Fucking is an act that has a lot of meanings. In one sense, it can mean lovemaking, in another sense, it can mean being sexually attracted to another person. Sexual intercourse is an act usually involving the thrusting and insertion of the penis either into the woman’s vagina for procreation, sexual pleasure, or both. This is commonly called male sex or male masturbation. In the third sense, it refers to an action, or process of being sexually aroused.
So, how do we make sure our words and actions have correct meanings? For example, the word “fuck” in an English context can mean various things. For example, “to f— someone over” in the context of an intimate relationship can mean “to enjoy sex with someone other than one’s spouse.” In the context of sexual intercourse, however, the word “fuck” can often be used to add emphasis to a negative thought, such as “the worst sex you’ve had,” “sexually torturing your partner,” “making her squirm in bed,” “causing your partner to scream out of pain,” etc.
So how do we express anger without adding an offensive odor to our words? How do we say things with great care while keeping them clean and free of offensive implications? The best way to keep our thoughts and actions clean and free of offensive thoughts is to simply refrain from using them. Here are a few examples:
Fucking is an adjective that means “attempting to thrust or make use of force against another person.” In the context of a romantic relationship, this means “making love,” “making love into sex,” or “acting like a dog.” It first appeared in print in 1825 and by then had been adopted by common language and had come to mean “to thrust.” And since then, the word “fucking” has consistently referred to sex (including oral sex). “Fucking a boy,” “making love to a man,” and “putting a guy or girl on take off” all refer back to the same basic act.
“I don’t need the English language to tell me what the word ‘fucking’ means, I am simply too old-fashioned for that,” writes feminist writer Barbara Coloroso in a recent article in Language Differences. “If you hear someone express the opinion that the word [Rape] is okay when used in a relationship, call them on it, and ask them why they think that’s okay. Unless they know you personally, it’s better for everyone’s feelings if you don’t continue using the word. Likewise, if they use the word to describe their own behavior, it’s best not to engage with them unless they have specific and legitimate objections.” Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely remove the word “rape” from our vocabulary, so Coloroso’s suggestion is to just stop using it.
The truth is that the word “rape” is commonly used in the English language because it describes so much of what goes on in sexual intercourse. To simplify things for ourselves, we need to stop thinking of the English language as consisting of only the words “to be forced to sex,” “to be penetrated,” and “to penetrate.” “Rape” is one of those words that can be used to describe any situation in which sexual intercourse occurs. Therefore, those who are claiming that there is no such thing as rape need to come up with a better explanation for why “rape” is commonly used in the English language than saying, for example, that” penetrative sex between two consenting adults” would be a description of vaginal intercourse.