1. Roles and dynamics
- D/s: shorthand for Dominant/submissive, describing a power-exchange dynamic between partners
- Switch: someone who enjoys both Dominant and submissive roles, depending on the partner or scene
- Top / Bottom: the person doing an activity, and the person receiving it, respectively
- Vanilla: sex or relationships without kink elements; also used to describe someone not into kink
2. Safety and consent terms
- Safeword: an agreed word that means stop, right now, covered in detail in our consent guide
- Stoplight system: using green, yellow, and red as safewords for keep going, slow down or check in, and stop
- Hard limit: something that is off the table completely
- Soft limit: something approached cautiously, or that depends on mood, partner, or context
- Negotiation: the conversation partners have beforehand about limits, interests, and safewords
- Aftercare: the wind-down after a scene, including reassurance, physical comfort, and time to reconnect
- RACK: Risk-Aware Consensual Kink, a philosophy acknowledging that some kink activities carry inherent risk that participants consciously accept
- SSC: Safe, Sane, and Consensual, an older and related philosophy with similar goals
3. Community terms
- Scene: a specific session of kink activity, with a defined beginning and end
- Munch: a casual, non-sexual social meetup for kink-community members, usually in a public venue like a cafe or pub
- Play party: an organised event where scenes take place, usually with house rules around consent and conduct