My fellow Britons - what do you think about the word "nappy"?

[Squigma]

I've noticed quite a lot of British members here - myself included - seem to say "diaper"; however, in British English, the word is practically unheard of. To me, the word nappy has always seemed really weird - just reading it makes me feel strange and awkward. It seems to carry some odd feelings with it.

If I ever had occasion to talk about them IRL I'd call them "nappies", because using an American word would seem out of place. And if I was ever doing some TB roleplay, I would most likely say nappy, because it just sort of feels cuter - which I guess is one of the reasons I'd rather not say it at any other time. It's a lot easier to just say "diaper" online, because it just feels like a normal word. If I said nappy a lot I could probably get used to it, and I do really like the word - it feels kinda nice to say. But it's a lot simple to stick with diaper.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else felt a similar way about this, or if you just use the word diaper because that's just what everyone else says. And Americans: do you have weird feelings about the word diaper like what I described? And what do you think of the word nappy?

 

[Peachy]

I have a somewhat similar feeling about the word "diaper" compared to the German word for it - "Windel". I can say the word "diaper" (or "nappy", if you prefer) without instantly getting all the mental images and emotions in my head about how everyone considers diapers dirty and without feeling embarrassed. Saying the German word on the other hand triggers all those emotions and, most of the time, makes me say that word in a soft and quiet voice after a short break in the flow of my words. But "diaper"...I can say that out loud like any other English word and not feel a thing!

Peachy

 

[Motorbreath]

Actually I get this weird feeling that many of the users here have when they hear the word "nappy"...only thing is that I get it when I hear the word "diaper". It has always been like that, "nappy" doesn't work on me apparently -.- .

 

[soren456]

And Americans: do you have weird feelings about the word diaper like what I described? And what do you think of the word nappy?

I have happy feelings. Not weird ones. But it is an emotionally loaded word, that's for sure.

I overhear it really easily, as if my ear were attuned to it; it pops right out of conversations I might be near, and I hear it in TV commercials and dialog to which I am not paying attention otherwise.

I remember that as a kid, I used to look up the word diaper in dictionaries and such, just to see the word in print and to read the definition(s). Did it all the time.

"Nappy" is not nearly as evocative to me. In fact, it holds no real emotional jolt. If I hear or read it, I translate it back into "diaper," and then it has.

Don't know if this is responsive to your question.

 

[Charlie]

I used to say "nappy" (on here I'm talking about that) most of the time, but now I think I use diaper nearly all the time.

Damn Americans warping my mind! Perhaps there's been a rise in American members since I joined. Or perhaps with a larger user base and Americans being a large percentage of members there's some many 'diapers' flying around that it just seems the norm.

I like the word diaper because it is a verb too, so that automatically lets it get used more, and adds more words "diapered, diapering". So I might as well say "diaper" instead of "put a nappy on".

The word "nappy" feels better though, I kind of like not using it in some ways. "Diaper" feels empty so I can use it all I want, "nappy" feels more special.

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

I personally prefer the usage of the word "diaper", although "nappy" is the term that is always used down here.

Don't know why really, but "nappy" just doesn't roll off the tongue nicely. It's like a word that you almost have to take consideration in saying, which (to me anyway) gives it a bit of a forced and harsh tone to it. It doesn't even sound cute or anything anyway...

"Nappy" is a word that has nothing but [real] baby connotations that go along with it. By that, I mean whenever I hear the word being said, I instantly think babies and/or baby nappies. However, the word "diaper" is what I relate to this fetish, so whenever I hear it my thoughts go straight to infantilism and my own experiences with them, which is a lot more self-pleasing!

To top it off, I'm really not all that comfortable with "nappy" being said around me, or conversing about diapers in terms of "nappies". The word certainly perks my attention a lot more than "diaper", but as I just said, I think it's because I'm a little peeved about how the word sounds.

 

[IncompleteDude]

I'm 1/4 British and my mom has citizenship, so I'll give a short response: nappy sounds like napkin, which is probably where the word comes from anyways.

 

[avery]

you britons are lucky: you get to talk about diapers all you want, but keep the word "nappy" special. i remember when i could barely bring myself to pronounce the word "diaper" out loud, and if anyone said it in a conversation near me i had to concentrate to prevent myself from jumping, or looking nervously over my shoulders or something.

nowadays i'm totally innured to it. the word "diaper" does nothing for me anymore. i sort of miss the way it used to make me feel when i heard it.

 

[Error404]

I'm 1/4 British and my mom has citizenship, so I'll give a short response: nappy sounds like napkin, which is probably where the word comes from anyways.

Actually...I believe it came from 'Nap', an article for children to sleep in. (Or nap, as we English call a sleep in the middle of the day, not sure if anyone knows it as anything different, maybe a 'kip' or 'fiesta'.)

So, when a child is going to sleep or nap, use a nappy. *Sage nod.*

 

[King of Clubs]

I have a somewhat similar feeling about the word "diaper" compared to the German word for it - "Windel". I can say the word "diaper" (or "nappy", if you prefer) without instantly getting all the mental images and emotions in my head about how everyone considers diapers dirty and without feeling embarrassed. Saying the German word on the other hand triggers all those emotions and, most of the time, makes me say that word in a soft and quiet voice after a short break in the flow of my words. But "diaper"...I can say that out loud like any other English word and not feel a thing!

Peachy

i am on the same boat, and to be honest the work diaper is more likely to make u fit in, everyone (well almost) everyone calls them diapers on this site, and i personall have start calling the diapers on MSN too, nappies in RL tho, the main reason is the opposite to what i have above, i fit in more saying nappies in UK, also diapers is easier for touch typests as you dont need to strike the same key twice and straight away move the Y with ur right index finger.

Actually...I believe it came from 'Nap', an article for children to sleep in. (Or nap, as we English call a sleep in the middle of the day, not sure if anyone knows it as anything different, maybe a 'kip' or 'fiesta'.)

So, when a child is going to sleep or nap, use a nappy. *Sage nod.*

and the word does come from Napkin as thats what the first diapers, nappies, windels or wat ever were made from, i actually researched that topic :$

 

[mizzycub]

I use the word 'diaper' solely in the context of the *BDL community. I don't really have any feelings attatched to it. It is just the word I use over here on this site. I have just sorta picked it up, same as words like paci or crib. I don't have much or an attachment to them, in fact until I start looking on the web and found out about infantilism I'm not sure I even knew these americanisms.

As for nappy, I have difficulty even saying it. Whenever I hear it it just makes feel SO uncomfortable. In fact when my parents first sent me to my GP and then a psychologist to cure me of being TBDL I found it very difficult to talk about up until the point I got the word 'nappy' out and then I was fine. I haven't used it in a RP context like some people here, I have RPed with people who say diaper, though when I think about them I think the word 'nappies' and it just reminds me about this part of me - when someone says 'nappy' on here instead of diaper I notice. It is a very effective word for getting my attention. I remember playing the word association game before my parents before they knew and my Mum said 'nappy' with me to go next. Now that was hard to deal with.

Diaper is the word for the community, but nappy is the word for how I feel about them, if that makes sense.

Also, I heard someone mention dictionaries. I both regularly look up the definitions of all kinds of baby stuff, and when I get a dictionary for a new language to feed my obsession with languages I find out as many word for baby stuff in general, instead of looking up rude words. I forget most of them immediately but it gives me pleasure.

So yeah, nappy is a word I both love and hate. It makes me feel really mixed up and weird, but equally it is far more right to me then diaper will ever be.

 

[Rick Dabaz]

Personnally I prefer the words diaper and panties to nappy and knickers.
And I usally change them when editing/downloading a story.
rick

 

[redtails]

I have a somewhat similar feeling about the word "diaper" compared to the German word for it - "Windel". I can say the word "diaper" (or "nappy", if you prefer) without instantly getting all the mental images and emotions in my head about how everyone considers diapers dirty and without feeling embarrassed. Saying the German word on the other hand triggers all those emotions and, most of the time, makes me say that word in a soft and quiet voice after a short break in the flow of my words. But "diaper"...I can say that out loud like any other English word and not feel a thing!

Funnily enough, I feel the same way about "nappy" and "luier" (Dutch variant). It must have something to do with our lack of emotion in a second language as opposed to a first language. Maybe we should one day produce a list of the word nappy in all languages known to man , just because we can

 

[Grutzvalt]

I feel extremely awkward and weird saying the word "diaper".

 

[quattrus]

As a non-motherlanguage English speaker, I discovered both the words "nappy" and "diaper" on the dictionary (and yes, looking them up was a big turn on for me too... :tongueout, and I didn't start using them regularly ("diaper" more than "nappy") until I discovered DL sites in my late teen years. I'm perfectly comfortable using both of them, although I mainly use "diaper" because it's more common in contexts like ADISC.

The Italian word for "diaper" - "pannolone" - is a whole different story: I have a really hard time saying it aloud, like there was an enormous taboo in my head about it, and it makes my alarms go off if I hear it in a conversation. The same thing applies to other DL-related items, of which most of the times I know the English name but I have to think twice about how to define them in my motherlanguage.

The explaination is quite simple. In the places where DL-related topics are not taboo (various internet sites, but mostly ADISC for me) the official language is English, and so I'm perfectly comfortable talking in English about diapers and similia. At the same time, Italian is the language of my daily life, where diapers are still a taboo topic, and therefore talking about DL subjects in Italian makes me feel like there's something wrong going on.

In that exact same way, someone who's used to hear the word "nappy" in his daily life will feel awkward using that word, but not "diaper", and vice versa.

What the hell of a mental conditioning!

 

[RedApple]

I really have no problem calling them either nappies or diapers.

Both mean the same thing to me.

 

[dangermouse]

Nappy and nappies have more significance to me, mainly because I'd hear it in conversation. "He's not out of nappies yet", or "have to change his/her nappy". I did also as a kid have a threat "I'll put you in nappies again" !

Diaper just doesn't mean so much to me, and also you don't hear of adult nappies much in the UK (they're usually "incontinence pants" or similar), but due to TV you hear "adult diaper" and that just strikes an ugly image of an 80 year old in a diaper!!

However I use it far more often due to the Internet and those damn Americans

The danger is some day I'll chuck the word diaper into a conversation by mistake!

 

[BabyMullet]

I find diaper hard to say, mainly because the "dia" part of diaper sounds just harsh in my ears and mouth. To commit so much sound to the start of a word that give me comfort, it makes a few nerves tweak.

I find nappy a far better word to speak, it rolls off the tongue in a more comfortable way for me, while speaking I use nappy more than diaper. However while writing or reading a story, no thoughts come about. Apparently the voice in my head doesn't give a damm to how words sound.

 

[Tommy]

After many conversations with Peachy on MSN, i noticed i say diaper more often now.

 

[tom]

psychologist to cure me of being TBDL I found it very difficult to talk about up until the point I got the word 'nappy' out and then I was fine...

So yeah, nappy is a word I both love and hate. It makes me feel really mixed up and weird, but equally it is far more right to me then diaper will ever be.

The word nappy does have an affect on me. It makes me feel quite uncomfortable when I'm around people. And as mz has said, for me too it is the word I find the hardest to say when I bought up the subject with my therapist. As other people have said however , the word 'nappy' seems cuter to me than 'diaper', and in RP would be the word Id use, to me, I guess because it reminds me of my childhood, it seems more babyish.