Yiff

For the film festival known as YIFF, see Yerevan International Film Festival.

An example of softcore "yiff" artwork, of an anthropomorphic cheetah in a tight bikini.

Yiff is a slang term used in the furry fandom to refer to pornographic content of anthropomorphic animal characters.^[1] It is considered a tongue-in-cheek term in the furry fandom.^[2][3][4] The term is also used as a way to insult members of the furry fandom, such as in the phrase "yiff in hell".^[1] Additionally, the term is also used in the plushie fetish community.^[5]

Furry conventions usually have strict policies regulating where yiff artwork can be displayed or sold.^[6] According to Google Trends, Google searches for the term were more prevalent during the 2000s, but steadily declined overtime with a brief rise during 2020.^[7]

History

See also: Furry fandom § History

The origin of the term is unclear.^[1] However, yiff has been in the fandom since the 1990s.^[8]

It is also thought to originate from a role player named Foxen, who created Foxish, a constructed language^[4] invented for use during online furry roleplaying. It was originally intended as a general-purpose expression of excitement or happiness, but became conflated with the term yipp, which carried sexual implications.

The CSI episode "Fur and Loathing", which aired on October 30, 2003, increased awareness of the term outside of the furry fandom.^{[2][better source needed]} The word yiff became mainstream later that decade from anti-furry rhetoric on sites like 4chan.^[4]

See also

• Cartoon pornography – Cartoon characters in sexual situations
• Clop – Erotic fan art related to the My Little Pony media franchise
• Pokémon and pornography – Pornography of the role-playing series Pokémon
• Rule 34 – Internet slang regarding pornography

References

1. Austin, Jessica Ruth (2021-08-26). Fan Identities in the Furry Fandom. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-5013-7542-2. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
2. "yiff". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
3. Hsu, Kevin J.; Bailey, J. Michael (2019-07-01). "The "Furry" Phenomenon: Characterizing Sexual Orientation, Sexual Motivation, and Erotic Target Identity Inversions in Male Furries". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 48 (5): 1349–1369. doi:10.1007/s10508-018-1303-7. ISSN 1573-2800. PMID 30806867. S2CID 73502071. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
4. "What does 'yiff' mean, and why do furries use it?". The Daily Dot. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
5. Dalzell, Tom; Victor, Terry (2014-11-27). The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. p. 855. ISBN 978-1-317-62512-4. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
6. Bronner, Simon J.; Clark, Cindy Dell (2016-03-21). Youth Cultures in America [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 276. ISBN 978-1-4408-3392-2. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
7. "Google Trends". Google Trends. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
8. Parsons, Zack (2009-07-28). Your Next-Door Neighbor Is a Dragon. Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN 978-0-8065-3301-8.

External links