T3WD (TTTWD): an acronym for "those things that we do," meant as code for the BDSM acronym or a code word to stand for all that is kinky or fetish. Sometimes, though uncommon, the term is pronounced as "three-tees-double-you-dee" or "tee-times-three-double-you-dee." As the BDSM acronym becomes more common among mainstream vanilla people, having a code word allows people to talk about BDSM in mixed company. Modeled after the acronym WIITWD. See related WIITWD.  TAIL PLUG: a butt plug attached to a tail, most often a horse's tail, fox's tail, or cat's tail, meant to be inserted into a person to give the appearance that they have a tail. Used often in animalism play. See related BUTT PLUG and ANIMALISM. 
TAMPON TRAINING: the practice of inserting tampons into the anus of a male submissive as part of humiliation play, meant to either make him empathize with the female menstrual cycle or used as a way of emasculating him for feminization. Tampons can soak up all moisture, especially if left in for any length of time, and when they are removed, they can tear the lining of the rectum. This practice is not recommended. Some have tied the string of a tampon to other soft, solid objects that are the size of a tampon to avoid injury to the submissive. It is not recommended to put any object in a person's anus that was not designed specifically for doing so. An object could separate from the string and become lodged in the rectum. 
TASER: a self-defense weapon meant to immobilize a person by temporarily disrupting muscle functions and inflicting pain. It shoots two small dart-like electrodes through which it administers a high voltage of electricity. Like any electricity play, playing with tasers can prove to be dangerous, particularly so with a taser because of the high voltage that the gun emits. The average taser releases an estimated 50,000 volts of electricity. It is possible to stop a person's heart or disrupt body functions and cause permanent injury or death. It is advisable to never use a stun gun, a cattle prod, a taser, or any other device that emits high-voltage electricity for the purposes of BDSM play. Tasers are illegal in many states without a license to use them. Despite the obvious dangers involved with this device, some choose to ignore the dangers and engage in BDSM play using it, hence why it is in the glossary. All dangerous BDSM activities or edge play have different levels of risk involved. Playing with a taser should be considered extremely high risk and discouraged. TAWSE (TAWS): an implement used for striking or whipping a person, made of thick, heavy leather, which splits into two or three parallel strips, called thongs, at the striking end. When the thongs strike the flesh, they never hit precisely at the same time. That fraction-of-a-second delay causes the pain to be twice as intense as a single thong, and twice as loud. The first use of the tawse was recorded in the nineteenth century in Scotland, as a form of corporal punishment in schools. It was first used to inflict pain on the palms of a student's hands. Historically, a type of tawse was also given to girls about to be married as a wedding gift, with an inscription engraved in the leather: "Fur the weans," meaning "for your children." Ironically, the gift was also sometimes used on the wife by the husband. The implement is common in BDSM. 
TAYLOR HAMMER: a medical instrument consisting of a triangular rubber hammer attached to a metal handle, used for testing a person's reflexes; sometimes used in percussion play. 
TEEN PLAY: a form of age play in which a person takes on the role of a teenager, usually pretending to be underage. See AGE PLAY. TELEDILDONICS: a sex machine that can be operated remotely over the Internet, used in cybersex sessions. The term has also been used to describe vibrators that operate via Bluetooth or can be turned on and off via a smartphone. a id="ES_TEMPERATURE_PLAY"> TEMPERATURE PLAY: a form of sensation play in which hot or cold liquids, substances, materials, or objects are touched to a person to create different sensations on the skin. For example, pouring very warm syrup on a person’s skin and then touching the area with a very cold spoon. See related FIRE AND ICE and WAX PLAY. TENS UNIT: a medical instrument; a device that sends electrical signals through pads affixed to the skin to stimulate muscles and relieve pain by blocking the transmission of pain impulses through the nerves. The initial electrical shock the device emits can seem painful or startling, which is why it is used in electrical play. See related ELECTRICAL PLAY. 
THONG: a narrow strip of leather or other material, used as the lash of a flogger, strap, or single-tail whip. On a single-tail whip, the thong portion is the body of the whip, the portion after the handle and before the fall and cracker. The term thong also refers to an impact implement that is the length of a tawse (the entire strap itself). The term thong also refers to underwear or a bikini bottom with a very thin support strap so that most of the buttocks are uncovered. See related TAWSE. 
THREE-HOLE PUNCH: a sexual practice or act in which a female is double-penetrated while performing oral sex on another male. Three males and a female. It also refers to the sexual act in which a female is double-penetrated by two men in her vagina while a third penetrates her anus. See related DOUBLE PENETRATION. 
THREE-SIXTY-NINE (3-69 or 369): a sexual practice or act in which, while two people are engaged in oral sex in a sixty-nine position, a third person penetrates one of them. Three-sixty-nine is often an act in humiliation play in which a submissive male performs oral sex on his female dominant, stimulating her clitoris with his tongue while she is being penetrated by a more dominant male. This is a popular storyline scenario in cuckold-related pornography. 
THROUPLE: a polyamorous term describing an ongoing, committed relationship between three people that often mirrors a conventional couple. Rather than a couple, three people share a sexually and emotionally intimate bond as a "throuple." See related POLYAMORY and sometimes related HOUSE. THUD (THUDDY): referring to the sensation from a strike that produces a heavy, dull pain; the comparison of pain to that of a heavy impact feeling. The feelings caused by being struck by a whip or flogger are usually described as either a thud or a sting. See related contrast STING (STINGY). THUMB CUFFS: a device used to restrain a person by the thumbs. Similar to handcuffs, only much smaller. The use of thumb cuffs is considered much more dangerous than standard handcuffs due to the potential injury to the hands. 
TICKLING: any BDSM activity that involves tickling the body to induce laughter, and/or tickling for a long time to cause anxiety; part of humor play. TIGHTLACER: a person who participates in lacing. See LACING. TIT TORTURE: the BDSM practice of causing pain to the tits and/or nipples of a male or female submissive. 
TOMCAT (TOM CAT): a type of whip consisting of a non-rigid handle with several narrow lashes, similar to a flogger. Some tomcat whips resemble a hybrid between a snake whip and a cat-o'-nine-tails flogger. 
TOILET HUMILIATION PLAY (THP): a form of humiliation play in which a dominant forces a submissive to urinate or defecate in front of them, often after administering an enema, to cause embarrassment. Sometimes the dominant wipes and cleans the submissive afterward or comments on the condition of the toilet bowl to increase the humiliation. A dominant may also have the submissive perform oral sex while on the toilet, which is referred to as toilet sex. This type of play can impact the submissive psychologically, bringing about a deeper level of humiliation and submission. It is considered separate from potty training or age play, depending on the dynamic and context of the session. See UN-related POTTY TRAINING and see UN-related AGE PLAY. 
TOILET SEX: the act of giving or receiving oral sex while on a toilet, simultaneously urinating or defecating, usually as a form of humiliation play. This is considered separate from watersports or scat. TOILET TRAINING: see POTTY TRAINING. TOP: a title for a person who administers floggings, whippings, or spankings. The term top is also a title for a person who dominates another in sexual role-play. It is the opposite of bottom (the person receiving the floggings or spankings). More broadly, top is used for anyone who administers any sort of BDSM play, referring to the physical aspect only. It should not be confused with dominant, which refers to one who has assumed psychological control over a submissive. Though there is a distinction between the terms dominant and top, both are often used synonymously. TOP DROP: very much like bottom drop, it is the abrupt, temporary feeling of depression or unhappiness that some dominants experience immediately after a BDSM session. There are many reasons for top drop, such as guilt over making a mistake, disappointment in not bringing the submissive to a level of subspace he anticipated and hoped for, or simply the sudden end to the anticipation or buildup of a session. See related contrast BOTTOM DROP. TOPPING FROM THE BOTTOM: a term for an action in which the bottom of a play session directs, dictates, or controls the events taking place. For example, the Marquis de Sade often ordered his servants to flog him with a birch rod or duster made of hay whilst he masturbated. He would give direction to his servants while engaged in the act; hence, he was topping from the bottom. For those in power-exchange relationships who also engage in switching roles during play, where the dominant in the relationship takes on the role of bottom during a play session, this act can be considered topping from the bottom. However, the term topping from the bottom usually simply references a person who takes on the role of bottom and then proceeds to direct and control the session. Topping from the bottom is a term that directs focus to the actions of the submissive during the session. This is similar to bottoming from the top, which is a term focused on the actions (or inactions) of the dominant during the session. See related contrast BOTTOMING FROM THE TOP. TOP'S DISEASE: a derogatory term for the state of mind of a dominant in which they feel superior to submissives and treat them as inferior beings. This term is usually reserved for male dominants. TORTURE PLAY: a type of play that involves real or simulated torture. Sensation play is often considered a form of torture play, especially when certain kinds of physical or psychological teasing produce anticipation or anxiety in a person. Most BDSM activities fall under the torture play umbrella; however, the term is usually reserved for role-play that resembles real torture scenarios. TOTAL POWER EXCHANGE (TPE): an extreme form of power exchange where two or more people consensually agree to a relationship in which one person has complete control over another (or others), and defined roles are set with one person always being dominant while the other or others are always submissive. If this TPE relationship is continuous, it is considered to be a 24/7 TPE. See related TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN. TOWERING: refers to the fetish of appearing unusually tall and towering over others through the use of very high-heeled shoes. It is often used by male cross-dressers or drag queens who appear as unusually tall females, but it can also refer to a fetish for very tall women. The term is sometimes loosely connected to foot fetishism. TPE: see TOTAL POWER EXCHANGE (TPE) or see related TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN. TRAINED SUBMISSIVE: refers to a submissive who has undergone a level of training by an experienced dominant, learned specific protocols and rituals set by that dominant, and become mentally and physically prepared for subordination. This term denotes an experienced submissive who is willing to be safely regulated. TRAINING: see CONDITIONING. TRAINING COLLAR: similar to an engagement ring, a collar given to a submissive by a dominant at the beginning of a TPE relationship while they explore the possibility of a committed relationship. It is worn during training and is later replaced by a permanent collar. 
TRAMPLING: a practice in which a submissive lies on the floor and is walked on by a dominant. It usually involves a female dominant stepping on the genitals of a submissive male. 
TRANNY: a derogatory term for a transvestite or transsexual. It is most often used in pornography, along with terms such as "trap" or "sissy." Though traditionally considered slur-like, "tranny" has been reclaimed by some within the transgender community to diminish its negative charge, much like the term "sissy" has been embraced by segments of the BDSM community. Though some welcome the term, others see it only as a prejudicial slur. TRANSGENDER (TRANS): an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth. Most often, trans-men are men who were assigned female at birth, while trans-women are women who were assigned male at birth. Transitioning sometimes, but not always, includes medical procedures to acquire the physical characteristics of the opposite sex. Hormone therapy is often a part of a person's transitioning. For some, simply adopting masculine or feminine characteristics determines whether they identify as transgender. Transgender is an umbrella category that encompasses trans-men, trans-women, genderqueer or non-binary, bigender, pangender, genderfluid, and agender individuals. The prefix trans- comes from the Latin word meaning "across" or "beyond," though in modern context it often implies transitioning from one binary sex to another. TRANSSEXUAL (variant spelling TRANSEXUAL): a medical term for a person who feels, emotionally and psychologically, that they belong to the opposite sex. This can also refer to a person who has undergone medical procedures to acquire the physical characteristics of the opposite sex, either partially or completely. The term is used less frequently today and is largely being replaced by the term transgender. Though it remains a recognized clinical term in older literature, it is increasingly considered by some to be an outdated, prejudicial term. Most health organizations now use terms such as gender dysphoria or gender incongruence to describe transsexualism. These newer clinical terms imply that transitioning between sexes is done out of medical necessity, which does not account for individuals who transition for fetishistic reasons. Transgender or trans serves as a safer, broader umbrella term. See TRANSGENDER. TRANSVESTITE (CROSS-DRESSER): a medical term for a person, typically a man, who derives pleasure from dressing in clothes appropriate to the opposite sex. The terms transvestite and cross-dresser are considered outdated by some and are no longer commonly used in clinical settings, often being replaced by transgender or trans. However, the term transgender describes a person who identifies as a member of the opposite sex or is in a state of transitioning, whereas some cross-dressers enjoy wearing garments of the opposite sex without identifying as that sex. TRAP: refers to an attractive feminine male or a transgender female with male genitalia whose clothed appearance is so convincing that their male genitalia are not readily apparent. It is considered a derogatory term for a cross-dresser or transgender individual who passes as female, implying they are "trapping" someone into becoming attracted to them. The term is most often used in pornography alongside terms like "tranny" or "sissy." Though considered a derogatory term, "trap" is becoming accepted by some within the trans community to diminish the negativity associated with it, much like "sissy" has been embraced by segments of the BDSM community. In some circles, it is used as a compliment to tell a transgender person they are attractive and convincing in their preferred gender. TREE SWITCH: see SWITCH (TREE SWITCH or BRANCH SWITCH). TRIAD: a polyamorous relationship involving three people. TRIBE: a social circle or group of individuals interested in BDSM or engaging in BDSM activities together, most often referring to a polyamorous group or family whose members have exclusive sexual relations with one another. The term can also refer to an exclusive, all-female BDSM group. See related FAMILY. Sometimes refers to a BDSM group that is exclusive to female members only. The term tribe also refers to a name for a polyamorous group or family, in which members have sexual relations with each other and/or also engage in BDSM activities. TRIBADISM (TRIBBING): non-penetrative sex between two women in which they rub their vulvas together for sexual stimulation of the clitoris. This encompasses several sexual positions, including the missionary position and scissoring. See related SCISSORING. 
TRIGGERS: behaviors, words, or activities that provoke a strong emotional response, often by recalling a past memory or experience that causes distress. In BDSM dynamics, it is widely believed that a dominant should strive to understand their submissive as thoroughly as possible, remaining attentive to the specific actions or cues that evoke positive or negative responses. TRIPLE PENETRATION: see THREE-HOLE-PUNCH. TRIPLE WEAVE: another name for or variation of the double weave. See FLORENTINE. TWEEZER CLAMPS: a style of nipple clamp composed of thin, flexible metal arms shaped like tweezers, featuring a sliding ring that adjusts pressure on the nipple. Typically, two clamps are connected to one another by a light chain. 
TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN (24/7 or 24/7 TPE): a Total Power Exchange (TPE) relationship operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no predetermined end date. In this structure, each partner assumes a permanent role as either dominant or submissive, with the submissive surrendering full authority over their daily life to the dominant. These arrangements often involve a written contract outlining specific rules and expectations. While some participants frame the dynamic as absolute, healthy 24/7 dynamics preserve the submissive's underlying right to revoke consent and terminate the contract at any time, which helps prevent abuse of power. This dynamic is also known as lifestyle D/s or slave play. See related TOTAL POWER EXCHANGE (TPE). TWO-COLUMN TIE: a bondage technique used to bind two limbs or body parts together using a single length of rope, securing them in parallel with a stabilizing bridge of rope between them, or to tie two limbs or body parts to an anchor point. The term "two-column tie" is also used loosely to describe a person who has been bound with two separate ties, securing two distinct limbs to two separate inanimate objects (two columns). See related ONE-COLUMN TIE. 
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