Sexual Innuendo Meaning

You may be searching for sexual innuendo meaning because you might have heard of this term, and out of curiosity, you just want to know. The other possible reason could be that you may have encountered a situation where someone says something completely ordinary, but people react in a way that keeps you confused. For a second you may notice different expressions of people, maybe someone raising their eyebrow, someone laughing out silently, or someone just hiding their smile. This is a hint that you may have witnessed an innuendo. An innuendo is a remark that suggests something unpleasant but does not refer to it directly. [1] 

When this remark indicates a wordplay that hints at a playful or sexual undertone, we call it a sexual innuendo. In a sexual innuendo, a word, sentence, or entire content carries a sexual meaning without directly stating it. In this article, we’ll dive deep into what sexual innuendo is, how it works, and how people react to a sexual innuendo.

Why Do People Use Sexual Innuendo?

You might be wondering why people use sexual innuendo? Is it a slip of tongue or is it something they say intentionally? The answer is, it can be both. There are a number of reasons why people use sexual innuendo. Let’s decode some of them below-

1. 1. Out of humor, flirt and social impression: People often use sexual innuendo to flirt or add humor to a conversation. For example a guy complementing a girl on her dance moves may look like a compliment but can look like a matter of physical interest.
   2. To test the boundaries: people often use sexual innuendo to check the boundaries, likes or dislikes of the person they are interested in. They use sexual innuendo in a public setting to check the romantic interest of the person they want to know about. If the person is accepting and welcoming, they keep their conversation going. But if the listener is not interested, the speaker may claim that it was either just a slip of the tongue.
   3. To set up a higher social relevance: studies suggest that when someone throws a sexual innuendo, our brain quickly gets active triggering a unique response. [2] [3] This has been linked to generate a higher social relevance of the person who uses sexual innuendo while communicating. [2]

• Sexual innuendo in media:  Television is another source where sexual innuendo is used the most.  A lot of dramas and movies initiate sexual and intimate conversations using sexual innuendo. Programming on television nowadays has been saturated with sexual content all over.  [4]

Sexual Innuendo Meaning: What Goes On in Your Brain When You Hear One?

Various studies have been done to know how people interpret and respond to a sexual innuendo and what neurocognitive processes are involved in the same. It has been noticed that  the brain reacts very quickly when someone uses a sexual innuendo. [5]  

A study published in the Journal of Biological Psychology aimed to check the unique activity of the brain when someone throws a sexual innuendo. [3]

Research findings confirm that the brain rapidly combines linguistic and emotional information to understand what the person speaks. This leads to a triggering response to sexual innuendo rather than a normal speech. The speaker using sexual innuendo in turn grabs more attention and high social relevance. [6] 

Can Sexual Innuendos Create A Bad Impression?

Sexual innuendos may create a humorous or funny atmosphere. But they can also create a sense of discomfort among the people. This discomfort may come in the form of anxiety, loneliness, or harassment. 

Impact of innuendo in a workplace: Sexual innuendo in the workplace may look like a joke or an indirect remark, but they can leave a long-lasting impression. Common forms of sexual innuendo in professional culture may involve-

• passing double-meaning comments,
• jokes,
• flirtatious comments
• sexual teasing
• name-calling.

All of this can result in a poor professional environment, decreased productivity, and emotional distress. [7] Many users across different online forums have described a feeling of isolation in an environment that involves sexual innuendos. Sexual innuendo can be recognized as a verbal sign of sexual harassment in the workplace. [8]

Impact of innuendo on children: On another note, parents whose children are addicted to media are more likely concerned about sexual innuendos. Children are getting exposed to sexual innuendo and sexual content through movies, music videos during their growing years. They use media as sources of information about sex, drugs, AIDS, and violence as well as to learn how to behave in relationships. This exposure can not only normalize sexual innuendos but also encourage them to mimic this language used in entertainment media.

So while sexual innuendo might be a source of enjoyment, they can create a moment which is neither funny nor forgettable.

How To Handle And Respond To A Sexual Innuendo?

There are different ways a person reacts when he or she confronts a sexual innuendo. But if it is making you feel way too uncomfortable, you need to take action immediately. Let us address some different ways by which you can handle and respond to a sexual innunedo.

• Direct approach: One of the most effective responses is to directly tell the person that their comment is inappropriate. This is the best way to ignore and avoid unnecessary drama while setting up your boundaries. 
• Silence as a weapon: You can also choose silence as your weapon. This is a nonverbal action where you choose not to laugh or react to a sexual innuendo. The speaker may get uncomfortable and will think before passing any other remark. 
• Asking for a clarification: If you don’t want to ignore the situation and would opt to face it, immediately ask the speaker what he means. Keep repeating this thing until they struggle to get an answer and explain it to you. This will make them think about how inappropriate their comment was.[9]