- More than half the Irish use cheeky nicknames to describe their different body parts, with more one in 10 using them daily.
- Nicknames vary across Ireland ranging from ‘Baps’ and ‘Hoops’ through to ‘Mickey’ and ‘Flute’.
- The Irish worry about the odour from their body parts, as one in five admit to nicknaming their parts to make talking about it easier.
- Whether it’s boobs, bums, balls or feet, new Sure Whole Body Deodorant uses odour adapt technology for all over body odour protection, no matter where you sweat.
If you’ve ever referred to your behind as your ‘Rear End’ or your genitals as ‘Mickey’, you’re not alone. More than half of Irish people (58%) use alternative names for their body parts, according to new research from Sure Whole Body Deodorant, with one in five (21%) choosing a nickname to make it easier to talk about and one in four (25%) claiming it makes the conversation less awkward.
Genitals are the most popular body part to be given a nickname (50%), followed by breasts (36%), backsides (26%), stomach (24%), feet (17%) and legs (17%).
Whatever you call your bits, one thing remains the same – people don’t want to feel embarrassed about their bodies or having conversations about them. While almost half (45%) are using nicknames for a laugh, 21% attribute nicknames to body parts to make it easier to talk about their body in everyday life and a quarter (25%) do so to make the conversation less awkward.
Alongside body part sensitivity, FOBO (Fear Of Body Odour) is also cause for concern, with over seven in ten of the Irish (71%) self-conscious about body odour in areas other than their underarms. Feet (40%), genitals (34%), and backsides (19%) are all common places people experience bad odour, and it is perhaps no coincidence that these are also some of the most common areas to be nicknamed.
Concerningly, FOBO may be turning the nation into introverts, with 26% getting really embarrassed, 20% avoiding social situations, 14% isolating from other people, and 15% leaving social occasions early.
With nearly two thirds of Irish consumers (66%) resorting to using anti-perspirant on other parts of their body, Sure Whole Body Deodorant uses odour adapt technology to cut through the different bacteria that live on our body to help the Irish move confidently through their days.
OUR FAVOURITE BODY PARTS TO NICKNAME
Male genitalia received some of the most creative descriptors, with the common ‘Willy’ (38%) and ‘Knob’ (32%) ranked up with Irish slang including ‘Mickey’ (23%), ‘Flute’ (15%) and ‘Lad’ (13%).
We are equally as playful when it comes to naming our feet, with ‘Trotters’ (30%), ‘Piggies’ (26%) and ‘Hooves’ (22%) our favourite names. It’s no surprise that this is because 40% of Irish are conscious of odour from their feet.
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES
There are generational quirks too.
- Generation Z (born after 1996) Irish are most likely to give nicknames to genitals (52%), compared to just 44% of Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964).
- While ‘Willy’ takes the top spot for Gen Z (39%), Millennials (38%), Gen X (37%) and Baby Boomers (42%), nicknames like ‘Lad’ were also popular with Gen X (13%).
- Millennials also love calling their behinds ‘Arse’ (79%) compared to just 54% of Baby Boomers, with ‘Rear End’ proving popular with them at 38% compared to just 3% of Millennials.
- Stomachs are also a linguistic free for all; despite the majority of Gen Z and Millennials favouring ‘Tummy’ (61% and 43%), Gen X and Baby Boomers prefer ‘Belly’ (62% and 56%).
REGIONAL QUIRKS
Whether you’re from Leinster, Munster, Ulster or Connacht, the names you use differ depending on where in Ireland you are:
- The Irish in Connacht (53%) and Munster (49%) choose ‘Willy’ for their genitals – whilst Leinster (38%) prefers ‘Knob’, but Ulster (60%) prefers the Irish slang of ‘Mickey’.
- Breasts also have a range of names from ‘Boobs’ (67% Munster) to ‘The Girls’ (29% Leinster).
- Feet vary from ‘Trotters’ (33% Leinster) and ‘Dogs’ (19% Leinster) to ‘Hooves’ (33% Munster).
Jennifer King, Marketing Manager at Sure Ireland says, “Our Sure Whole Body Deodorant research shows the creative flair and cheekiness the Irish have when it comes to their own bodies.”
“But regardless of whether we’re calling our parts Mickey or Flutes, these nicknames add a layer of humour so that people feel comfortable talking about their bodies every day.”
“With our research finding that more than half of Irish people admit to fearing B.O., we’re thrilled we have developed a product to help everyone in Ireland feel more confident in their bodies.”
“Different bacteria cause different odours across our bodies, so Sure Whole Body Deodorant uses odour adapt technology to tackle the various odours in your feet, our privates and beyond to help people move confidently each day.”
So, whether it’s your boobs, bum, balls or feet, Sure’s Whole Body Deodorant is here for all over body odour protection.
