Helpful Terminology
A helpful list of terms for navigating trans subculture, with credit to TransgenderMap - see that site for a fuller list. Some terms are even more specific to online communities such as 4chan or Reddit. See /tttt’s 4tran dictionary
“AGP”/“autogynephilia” [jargon] (noun): Sexual arousal by the thought or image of oneself as a woman. a controversial “disease”, described by pseudoscientific research by Blanchard as “a man’s paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of oneself as a woman.” Considered by some to be a motivation for transition in some trans women, especially later-transitioning women. Sometimes abbreviated AGP. Adjectival autogynephilic. Please see “Autogynephilia”: A disputed diagnosis for details on the controversy.
“blanchardian” (noun): “blanchtard” [slur] (noun): believer in debunked pseudoscience in the form of the blanchard typology of MtF transsexualism. Someone who agrees with Ray Blanchard on transgender issues, especially his views on paraphilia. Portmanteau of Blanchard + retard.
Blanchard’s studies and topology has been refuted many times. Categorization of transwomen in this way creates harmful divides. All reasons to transition are valid.
boy mode [slang] (noun or verb): presenting in a “masculine” gender role when trans: “I worked in boy mode while I finished my electrolysis.” As a verb, usually styled boymode: “He’s been boymoding everywhere but work.”
boymoder [slang] (noun): someone who presents in a “masculine” gender role when trans.
“brick” [slur] (noun): a derogatory term for someone who does not “pass” or isn’t accepted as female.
“chaser” [slur] (noun): short for tranny chaser, someone attracted to transgender people.
cis [abbreviation] (adjective): cisgender, aka not transgender: “He thought I was a cis woman even though I was at a transgender event.” Cis is a Latin prefix meaning the opposite of trans.
clock [slang] (verb): 1. to be recognized as transgender, esp. by a non-trans person. 2. to insult someone, as in, “I had to clock her after she was acting shady.”
“detransition”/ “detrans” [slang] (verb): to shift one’s gender expression and possibly gender identity after a previous shift. A controversial concept because it frames gender identity and expression as a binary, not a spectrum.
dilate (verb): to use a vaginal stent or dilator to maintain one’s vagina after vaginoplasty. As an insult to transwomen who have not had SRS also
egg [slang] (noun): someone who is unaware or in denial about an innate sex/gender preference to be different from their birth-sex.
femboy, also femboi [abbreviation] (noun): feminine boy, especially someone who identifies as a cisgender boy: “I think the Femboy Hooters meme is hilarious, but I got in trouble for calling a trans girl a femboy online.”
“fish” or “fishy” [slang] (adjective): a derogatory term used by some to refer to non-transgender women. Often considered highly offensive in this context, as it derives from the purported smell of women’s vaginas: “That cold fish of a waitress gave us bad service because we are trans.” a compliment among some that means you look like a non-transgender woman, e.g., very feminine or very beautiful: “Your makeup has you looking pure fish.”
full time or full-time (adjective): living consistently all day every day in one’s chosen gender.
gatekeeping (noun): The practice of controlling access to health services via restrictive models of care.
“gender nazi” [slur, rare] (noun): (1) a derogatory term for rigid transitioners or caregivers (e.g., “gatekeepers”) who advocate a restrictive model of care.
girl mode [slang] (noun or verb): presenting in a “feminine” gender role when trans: “I worked in girl mode while I saved for top surgery.” As a verb, usually styled girlmode: “She’s been girlmoding everywhere but work.”
girlmoder [slang] (noun): someone who presents in a “feminine” gender role trans.
“homosexual transsexual” [jargon] (noun): a controversial term suggested by conservative 20th-century sexologists for trans people who identify as straight. Sometimes abbreviated HSTS.
“hon” [slur] (noun): a person whose gender transition has not helped them “pass” or be attractive. Sometimes used with modifiers like voicehon for someone whose voice does not “pass,” or framehon whose body size does not allow them to “pass.” It comes from the cliché, “You look great, hon,” which is often used by older transitioners who do not “pass.” Can be used with terms such as “giga” “mega” to indicate how non-passing someone is “gigahon” “megahon” “terahon”
“john50” [slur] (noun) : John 50 is the cautionary tale that you can’t repress forever and will troon out at 50 or be suicidal / commit suicide
“larper” [slur] (noun): Someone pretending to be a gender minority or presenting an inauthentic gender role. From LARP, an acronym for live-action roleplaying.
4chan’s “*shit” slang
“luckshit” : A midshit or lateshit trans person who nonetheless passes due to fortunate genetics and/or financial resources
“youngshit” : A youngshit is a transgender person who transitioned medically as a child.
“midshit” : A term used on 4chan’s /lgbt/ board to refer to a trans person who transitioned in a range between that of a youngshit and an oldshit.
“lateshit” / “oldshit” / “ancientshit” : Anyone over 25 that starts to transition. Viewed negatively by those who have transitioned earlier
ma’am [slang] (verb): To be gendered as feminine, usually when you want to be: “I got ma’amed at the store today.”
malefailing [slang] (noun): to be gendered as feminine while attempting to present in a masculine gender role.
“poonbro” [slur] (noun): a transmasculine person with a vagina. Poon is a slang term for vagina.
“pooner” [slur] (noun): a transmasculine person with a vagina.
read [slang] (verb): 1. to be recognized as transgender, esp. by a non-trans person. 2. to insult someone, as in, “I had to read her after she was acting shady.”
repfuel [slang, abbreviation] (noun): short for repression fuel, something a person uses to repress their interest in changing their gender expression. Repfuel is often media of trans people who are unattractive or do not “pass.”
repressor [slang] (noun): a person who is fighting the wish to change their gender expression.
“shemale” [slur] (noun): a sexualized term popularized in pornography for a transgender woman who has not had bottom surgery. Often considered highly offensive. Also “she-male.”
“shim” [slur] (noun): a person whose gender is unclear. Portmanteau of “she” and “him.”
sir [slang] (verb): To be gendered as masculine, usually when you don’t want to be: “I got sirred at the store today.”
sis [slang] (noun): sister. Sometimes said ironically (“Hey sis!”), as it is a cliché term among later transitioners who do not “pass.”
sissification [slang] (noun): Erotic roleplaying a feminine gender role, sometimes called genderplay. Participating in sissy subculture may also include other kinds of roleplaying like ageplay or animal roleplay. It may also include elements of control and consent, such as submissiveness, “forced” or unconsented feminization, and hypnosis.
“sissy” [slang] (noun): Considered offensive by some. a sissy in the kink community with erotic or autoerotic interest in feminization.
spill the T or spill the tea [slang] (verb): to have your identity divulged by someone: “Someone I used to work with spilled my T at my new job.” Also can mean to share a secret.
stealth [slang] (adjective): “passing” to the extent that most people do not know you are trans.
stealth mode [slang] (noun): living stealth.
“TERF” or “terf” [jargon] (noun): originally an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a term proposed as a value-neutral way to describe feminists who are critical or unaccepting of transgender people or issues. It morphed into shorthand for any gender critical person or idea and is usually used as an accusation or insult. Most people who would be described as TERFs consider it a slur and prefer other terms like “gender critical” to describe their views. Sometimes humorously pluralized as terves.
“TIM” [jargon] (acronym): gender critical slang for trans-identified male, which they use for trans women as a way to misgender them. See also uncle TIM.
“trancel” [slur] (noun): a person who frequents toxic online communities and blames trans people for their problems. Trancels are often trans-attracted and/or wish to transition but fear rejection. Many have a deep and abiding hatred or contempt for some or all trans people. Portmanteau of trans + incel (an abbreviation for “involuntary celibate”).
transbian [abbreviation] (noun): transgender lesbian. Portmanteau of trans + lesbian
“transmedicalist” [slur] (noun): someone who thinks of being trans as a medical condition. Sometimes abbreviated as the adjective “transmed.”
“transtrender”/”trender” [slur] (noun): someone who allegedly identifies as transgender because it’s trendy. Usually used as an accusation.
“triple T” or “TTT” [slang, rare] (adjective): trannier than thou. Someone who acts as if they are better or more authentic than other trans people.
“troon” [slur] (noun): a person, especially a “masculine” woman, who gets misgendered. May be a portmanteau of trans + goon.
“truscum”/”trutrans” [slur] (noun): someone who thinks they are a “true” trans person with a medical condition, and others are not.
tuck: [slang] (verb): to conceal penis and testicles by tucking them between the legs.
tucute: [slur] (noun): a person who believes gender dysphoria or a medical diagnosis is not necessary to be transgender.
Other terms, from Wikipedia’s LGBT Slang page:
sapphic / WLW (woman-loving-woman) : synonymous with lesbian, but used nowadays to encompass attractions and relationships between women, regardless of their sexual or romantic orientation, sometimes including non-binary gynephiles
Achillean / MLM (man-loving-man) : an umbrella term for attractions and relationships between men, regardless of their sexual or romantic orientation, sometimes including non-binary androphiles