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The Red Badge of Courage. You earned it.
ByVicky Leta , Andrea Romano , and Alisa Stern on
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Other words for periods? Try The Red Badge of Courage or Moon Time, ladies.Credit: Vicky Leta / Mashable
Shark Week. Aunt Flo. Period.
All of these words are euphemisms for one thing: menstruation. So why can't we just use the word menstruation instead of all of this period slang? Well, there's probably a lot of reasons we're always looking for other words for period, ranging from everything from social pressures to the idea that the word menstruation is just a little bit hard to say.
SEE ALSO:
'Turning Red's portrayal of periods is a turning point for coming-of-age moviesAn international survey conducted by the health app Clue found thatthere are more than "5,000 different slang/euphemistic expressions and phrases for periods: from the gentle English 'Aunt Flo,' to the dramatic French 'Les Anglais ont debarqué' – 'the English have landed.'"
In addition, the survey concluded, "French and English were the two most creative languages, and France and China were the two countries in which most people had heard euphemisms being used (91%). By contrast, only half of Costa Ricans had heard any euphemisms."
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Even though there's no reason to be afraid of the words "period" or "menstruation," we still like to get a little creative — and it's almost a language on its own.
It actually makes "that time of the month" almost bearable. Almost.
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- Can you take an STI test when you have your period?
- Curious about period tech? These 9 apps and gadgets are worth trying
- Period apps in a post-Roe world: What you need to know
- 4 things you should know about period poverty
So here they are, 15 other words for period:
1. Visit from Aunt Flo
2. On the Rag
3. Lady Business
Period slang: Lady businessCredit: Vicky Leta, Alisa Stern, Mashable
4. That Time of the Month
5. The Red Badge of Courage
6. Moon Time
Period slang: Moon TimeCredit: Vicky Leta, Alisa Stern, Mashable
7. Crimson Tide
8. Checking Into the Red Roof Inn
9. Red Wedding
Period slang: Red WeddingCredit: Vicky Leta, Alisa Stern, Mashable
10. Girl Flu
11. Carrie
12. Mother Nature’s Gift
Period slang: Mother Nature's GiftCredit: Vicky Leta, Alisa Stern, Mashable
13. The Red Baron
14. Riding the Cotton Pony
15. Shark Week
Period slang: Shark WeekCredit: Vicky Leta, Alisa Stern, Mashable
Related Video: Weirdly Accurate Period Slang You Should Know
UPDATE: May. 23, 2023, 5:05 p.m. AEST This article was originally published Aug. 2018, and has since been updated May 2023.
TopicsHealth
Andrea Romano -- comedy writer, craft enthusiast, lady -- was a Watercooler Reporter. She worked as an intern at Mashable beginning in January 2014. Andrea recently completed her Masters degree in Media Studies and Film from The New School and writes sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade and The People's Improv Theatre. She once watched three Paul Rudd movies in a row on a bicoastal flight and didn't realize it until she landed. She does things like that a lot. Twitter: @theandrearomano
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