A GLOSSARY OF DAMSEL-in-DISTRESS TERMINOLOGY
4/21/00: Updated! The etymology of “putz,” plus nine new comic scans
as well as new vidcaps of Lisa Rinna. A veritable Easter feast!
Introduction
New
to the VidCap ring and to that Mecca of DiD discussion and VCR Alerts, Brian’s Page? Confused by all the
acronyms and jargon that the regulars on this site commonly use? Well, this
page is for you!
Below
you will find a short glossary that will help dispel your confusion. Not only
have I tried to define the words clearly, but also I have traced their origins
(and originators) whenever possible. If I miss a few or get some wrong, please let me know. It seems the best
and most interesting terms are always the ones that were invented spontaneously
and caught on, not the ones that were invented with the self-conscious
spirit of “Time to jump on the DiD-term bandwagon.” As a rule, I will
add only words that see frequent use over time.
Now
on to the glossary!
B&G,
B/G, T&G, etc.: Bound
and gagged, tied and gagged, etc. If
you don’t know this one, maybe you shouldn’t be here right now…
Bindan Gagher Rule: This
was first coined by Bindan Gagher (Fancy that!), and is used whenever you pass
on information about a scene you've only heard about, but never seen.
Cleave
gag: A
gag tied between the lips.
Detective gag: A
gag tied over the mouth. Also known as an over-the-mouth, or OTM, gag.
DiD, or Did:
Damsel-in-distress, duh!
DidCap: A
clever take-off on VidCap (Video capture), invented by Van and referring to a
DiD video capture image.
Gag Snob: This
term describes a person whose motto is, to paraphrase Brian Tarsis, “If she’s
not gagged, it’s not bondage.” Gag-less scenes simply do not appeal to the
discerning gag snob. Extreme Gag Snobs
are even known to take some pleasure from much-derided “gag-only” scenes
This term was originally
conceived by yours truly in an attempt (emphasize: attempt) to
humorously describe myself; however, some saw it out of context and were
offended by it (What? Me? A snob?!?). Thus arose the Great Gag Snob
Controversy, with people suggesting more neutral terms and pointing out (with
some merit, we must admit) that Gag Snobs often don’t post VCR Alerts when
there is not a gag in the scene. Although alternative, more-PC terms were
suggested (Gag Fan, Gag-purist, etc.), don’t they all lack the
directness and bite of the original Gag Snob?
Hand-gag: The ol’ hand-over-mouth, or HOM. Not really bondage, but fun nonetheless.
Holy Grail:
Invented by Frank J to describe a scene that greatly affected you when you were
young, and that you have searched for over the years.
Join the club: The “club”
in question refers to the ranks of actresses who have been in bondage over
their career, as in Will Meryl Streep ever truly join the club? This is
a relatively new term, but I don’t recall who invented it, sorry.
Loosie: This
term refers to scenes in which a captive’s ropes, gags, manacles, etc. are
ridiculously loose. Pat Powers informs me that the term was coined by his wife,
and may have been inspired by the old adage for correct screwdriver technique: Rightie,
tightie, leftie, loosie. It was also intended as a parody of I Love
Lucy, as in “We love loosies!”
Mmmppffhh-ing:
(Various spellings and variations, including ggnngg!, hhmmm!, and, my
favorite, hhmmgglmff!) Obviously, the sweet sounds a gagged damsel
makes. This has probably been used in comic books and illustrations for many,
many decades. Perhaps the only true universal word, occurring in languages in
all corners of the globe.
Putz: This
describes a guy who is bound next to a woman, which spoils the scene for some
DidFans out there. Others have coined various acronyms to describe them, but,
for better or worse, putz appears to have stuck.
Luigi Vercotti explains
that a while ago on Brian’s Page there was a thread about Jessica Marie Alba's
DiD scenes on the Flipper TV show. JMA was shown in a dream sequence on
a videotape wearing a black cleave gag, and he said it could have been a great
scene except it was too short and also that putz Peyton Haas kept getting in
the way. Putz was used as a quick throwaway comment, and was to refer to someone
who got in the way of our viewing of a potentially good DiD scene.
For the record, putz is a
Yiddish term, which loosely refers to someone of annoying character. Literally,
it means penis.
Sand People: They
are out there somewhere…lurking in the darkest jungles and condominiums, just
waiting for an unsuspecting damsel to fall into quicksand. These sand people
are DiD enthusiasts who enjoy quicksand scenes. This term was coined by Bubba
after a fellow named John first brought up the subject.
Scene
Creep: This
is when you mis-remember a scene, usually improving on it. For instance, I
could have sworn that Linda Thorson was cleave-gagged in Take-Over, but
no, I was suffering from scene creep. She was OTM gagged, as Brian R, the
originator of this term, once informed me.
Surprise Scene: This
is when you are totally caught off guard by a scene, and seems to usually occur
in a film/TV genre that doesn’t usually include bondage. For example, I went to Ulee’s Gold expecting
a serious drama with no expectations or prior knowledge about a scene. My heart nearly exploded when Peter Fonda
started wrapping up the girls with tape.
Another recent example occurred with the Later Today news babes
on the Ainsley Harriot Show, a cooking show.
Please note that with all
the info out there today on the Internet, surprise scenes are increasingly
rare. So enjoy ‘em when you can!
The Treatment, or
The Full Treatment: (As in, Will Buffy ever get The Full
Treatment?) The first term was first used by either one of the Franks (such
as Frank J) or one of the Bobs, way back in the early days of Brian’s Page,
when it was still on Tripod. It meant getting tied up, and in wake of the Great
Gag Snob Controversy, The FULL Treatment was created in order to distinguish
the scenes where the actress is tied AND gagged.