and disgust that you probably felt when you saw "Mudclaw Would Be A Bad Leader" made you jump to an emotional conclusion and you assumed something that was not said. I know the feeling. You might have had a reactionary impulse.

You are not a bad person for doing that-- you're human. You can grow.

Why did it upset you this much, though? Is there something very personal about this that set you off? ...are you spending a lot of time in spaces online that keep you angry? These are questions for you to reflect with.

I do not know the owner of this document or "what they've done," if anything, so I will not link it, because their Discord is at the bottom of the doc. If they are truly a "god awful being", please do not engage, just block and move on. Nothing is accomplished by following around 'A Bad Guy' and boosting their cat takes.

But something VERY bad WOULD be accomplished if I indulged an anon for a situation I know nothing about and unwittingly became part of a harassment campaign. How do I know that you've got good intentions?

I usually just delete unsolicited links to docs and videos that are 'fightbaiting' like this-- trying to get me to beef publicly with a 3rd person. But I've seen more of these than usual lately so I would like to try and cool it down.

[nyenyerle]

i sound old but we should have more respect for the text of the silmarillion :) like don’t just take out the idea of nerdanel’s sexy biceps. it’s been written by a man who really liked texts :)) not saying you must also like texts. it’s fine (and im saying this sincerely) if you only like fingon’s 14 karat bobby pins!! but you should be able to recognise and willing to admit and ready to mention that the text itself is good fucking literature. no more “it’s unfinished” “chris tolkien didn’t even like it” “haha elf phone book” “i’ve read it on tolkien gateway that somewhere in the HoME there’s a gayer version of this sentence” stop joking about how it’s bad. like we do know that it has literary value far far far far far far far beyond providing lexical information about our elves of choice right? :(

[theneighborhoodwatch]

cobbling together old discord rambles about julie and frank to make sense in a single text post because i feel like hurting someone today:

something i rotate a lot is the Dramatic Irony of a friendship deteriorating as a result of external forces trying to push them together when they were ALREADY close but not in the way that those forces intended - trying to make every interaction between them something that it isn't. i've made jokes along the lines of “genderfucking my ocs by telling them they have to be cishet” before but like. genuinely i do think there’s potential for there to be an element of one or both finally being pushed by this predicament to Deliberately seek out things they are not “supposed” to have, whether that be new relationships or new forms of self expression or just things we have no way of predicting yet.

and the real tragedy there is that if any of the characters involved had it their way, then it's likely that these things wouldn’t be coming into conflict with each other at all, bc yes they are different things, but they are all equally genuine. i know some people have talked about the idea julie turning against frank bc she does actually have feelings for him, but my own personal disinterest in this interpretation aside, i think there’s a lot more Dramatic Mileage to be found in “this person is my best friend so i only want good things for them -> free will and love are generally good things -> i find out i exist to limit their free will and/or ability to find love with other people -> Oh god. there's no way i can be included among 'good things' then. oh god. oh god." or "this person is my best friend so i only want good things for them -> free will and love are generally good things -> i find out they exist to limit my free will and/or ability to find love with other people -> Hey Dude? What The Fuck. I Have Only Ever Wanted Good Things For You.” or even both of those at the same time.

i wonder, which would feel worse: telling someone in a fit of anger against the circumstances that led you two here (circumstances are harder to hurt than people) that they ruined your life just by existing, and then having them try to turn that back on you? or having them agree with you? to find yourself burdened with the task of trying to cut them loose from you and risking your own safety in the process, or to find that they've taken matters into their own hands before you could make that decision?

[minty-mumbles]

I’m sorry, and this is the last thing I’ll say about it, but the phrase “queering characters into oblivion” is honestly so funny…

Like yeah, your favorite character? They’ve been queered into oblivion, sorry. Yeah, no, they’re not coming back. They’re a poly trans gay girl now 😔 thoughts and prayers

[dullahandyke]

Fuck it I'm putting the phrase 'biblically accurate' on the shelf (in my tumblr post content filter) you guys are weird about it

[kennys-parka-jacket]

.

[duckprintspress]

Fandom Lexicon: A

For over a year, we here at Duck Prints Press have been slowly but surely working on a creating a fandom lexicon: a basic dictionary of common terms, abbreviations, and slang used now and in the past in fandom circles. This is, unsurprisingly, a massive undertaking, and we can never hope to be exhaustive, but we finally have gotten far enough along to begin sharing this project publicly!

Starting this week, we will be adding more definitions to our Fandom Lexicon weekly, usually at a rate of one letter a week (though we’ll double and triple up for some letters with fewer terms). And – we’ll be making all these updates into blog posts!

Today, we’ve added the definitions filed under the letter “A” to our lexicon.

Note: future updates will not update this blog post, but will update the main Lexicon page in our webpage Resources.

Did we miss a term? Is one of our definitions incomplete? Let us know, and we’ll take your input under advisement!

Lexicon Terms Beginning with A (read more)

A/B/O: Abbreviation, stands for Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics. See Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics. Note: Writing the abbreviation without a divider is considered bad etiquette in many fandom circles because it looks like an Australian slur.

A/N: Abbreviation, stands for “author’s note.” A note at the beginning of a fanfiction written by the author.

A/S/L: Abbreviation, stands for age/sex/location. In ye olde internet days, it was common for people to try to find hook-ups by messaging strangers “A/S/L,” requesting their age, sex, and location as the initial step of forging a connection.

Abandoned: A work that the creator has stopped updating.

Ace: Abbreviation, stands for asexual/asexuality. The overarching term for people who do not experience sexual attraction, as opposed to those who are allosexual. Read more about the term “asexuality.”

Achillean: An umbrella term for men or men-aligned people who love other men, regardless of the sexuality of the men in question. Read more about the term “achillean.”

Adoption: When the author of an abandoned work allows (explicitly or by lack of response) another person to finish it. In many fandoms, it is considered rude to adopt a work without permission.

AFAB: Abbreviation, stands for “assigned female at birth.” Someone who got ye olde “F” on their birth certificate based on the birth attendant’s judgment of their genitals. Read more about the abbreviation “AFAB.”

AIM: Abbreviation, stands for “AOL Instant Messenger.” A messaging service commonly used in the mid 1990s to mid 2000s. Read more about AIM.

AITA: Abbreviation, stands for “Am I the Asshole?” Both an inquiry and a reference to a popular subreddit. Read more at the AITA reddit.

Allo: Abbreviation, stands for allosexual/allosexuality. The overarching term for people who experience sexual attraction, as opposed to those who are asexual. Can also be used for romance, i.e alloromantic/aromantic. Read more about the term “allosexual” and the term “alloromantic”.

Ally: Typically used to refer to someone who is not a member of a specific oppressed group, who supports and advocates for the rights of an oppressed group. For example, a straight person who supports and advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights would be an ally. Read more about the term “ally.”

Alpha: A secondary gender term used in works with alpha/beta/omega dynamics. While the specifics are up to the writer, some common characteristics of alphas include: larger, stronger bodies; social dominance; a strong sense of smell; eyes that turn red when angry or aroused; hormone-driven sexual “ruts”; and canine-esque genitalia. See Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics.

Alpha Reader: The first person, other than the author, to read a written work. An alpha reader typically offers feedback on plot, structure, characterization, and other such subjective details. Read more about alpha readers.

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics: an original type of alternate universe created by fandom in which characters, who may be human, part-human, or non-human, are born with a second gender in addition to their main gender. The details of how these worlds work vary widely but the basic idea is that in addition to being born as female, male, non-binary, etc., characters are also born as alphas, betas, and/or omegas, and this impacts their sex lives. Read more: Fanlore; our blog post about Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics.

AMAB: Abbreviation, stands for “assigned male at birth.” Someone who got ye olde “M” on their birth certificate based on the birth attendant’s judgment of their genitals. Read more about the term “AMAB.”

AN: Abbreviation, stands for Author’s Note. See A/N.

Angst: Typically used to describe a fanfic that deep-dives into feelings of anxiety, fear, insecurity, grief, and other heavily negative emotions. Read more on about the term “angst.”

Anime: Animated media from Japan.

Anon: Abbreviation, stands for anonymous. Usually used to refer to the person who sent an anonymous communication such as a Tumblr ask or a fic comment.

Anti: Abbreviation, stands for anti-shipper, though it is often used as just “anti” without the implication of being specifically against shipping/a ship in modern fandom parlance. 1. Someone who strongly dislikes [thing], where thing is usually a fandom, character, ship, or kink. 2. Someone who has developed (or been exposed to) a set of restrictive and unrealistic moral standards about behavior and/or beliefs that they apply to all media they encounter and expect everyone else to adhere to as well. Those who do not meet these standards are typically painted as morally reprehensible by the anti community, and they are subsequently subjected to harassment, bullying, dogpiling/brigading, exposure to offline social circles and/or employers, doxxing, and/or threats of real harm, all of which can occur online or in the physical world. Testimony from former antis indicates that it is easy to fall into this behavior but extremely difficult to escape it. Read more about the term “anti-shipper” and it’s subsequent development.

Anti-anti: Someone who hates antis as much as antis hate them. See Pro-shipper (pending). Read more about the term “anti-anti.”

AO3: Abbreviation, stands for “Archive of Our Own.” An extensive archive of fanworks maintained by the Organization for Transformative Works, created in response to censorship destroying fanworks and history on other platforms. Visit AO3.

Apologism: Read about the term “apologism.”

Appropriation: Short for “cultural appopriation.” Read more about appropriation.

Archive Warnings: Refers to the required content warning labels on Archive of Our Own. Specifically these are: “Choose not to use Archive warnings,” “None of these warnings apply,” “Graphic depictions of violence,” “Major character death,” “Rape/non-con,” and “Underage.” Anyone who posts a creation to the Archive must include at least one of these warnings.

Aro: Abbreviation, stands for Aromantic/Aromanticism. An overarching term for people who do not experience romantic attraction. Read more about aromanticism.

ASL: Abbreviation, stands for American Sign Language or Age/Sex/Location. See A/S/L. Read more about American Sign Language.

AU: Abbreviation, stands for Alternate Universe. Typically used when a fanwork lifts the characters from a the source material and places them in a completely different reality. For example, placing Buffy and Spike in a story set in medieval times. Read more about AUs.

Avatar: 1. Another name for a PFP, the icon next to a user’s name on a social media platform, forum, or other online setting. Depending on what platform you are using, avatar may be the most-commonly used term for this image. 2. Shorthand for Avatar the Last Air Bender. 3. A sci-fi movie by James Cameron. See also: PFP (pending)

AYRT: Abbreviation, stands for Anon You Responded To. In conversation involving one or more anonymous parties, a way of distinguishing which anon is being referred to.

[j2zara]

you’ve made “niceys” a part of my irl vocabulary. how dare you (/lh/j)

That one’s not on me! I definitely say it but I’m pretty sure The Niceys is a Jess Special @hauntedwizardmoment but I could be wrong.

[pbandfluff]

the reactions to this poll are pure Entertainment™ in part i think because i didn't specify my own answer to the poll itself, and therefore i have people acting as though i don't know anything about the question i asked

[rooolt]

dmhltnfis being the top kudosed Oakworthy fic on ao3 is not my greatest accomplishment in this fandom, it is the phrase “the day gay people go real”

[divorcedyaoi]

Putting my two cents in on the anderscourse . he fucking sucks imo but if he’s ur skrunkly whatever idc HOWEVER If you like anders and don’t like fenris. I need you to take a deep reflection as to why. Like reaallly look inside yourself

[clarabosswald]