Sex is one of those things that’s hard to talk about without blushing, stammering, or turning into a bundle of nerves. But, guess what? We don’t always have to be so literal. Metaphors—those playful comparisons we use to describe things—can make the topic a little easier, a little lighter, and a whole lot more fun.
Think of them like a secret code, a playful wink, or a colorful way to describe those steamy moments. And trust me, you’ll be amazed at how creative we humans can get when we talk about something as universal as sex.
Let’s dive into a list of metaphors for sex that are as amusing as they are insightful. You might even pick up a few new favorites to sprinkle into conversation—or at least have a good chuckle.
Metaphors for Sex
1. Knocking Boots
Meaning: Engaging in sexual intercourse, often with a playful or humorous connotation.
In a Sentence: Every time they got a little tipsy, they ended up knocking boots in the back seat.
Other Ways to Say: Getting it on, Doing the deed
2. Hiding the Sausage
Meaning: A cheeky metaphor for penetrative sex.
In a Sentence: They snuck away from the party for a little game of hiding the sausage.
Other Ways to Say: Playing hide-and-seek, Getting intimate
3. Bumping Uglies
Meaning: An irreverent way to describe two bodies coming together in a physical act.
In a Sentence: They couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and before long they were bumping uglies.
Other Ways to Say: Getting freaky, Hooking up
4. Doing the Horizontal Tango
Meaning: A playful image of sex that makes it sound like a lively dance.
In a Sentence: They spent the entire weekend doing the horizontal tango.
Other Ways to Say: Hitting the sheets, Rolling in the hay
5. Getting Lucky
Meaning: Refers to having sex, often after an evening out or when it’s unexpected.
In a Sentence: He was hoping to get lucky at the party that night.
Other Ways to Say: Scoring, Hitting the jackpot
6. Playing Hide the Pickle
Meaning: A silly and suggestive phrase to describe the act.
In a Sentence: They giggled at their inside joke about playing hide the pickle.
Other Ways to Say: Hide-and-seek, The big game
7. Rolling in the Hay
Meaning: Implies spontaneous or playful sex, often in rustic settings.
In a Sentence: They found a quiet spot in the barn and rolled in the hay.
Other Ways to Say: Getting frisky, Having a romp
8. Making Whoopee
Meaning: A vintage, innocent-sounding way to refer to sex.
In a Sentence: The couple celebrated their anniversary by making whoopee all night.
Other Ways to Say: Fooling around, Having fun
9. Getting It On
Meaning: A straightforward metaphor for having sex.
In a Sentence: They wasted no time in getting it on once the door closed.
Other Ways to Say: Hooking up, Doing the deed
10. Shagging
Meaning: A British term for sex, often used in a casual context.
In a Sentence: They’d been shagging for months before anyone found out.
Other Ways to Say: Bonking, Boffing
11. Paddling the Pink Canoe
Meaning: A humorous way to describe female masturbation.
In a Sentence: She wasn’t shy about admitting she enjoyed paddling the pink canoe now and then.
Other Ways to Say: Solo adventure, Self-care
12. Boffing
Meaning: Slang for having sex.
In a Sentence: They were caught boffing in the office storage room.
Other Ways to Say: Shagging, Getting busy
13. Smashing
Meaning: Modern slang implying vigorous or enthusiastic sex.
In a Sentence: They were smashing all night long after the concert.
Other Ways to Say: Hitting it hard, Going at it
14. Doing the Nasty
Meaning: A humorous or blunt way of referring to sex.
In a Sentence: They couldn’t resist doing the nasty before breakfast.
Other Ways to Say: Getting down and dirty, Having fun
15. Getting Busy
Meaning: Implies sex, often used casually or humorously.
In a Sentence: They snuck off during the wedding reception to get busy.
Other Ways to Say: Hooking up, Making love
16. Hitting a Home Run
Meaning: A baseball metaphor that implies success in a sexual encounter.
In a Sentence: After the romantic date, he was hoping to hit a home run.
Other Ways to Say: Scoring big, Going all the way
17. Giving Her the Business
Meaning: A bold or playful expression for having sex.
In a Sentence: He was ready to give her the business once the kids were asleep.
Other Ways to Say: Getting it on, Doing the deed
18. Plugging In
Meaning: An electronic metaphor for the act of intercourse.
In a Sentence: They finally had some alone time to plug in and reconnect.
Other Ways to Say: Powering up, Getting connected
19. Doing the Wild Thing
Meaning: A playful, almost innocent-sounding phrase for sex.
In a Sentence: After a few drinks, they were ready to do the wild thing.
Other Ways to Say: Fooling around, Going wild
20. Breaking the Bed
Meaning: A metaphor that implies enthusiastic or vigorous sex.
In a Sentence: They went at it so hard, they nearly broke the bed.
Other Ways to Say: Going wild, Letting loose
21. Tapping That
Meaning: Slang that’s often used casually or humorously to imply sex.
In a Sentence: He was hoping to tap that by the end of the night.
Other Ways to Say: Scoring, Getting some
22. Hitting the Sack
Meaning: Implies going to bed, but often with a sexual connotation.
In a Sentence: They were both exhausted but decided to hit the sack together anyway.
Other Ways to Say: Going to bed, Getting cozy
23. Knocking the Boots Off
Meaning: Taking “knocking boots” to a more dramatic, vigorous level.
In a Sentence: They were so into each other they practically knocked the boots off!
Other Ways to Say: Getting down and dirty, Going wild
24. Rocking the Casbah
Meaning: A playful phrase implying they’re shaking things up in the bedroom.
In a Sentence: After a romantic dinner, they were rocking the casbah all night.
Other Ways to Say: Stirring things up, Bringing the house down
25. Punching the Clown
Meaning: A humorous and cheeky metaphor for male masturbation.
In a Sentence: He joked about punching the clown when his girlfriend was out of town.
Other Ways to Say: Flying solo, Taking care of business
26. Climbing the Ladder
Meaning: Suggests a progressive, step-by-step escalation of intimacy.
In a Sentence: They were climbing the ladder from flirting to full-on passion.
Other Ways to Say: Taking it up a notch, Going all the way
27. Horizontal Refreshments
Meaning: A posh-sounding but humorous way to refer to sex.
In a Sentence: They invited each other for a night of horizontal refreshments.
Other Ways to Say: Bedtime fun, A little something-something
28. Playing Doctor
Meaning: A playful reference to childhood games, but with adult connotations.
In a Sentence: They joked about playing doctor during their steamy night in.
Other Ways to Say: Role-playing, Getting frisky
29. Hitting the Jackpot
Meaning: Implies an unexpectedly successful or satisfying sexual encounter.
In a Sentence: She felt like she hit the jackpot with her new lover.
Other Ways to Say: Scoring big, Lucky strike
30. Getting Some Sugar
Meaning: A sweet metaphor for receiving affection or intimacy.
In a Sentence: He leaned in and whispered he wanted to get some sugar.
Other Ways to Say: Stealing kisses, Snuggling up
31. Doing the Mattress Dance
Meaning: A lively metaphor for the physicality of sex.
In a Sentence: They laughed and tumbled into bed to do the mattress dance.
Other Ways to Say: Shaking the sheets, Boogying down
32. Plugging the Socket
Meaning: Another electronic metaphor for the act of connecting intimately.
In a Sentence: They finally found a quiet spot to plug the socket and charge up.
Other Ways to Say: Powering on, Getting connected
33. Playing the Skin Flute
Meaning: A cheeky phrase referring to oral sex performed on a man.
In a Sentence: They shared a laugh about playing the skin flute.
Other Ways to Say: Blowing the horn, Getting musical
34. Going to Pound Town
Meaning: A humorous way to describe vigorous or intense sex.
In a Sentence: After a long week, they both needed a trip to pound town.
Other Ways to Say: Hammering away, Rocking the bed
35. Getting It Wet
Meaning: A slang term often used to imply initiating sex.
In a Sentence: He was excited about getting it wet with his new partner.
Other Ways to Say: Dipping in, Diving deep
36. Playing Hide-and-Seek
Meaning: A subtle, cheeky metaphor for sneaky or secret sex.
In a Sentence: They slipped away from the party to play a little hide-and-seek.
Other Ways to Say: Sneaking off, Getting sneaky
37. Sticking It In
Meaning: A blunt and straightforward way of describing penetration.
In a Sentence: He whispered he couldn’t wait to stick it in.
Other Ways to Say: Diving in, Making the move
38. Rubbing One Out
Meaning: Refers to male masturbation.
In a Sentence: He admitted to rubbing one out when he was bored.
Other Ways to Say: Going solo, Taking matters into his own hands
39. Tearing Up the Sheets
Meaning: Suggests passionate, wild sex.
In a Sentence: They were tearing up the sheets all night long.
Other Ways to Say: Going crazy, Getting wild
40. Getting Freaky
Meaning: Implies adventurous or unconventional sexual activity.
In a Sentence: They were open to getting freaky in the bedroom.
Other Ways to Say: Spicing things up, Letting loose
41. Having a Roll in the Hay
Meaning: An old-fashioned phrase for playful or spontaneous sex.
In a Sentence: They snuck out to the barn for a roll in the hay.
Other Ways to Say: Getting frisky, Playing around
42. Dipping the Wick
Meaning: A metaphor that refers to male participation in sex.
In a Sentence: He was eager to dip the wick with his new crush.
Other Ways to Say: Getting it wet, Lighting the candle
43. Popping the Cork
Meaning: Implies explosive or exciting sexual climax.
In a Sentence: They were both ready to pop the cork after such a long buildup.
Other Ways to Say: Blowing the top, Reaching the peak
44. Clapping Cheeks
Meaning: Modern slang for sex, especially with a focus on the sounds.
In a Sentence: They joked about clapping cheeks after their workout.
Other Ways to Say: Smacking it, Making noise
45. Getting Jiggy
Meaning: An upbeat, playful way to describe dancing, but also sex.
In a Sentence: After a few drinks, they got jiggy on the dance floor—and in the bedroom.
Other Ways to Say: Letting loose, Partying hard
46. Making the Beast with Two Backs
Meaning: A poetic, old-fashioned metaphor for sex.
In a Sentence: They made the beast with two backs as the storm raged outside.
Other Ways to Say: Joining as one, Intertwining bodies
47. Doing the Dance with No Pants
Meaning: A humorous phrase that lightens the mood about sex.
In a Sentence: They ended the night by doing the dance with no pants.
Other Ways to Say: Shaking it, Having fun
Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Metaphors for Sex
1. What does the metaphor “knocking boots” refer to?
A) Dancing in boots
B) Sexual intercourse
C) Hiking in the woods
✅ Answer: B) Sexual intercourse
2. The phrase “playing doctor” playfully refers to:
A) Going to medical school
B) Flirting with a crush
C) Role-playing or engaging in sex
✅ Answer: C) Role-playing or engaging in sex
3. Which metaphor implies a secret or sneaky sexual encounter?
A) Tapping that
B) Playing hide-and-seek
C) Getting jiggy
✅ Answer: B) Playing hide-and-seek
4. “Rocking the casbah” is a metaphor for:
A) Renovating a house
B) Having a lively sexual experience
C) Traveling abroad
✅ Answer: B) Having a lively sexual experience
5. The term “making the beast with two backs” is a poetic metaphor for:
A) Dancing
B) Sex
C) Wrestling
✅ Answer: B) Sex
6. “Clapping cheeks” humorously describes:
A) Applauding a great performance
B) Spanking
C) Noisy sex
✅ Answer: C) Noisy sex
7. The phrase “doing the mattress dance” refers to:
A) Jumping on a bed
B) Rearranging a bedroom
C) Having sex
✅ Answer: C) Having sex
8. “Rubbing one out” is slang for:
A) Fixing a mechanical issue
B) Male masturbation
C) Cleaning up a mess
✅ Answer: B) Male masturbation
9. “Breaking the bed” suggests:
A) Having wild, vigorous sex
B) Assembling furniture
C) Sleeping soundly
✅ Answer: A) Having wild, vigorous sex
10. “Plugging the socket” creatively refers to:
A) Charging a device
B) Getting intimate or having sex
C) Fixing an appliance
✅ Answer: B) Getting intimate or having sex
Conclusio
Metaphors for sex can be playful, cheeky, and even poetic. They give us a fun, less-direct way to talk about one of life’s most intimate experiences. Whether you’re laughing about clapping cheeks, imagining yourself rocking the casbah, or chuckling over the beast with two backs, these metaphors remind us that sex—like language—can be creative, playful, and endlessly expressive.
So next time you’re chatting with friends, maybe you’ll slip one of these into the conversation—and watch the grins spread.