1417Poly-english dictionary
May. 13th, 2003 11:41 am
May 13, 2003
or: "Hello, I'm an idiot"
A POLYAMORY-ENGLISH 	PHRASE DICTIONARY 
by rdb@blarg.net 	(plus two by Vamp) 
Poly phrase: "I don't use 	primary/secondary terminology, since I 
don't see my 	relationships as hierarchical." 
English translation: 	"You're a secondary." 
Poly phrase: "For me 	sex is about energy, so breathing and heart 
connection are more 	important than ejaculation." 
English translation: "I'm 	more sophisticated than the guy over 
there, please sleep with me 	instead." 
Poly phrase: "I see polyamory as being 	more about relationships 
and intimacy, while swinging is just 	about sex, and sex without 
intimacy is just not where I'm at 	right now." 
English translation: "I'm more 	sophisticated than the guy over 
there, please sleep with me 	instead." 
Poly phrase: "The most important thing 	to me is keeping 
agreements." 
English translation: "If 	you start seeing someone else and I'd 
feel unsophisticated just 	saying that I'm jealous, then I'll 
reinterpret one of our 	agreements until I'm able to say you broke 
it." 
Poly 	phrase: "Even secondary relationships for me aren't just about 	
sex." 
English translation: "Secondary 	relationships for me are just about 
sex." 
Poly 	phrase: "Right now the most important things to me are building 	
poly family and intentional community." 
English 	translation: "I'm getting concerned that I won't always be 	
able to easily find new partners, plus I'm tired of driving from 	
place to place, and oh yeah, I'm more sophisticated than the guy 	
over there, so please sleep with me instead." 
Poly 	phrase: "In our household the most important things are open 	
communication and open process." English translation: 	"Expect to 
be abused with passive-aggressive 'I' 	statements." 
Poly phrase: "I don't feel that we 	communicate on the same level, 
and that you aren't supporting me 	emotionally." 
English translation: "I'm tired of you 	but it would make me seem 
less sophisticated and hence reduce my 	opportunities for further 
sexual relationships in this community 	to actually say that so 
bluntly, so I'll make this about vague 	failings on your part 
instead." 
Poly phrase: "I 	think we should each have veto power." 
English translation: 	"I want to reserve the right to veto each of 
your partners, 	no matter how much they respect our existing 
relationships, so 	that you're de facto limited to monogamy while I 
play the 	field." 
Poly phrase: "I think that we should focus 	on each other for a 
while." 
English translation: "I'm 	having more trouble finding partners than 
you are, time to clip 	your wings!" 
Poly phrase: "I want you to always 	feel OK telling me what's really 
going on in your life, and 	asking for what you need in this 
relationship." 
English 	translation: "Ask for what you need, and express hurt 	
feelings, at your peril." 
Poly phrase: "I'm 	not angry at you, I'm angry at myself, for not 
having recognized 	sooner that we weren't right for each 
other." 
English 	translation: "I'm angry at you for not making my life 
perfect, 	but rather than taking responsibility for setting and 
meeting my 	own goals I find it more satisfying to shift the blame 
to you 	while superficially appearing to do the opposite." 
Poly 	phrase: "Out of respect for our primary bond, we normally only 	
see other people together." English translation: "MAYBE 	THIS 
TIME I'LL FINALLY GET TO HAVE SEX WITH TWO WOMEN AT ONCE 	OMG OMG 
OMG THAT WOULD BE L33T!!!!! " 
Poly phrase: 	"I think we need to process the end of our relationship 
and 	get closure." 
English translation: "I'd like to kick 	you while you're down." 
Poly phrase: "We obviously 	need to work on our relationship." 
English translation: 	"We're through, I just want to vent a little 
more so that I 	can feel a little more self-righteous once you know 
it's over 	too, OK?" 
Poly phrase: "The idea of line marriage 	has always appealed to 
me." 
English translation: "The 	idea of having sex with people younger 
than me has always 	appealed to me." 
Poly phrase: "So, which 	conventions do you like to attend, what kind 
of books do you 	like to read, what are your spiritual beliefs, and 
what is your 	ideal occupation?" 
English translation: "Which science 	fiction conventions do you like 
to attend, who is your favorite 	fantasy author, what form of neo-
paganism do you ascribe do, and 	where in the computer industry 
would you like to work?" 	
Poly phrase: "I'm needing to do some inner work, and 	instead of 
dating anyone would rather just work on my 	relationship with 
myself." 
English translation: "I'm 	tired of you, but since I don't have 
anyone else lined up right 	now I might as well get some mileage 
out of the personal growth 	angle." 
Poly phrase: "Well, I'm only theoretically 	poly, but I already have 
plenty of firmly-held beliefs about how 	it could be done in real 
life!" 
English translation: 	"Hi, I'm an idiot." 
Poly phrase: "Swinging 	would be way too crass for me, I'm more 
about relationships and 	emotional intimacy." 
English translation: "I've always 	wanted to go to New Horizons, 
could someone give me a ride there 	and guest me in, as long as I 
don't have to ask publicly?" 	
Poly phrase: "All of my partners are equally important 	to me, and 
they're all primary." 
English translation: 	"I'd rather not explicitly spell out what the 
heirarchy is, 	but trust me - you'll know when you run into it." 
Poly 	phrase: "Our friendship is more important than anything 
else." 	
English translation: "Once you've told me that we're done 	fucking, 
you'll never hear a word from me again." 
Poly 	phrase: "I'm willing to take this slow as well." 
English 	translation: "I intend to act like a SNAG (Sensitive New Age 	
Guy) and put as much pressure on you to put out as possible."