donnaimmaculata ([personal profile] donnaimmaculata) wrote2004-01-22 04:34 pm
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Question to native speakers, preferably Brits

I wrote a Dudley/Aunt Marge fic last night. Before you run off, screaming with disgust: It's only PG-13. No graphic action. After all, Dudley is only ten.

And that brings me to my question: How would a 10-years-old Dudley Dursley refer to his penis? I bet Petunia and Vernon are not very articulate on the subject of sex, and I've no idea how advanced sex ed classes are at a school Dudley is likely to go to. How much is he likely to know on the matter of sex? And how would he refer to breasts?

Yes, I'm taking the project seriously.

ETA: Just because it amuses me: I've just consulted my slang dictionary and found a plethora of slang expressions and euphemisms for 'penis' from throughout the ages: red-cap (Lupin's DADA lessons appear in an entirely different light), dribbling dart of love, lamp of life, flip-flap, marrow-bone-and-cleaver, nooney, lucy, tantrum (rather appropriate for Dudley), thingamabob, yum-yum, dork (adds a whole lot of new implications to 'mood: dorky'), husbandman of nature, gentle-tittler,...
ext_1611: Isis statue (hands)

[identity profile] isiscolo.livejournal.com 2004-01-22 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, the American approach is to ignore it and hope it goes away. For my generation (I'm 40) we had it in 7th grade (around 12 years old?) and we had to get permission from our parents.

[identity profile] donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com 2004-01-22 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Here, I think, parents have the option to not let their children participate in the lessons - at least in primary school - but it's really the exception rather than the rule. In secondary school, I am pretty sure most parents don't know about whether and when sex ed is taught.