The Top 10 Most Common Safe Words During Sex Are Almost All About This One Thing

My sex life has always been far too vanilla to include safe words but if I had to explain my overall opinion of them in two words I would say: "good idea." From slightly rough foreplay to BDSM, having a safe word is important so that boundaries aren't crossed in the bedroom. However, in the Wild West that is role-playing, pretty much any word in the English language can come up from "doctor" to "David Bowie" (hey, we all have our thing). So it didn't surprise me that the most common safe words uttered during sex are all super specific, unusual, and sort of funny.

What did surprise me was that almost all of the top 10 used safe words according to a study by Lovehoney, one of the world’s largest sex toy retailers, had to do with food. Yes, that's right, food. There were also some interesting celebrity safe words including "Donald Trump" (duh) and "Justin Bieber" (interesting... don't some people dig him?). But from bananas to apples to peaches, the top ten safe words were very... fruity. I found this even more bizarre considering that in emoji form, bananas and peaches are very... er... suggestive. Here are the top 10 most common safe words in order from first to 10th, with my takes on how well they might actually work in the bedroom.

1. Red

This is the top safe word, which I imagine stems from "code red" or a red STOP sign. That said, saying "red" out loud could easily be confused with talking about books one has "read" if in a librarian fantasy, so proceed with caution.

2. Pineapple

The second best safe word, which to me actually makes a lot of sense. Pineapples are spiky, the word itself is strange and specific and definitely hard to misunderstand. I've heard rumors that eating pineapple makes your nether regions taste sweeter, but other than that, the fruit isn't all that sexual. This seems like a good move — unless you and your partner are role playing Pineapple Express.

3. Banana

I don't understand! It seems to easy to call your partner's male genitalia a "banana" and subsequently ruin the entire mood by having it be your safe word, no?! Though, on second thought, I've never actually called someone's P a banana during sex, so maybe this is actually a smart choice.

4. Orange

Orange you glad I didn't say "banana"? Orange is an admittedly silly word to say during sex, and I feel like it's an excellent safe word. It does not even rhyme with anything! My only concern would be that it sounds a bit like orgasm, but again, how often do people really say "orgasm" instead of "come" during sex?

5. Peach

Peach was the secret nickname my friends and I called our elementary school crush and resident hottie James, because of James and the Giant Peach. However, now that I am an adult, when I think of how peaches and sex are related, I think of the peach (booty) emoji. Still, shouting out "peach" during sex would have a different effect. I like "peach" as an adorable way to break a too-intense mood. J'approve!

6. Apple

Tricky in a teacher-student role play situation, but otherwise, "apple" is a rather innocuous and relaxed safe word. It's crisp and to the point, which is always a bonus in hairy situations.

7. Vanilla

Yup, just like my sex life! But in all seriousness, vanilla feels like a strange word to bring into the bedroom. I understand that chocolate is a food that is actually sometimes brought into beds and is probably not the greatest safe word, but vanilla just makes me think of baking. Or ice cream.

8. Yellow

This is like a yellow light at a traffic light. Not a total stop, but a signal to slow down.

9. Blue

You probably already know what I am going to say... "blue" is too close to the past tense of "blow" for my taste when it comes to having very overt, clear, "I would never use this word otherwise" safe words in the bedroom, but hey, whatever works.

10. Unicorn

MY FAVORITE! Yes, fantasies you invoke in the bedroom with your partner might include pretend unicorns, but otherwise, this word immediately makes me think of a mystical creature which will most definitely take me out of the moment. If I ever do have a safe word, it will be this.

Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Check out the “Best of Elite Daily” stream in the Bustle App for more stories just like this!