Words That Sound Risque . . .

. . . but aren't

[lawman]

I used to do a Monday morning chat thing on a radio station. Once I mentioned that I caught my dongle in the zipper of my laptop bag. I almost got censored.

Even my secretary giggles when I use the word.

Is that the only legitimately non-risque word that elicits such responses?

[pmkpmk]

We use dongles for almost 15 years now. Even though English is not our native language, we learned soon to call them "hardlock" (which incidentally is the registered trademark of the manufacturer as well).

Other words for your list:
F.A.Q.-list (pronounce it loud and you see where it leads - got me some VERY strange looks from female staff members if I asked about them for the first [and last] time).
Hmm... maybe it's a German thing after all. Just keep in mind that we pronounce "q" like "k" and "u" like "a".

[digitalghost]

Cockchafer. It's a beetle. Cockerel will get a few snickers too if people aren't familiar with chickens. Futtock and Bishopric, and then there's Uranus, which can never be said, no matter what company you are in, without getting a smile or a chuckle.

[lawman]

Somehow I knew you'd come through DG. :)

[Lilliabeth]

For years my career was in the medical field. The car "Prius" always makes me blush because I think of the painful medical condition priapism.

I guess a dinghy does not have a futtock. Does a pontoon? Either way, you might want a sextant.

[Lilliabeth]

I'll bet digitalghost has a backhoe in the barn and rubbermaids in the kitchen.

I have a friend who has been called "Buster" all of his life. He used to get teased about being named after the condom.

[Automan Empire]

While gardening recently, I asked my teenage hireling to pass the dirty hoe, which made it hard for him to stay on-task for a few minutes.

I enjoy cautioning people not to masticate [encarta.msn.com] in front of their computers, for the sake of hardware integrity.

Added: I enjoy playing with my cockerels!

[ann]

cockatoo

[lawman]

petcock

[mattglet]

Shuttlecock

[D_Blackwell]

Diverging from the theme -

I once watched someone about turn purple after I used the word niggardly.
World Wide Words [worldwidewords.org]

[Webwork]

Bunghole [google.com] is kinda, eh, descriptive? Of course, some of your best wines are sampled whilst they are maturing by dipping into the bunghole.

There's something to be said for words that aren't racy in the local lexicon that can get you tweaked in the trousers for employing them elsewheres.

For example, it is not good form to ask a British woman named Fionnula if her friends call her Fannie [google.com], as in Fannie Mae. I was so advised by a lovely British nurse on holiday in Cancun.

Later that night, when the same woman publicly instructed the cabbie who was attempting to overcharge us to "##$@ OFF", my unease about my earlier offense did wane a bit.

There's something appealing about a woman who knows how - and when - to cuss. Suddenly . . . she's one of the boys . . .

Without the dongles. ;)

[digitalghost]

Ah, one of my Brit friends told one of my American girl friends, 'he'd knock her up'. Umm, yeah.

[sem4u]

Shag: a carpet texture, a swing dance or a name of a bird.

[SEOMike]

Seems that any time a female dog is referred to correctly: B**CH. Something like, "My stud gave Steve's b**ch a great litter."

[akmac]

Richard. Or Rich. Or Rick.

[httpwebwitch]

Lake Titicaca.

[httpwebwitch]

There is a chain of liquor stores on the Boston North Shore called "Bunghole Liquors".

I'm not kidding [bungholeliquors.com]

[novice]

Blue Tit

[mattglet]

There is a chain of liquor stores on the Boston North Shore called "Bunghole Liquors".

Too funny, I was just at the one in Salem last week.

[RossWal]

Somehow I find risque just a tad risque, but not as much I find titlating really quite titalating.

On a variation of the dirty hoe, I once rented a house and had to get the garden in order. I drove down to the hardware store and was looking at rakes, shovels, etc. Top priority was frugality. An older sales gal approached just as I was making up my mind. Can I help you find what you need? I explained I needed to clean the garden, didn't want to spend much, and had decided what I really needed was just a decent cheap hoe.

On another visit to fix the sprinkler system, I explained my project to the same gal, who announced quite boldly: What you need is a pair of 1" nipples. Uh...OK.

[akmac]

Slightly off topic, but there's a large grocery store chain in Finland called "KKK".

[Gomez]

Hummer - (the Vehicle)

[akmac]

...and don't call a fanny pack a fanny pack in the UK or Australia...

[Webwork]

Here's the scene: I'm 12 years old. I'm helping my father to string Christmas lights under the eves of the house. My mother is at the window, anxiously watching her young man learn how to climb ladders, work with tools and play with electricity.

Father speaking to son, demonstrating how to rig the wiring:

This is the female socket. Take the male plug, insert it firmly into the female socket. Be certain you've got it in their good and tight. See if you can wiggle it around. Careful, sparks my fly if you wiggle it too hard.

Mother at the window:

Jeeze Mickey, what the hell are you teaching our son!

Son, having no clue about the issues, waits patiently for the next bit of instruction.

[httpwebwitch]

titmouse

[httpwebwitch]

some others that haven't been mentioned:

assize
uvula
pussywillow
cockpit
sextet
manhole
thespian
shiitake
cockswain
analyse

and my favourite:
puckfist [websters.wunderdictionary.com]

[Hawkgirl]

The very first motorcycle repair I ever did by myself was to install a new petcock. Twelve years later, it still makes me giggle.

[lawman]

>>Twelve years later, it still makes me giggle.

Apparently msg #9 didn't do anything for you. :)

[humpingdan]

pantaloon