Glossary and Definitions

Ok so if I am understanding this correct a "unicorn" is a bi girl who is looking for a poly relationship who is Not already in a relationship? If that is so I was a unicorn about two years ago LOL!!
 
Ok so if I am understanding this correct a "unicorn" is a bi girl who is looking for a poly relationship who is Not already in a relationship? If that is so I was a unicorn about two years ago LOL!!

Yes, although you would of needed to be exclusive to that couple and not willing or wanting to date anyone else but them.
 
v versus triad

What is the best description in a V vs Triad relationship? The more in depth description the better please.
 
What is the best description in a V vs Triad relationship? The more in depth description the better please.

I look at it pretty simply.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.
 
I'm not sure why there is so much confusion about this. It seems pretty self-explanatory to me, and it has been discussed over and over ad nauseum.

The definitions are also in this thread for all to see. writing them out repeatedly is not going to change anything. I don't know how "in depth" you can go since it's not complicated at all.

If it helps:

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.

A V is a relationship where the 2 legs do not have a romantic/sexual relationship
A triad is one where all 3 are involved together.
 
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Point of clarification, please! SO vs partner? Also, I'm assuming OSO is "other significant other"?
 
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Point of clarification, please! SO vs partner? Also, I'm assuming OSO is "other significant other"?

I don't think there is a difference between partner and significant other. Unless the "partner" is considered a primary relationship and the SO is considered more of a secondary partner. Interesting..never thought about that.
 
I don't think there is a difference between partner and significant other. Unless the "partner" is considered a primary relationship and the SO is considered more of a secondary partner. Interesting..never thought about that.

These are terms that people pick whichever one they like best. There are no "poly" laws about this. It works like this for all relationships. Some people don't like to use the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend", so they use other words.
 
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Well I never knew...

I just been reading this thread....

It turns out we are Polywogs and my wife is a Hinge. :D
 
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"Thirdvana"... that blissful feeling that Unicorn hunters get when their Unicorn finally comes to roost. The feeling of being cared about exponentially, and in that particular "different way" that's hard to describe if you haven't actually experienced it, that is shared among all members"
Of course, we'd modify the term for larger-than-triad situations, but a recent "couple seeking third" thread sparked this for me.
 
"vanilla sex - sex without bdsm" - so... every flavour of sex apart from vanilla is about BDSM? that seems a bit dismissive to me!

We non-BDSM types have plenty of neapolitan and tuttifrutti and ripple etc. going on, thank you very much :). Besides, there's some really bloody great vanilla to be had out there - and some godawful BDSM too.

Sometimes the quality is more important than the flavour.
 
Throuple - slang term for a Triad; used especially by gay men who aren't familiar with polyamorous community terms like "triad" or "vee".

(When we say "triad", most guys look at us confused. We say "throuple", they are like "OH ok!")
 
I want to create a new word-definition for the polyamory community. Let me know if it's already been taken, but I searched the word on this board and there's no mention so far. (Also, if anybody knows of another word for the same type of person... let me know! [by pm])

Yeti: a person who is totally in favour of polyamory, sees it as an ideal, a principle... but who (for whatever reason) hasn't actually got any sexual relationships going. (The yeti wanders in the snow alone, allowing (???) him/herself to be glimpsed occasionally, but hasn't made it into civilisation yet.) I know of one example: me. [See "Polyamorous and celibate"]
 
From: www.polyamorysociety.org/language.html

Bright-eyed Novice [BeN] n : a person who has just discovered Polyamory. Handle at your own risk as they tend to date as if eating at a buffet, they are still unaware of the amount of energy and work they will need to make their relationships work and have not yet refined their communication skills. [example of phrase BeN would say? "I love more than one person and I don't care who knows it !"]

Closed Marriage : Marriages where their is no outer emotional relating or sexuality

Closed Group Marriage : A group of individuals who describe themselves as married but may or may not be all primaries and who are closed to outside sexual relationships 2: A marriage in which fidelity is not equated with monogamy

Closed Relationship n : An agreement among the members not to get sexually and/or romantically involved with anyone outside the relationship

Commitment n 1 : to pledge or promise to do something 2 : dedication to a long-term course of action 3 : engagement 4 : involvement 5 : to put into charge or trust* 6 : ENTRUST* 7 : to carry into action 8 : PERPETRATE 9 : TRANSFER, CONSIGN; committal n; commit vb; committed vb; committing vb

Commune n 1 : a community 2 : interchange of thoughts and feelings 3 : converse; communal adj 1 : to be owned or shared by a community 2 : public

Community n, pl -ties 1 : a body of people living in the same place under the same laws; also : a natural population of plants and animals that interact ecologically and live in one place (as a pond) 2 : society at large 3 : joint ownership 4 : SIMILARITY, LIKENESS

Compersion n : the feeling of taking joy in the joy that others you love share among themselves, especially taking joy in the knowledge that your beloveds are expressing their love for one another, the term was coined by the Keristan Commune in San Francisco which practiced Polyfidelity, Kerista disbanded in the early 1990's*

Condom Commitment n : an agreement to confine exchange of bodily fluids and barrier-free intercourse to a closed group which has previously been screened for sexually transmitted diseases. syn. safe sex circle

Condom Compact n : is collection of rules and responsibilities to help members involved in open multiple partner relationships protect themselves against STD, the Condom Compact was written by Oberon and Morning Glory Zell

Conscious Courtship n : dedication is in seeing that commitment and emotional or bonding are developed and based on values and goal alignment as well as initial and on-going attraction

Cooperative n or adj 1 : willing to work with others 2 : of or relating to an association formed to enable its members 3: a cooperative association

Courting n or vb : The process by which people explore how it feels to form or join in a committed relationship.* syn. dating

Cowboy n : A male person who believes that alternative relationships are unstable, and consciously or unconsciously tries to pull one of the partners off into a monogamous relationship with them. Refers to "cutting a filly out of the herd". Cowgirl : A female cowboy

Eclectic Relationship n : Relationship that have heterosexual and homosexual members in them , relationship that consisting of diverse elements

Eromance n : romantic sexual love*

Eros n : refers to sexual intimacy, sexual love, sexual drive or libido

Expanded Family n : a relationship in which three or more partners consciously chose each other as family, partners may or may not live together, there is the potential for all family members to be sexual with each other if they mutually chose to do so but this is not a requirement for family membership, syn intentional family
 
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From: www.polyamorysociety.org/language.html

PolyRelationship n : a multiple partnered polyamorous relationship

Poly Mantra n or v: communicate, communicate, communicate and then communicate some more

Primary* adj 1: first in order of time or development 2 : PREPARATORY 3: of first rank or importance 4 : FUNDAMENTAL* 5 : not derived from or dependent on something else

Primary Partner n : a person of polyamorous orientation that is intimately involved in your life on day to day basis, the person provide emotional and economic support, there is mutual sharing of resources, goal and life paths

Primary Relationship n 1 : the closest relationship type, the person(s) given the most time, energy and priority in a person's life; includes high level of intimacy, attraction and commitment as demonstrated by marriage-level bonding (such as shared life paths, goals, parenting, economics, housing, important values, ongoing emotional support, etc.), typically includes a desire for a shared lifelong future together

Quad n : A multiple partnered relationship with four members

Relationship n : the state of being related or interrelated

Relationship Orientation n 1: The perference for sexual relationships or lovestyles which are monogamous, nonmonogamous, intimate network, Polyfidelitous, etc. 2: The design or structure of a sexualove relationship.* Like the term lifestyle, it implies a conscious choice. syn. Lovestyle

Remarriage n : the state of being or getting married again

Safe Sex n : ideal 100% safe sexual activity and especially sexual intercourse in which various measures (as the use of latex condoms) are taken to avoid diseases (as AIDS and other STD's) which are transmitted by sexual contact*

Safer Sex n : reality, not 100% safe, sexual activity and sexual intercourse where various measures are taken such as the use of latex condoms and barriers to avoid sexually transmaitted disease also taking into account that no such measure is 100% safe or foolproof

Safe Sex Circle n : an agreement to confine exchange of bodily fluids and barrier-free intercourse to a closed group which has previously been screened for sexually transmitted diseases; syn. Condom Commitment n

Secondary Partner n : a person of polyamorous orientation that is intimately involved in your life but usually not daily, the person provide emotional support may or may not provide economic support, there may* be some sharing of resources, goal and life paths but they are few as compared to primary partners

Secondary Relationship n : a close relationship type, by definition it is given less in terms of time, energy and priority in a person's life than any primary relationship, includes aspects of primary relating, such as sexuality and emotional support but usually involves fewer ongoing commitments as evidenced by fewer shared values, plans or finanical/legal involvements, may include a desire for a long term future together

Serial Monogamy n : a succession of monogamous partners over time, overlapping sexuality only in the transition from the current monogamous partner to next

Sex Negative adj : a person with the belief that sexuality in general dirty or distasteful to including their own sexuality

Sex Positive adj : a person who is comfortable with own sexuality and sexuality in general

Skeezer n : a male, closely related to the Old Greaser [See Old Greaser]. His 'open' relationship policy generally means he just likes to have intercourse with anything that moves.

Spice n : Plural of spouse

Spouse n : a persons husband or wife

Swing Club n 1 : a meeting place where recreational sexual activity take place 2 : an organization that support, encourage and promotes recreational sexual activities

Swinger n : a person who is sophisticated, ultra-fashionable, active , uninhibited in the pursuit of pleasure or sex

Swinging vb : Recreational sexual activity, also called "sport sex" where partner's or participant's agree to have casual sex with each other's.* There is usually no emotional involvement.* A form of monogamy in which usually two primary partners agree to have casual sex with other couples or singles

Synergy n : the state of a system in which the whole is greater taht the sum of its parts : similar harmony as expressed musically : synergism n : interaction of discrete agencies (as industrial firms), agents (as drugs), or conditions such that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects synergist n; synergistic adj; synergistically adv*

Trantra n : 1 Hindu or Buddhist scriptures dealing with techiques and rituals including meditative and sexual prictices 2 :TOUCH 3 : Yoga spiritual discipline* 4 : SENSATION 5 : FEEL

Tertiary n or adj 1 : of third rank, importance, or value 2 cap : of, relating to, or being the earlier period of the Cenozoic era 3 : occurring in or being the third stage*

Tertiary Partner* n : a person of polyamorous orientation that is intimately involved in your life erratically, the person provides limited emotional support, usually does not provide economic support, sharing of resources, goal and life paths

Tertiary Relationship n or adj : a relationship which may include emotional support or sexuality on a one-time or highly erratic schedule, attention or energy is given in bursts but the relationship is not a consistent part of a persons life

Tolerance n 1 : the act or practice of tolerating; esp : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from one's own 2 : the allowable deviation from a standard (as of size) 3 : the body's ability to become less responsive over time to something tolerant adj tolerantly adv

Traditional Monogamy n : only one partner who is a lifelong mate; primary intimacy and sexual fidelity only with this partner : also see monogamy

Triad n 1: any three person lovestyle.* 2: three people involved in some way; most often used in a committed sense; in some cases involving ceremonies of commitment 3 : a union or group of three usu. closely related persons or things

Triangle n 1: (or equilateral triangle) relationship where three people are each involved with both of the others, sometimes also called a triad 2 : a plane figure that has three sides and three angles : a polygon having three sides 3 : something shaped like a triangle; triangular adj; triangularly adv

Trisexual n : a sexual orientation of a person who prefers to have sex with two or more partners simultaneously

Vee n : three people, where the structure puts one person at the bottom, or* hinge" of the vee, also called the pivot point; in a vee, the arm partners are not as commonly close to each other as each is to the pivot

Zee n :Slang shape of four people in a poly relationship where two are sexual and two are not yet all four live in the same house
 
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