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The HANKY CODES
The Hanky Code (also known as the handkerchief code, the bandana code, and flagging) is a color-coded system, employed usually among the gay male or practitioners in the leather subculture in the United States, Canada, and Europe, to indicate preferred sexual fetishes, what kind of sex they are seeking, and whether they are a top/dominant (worn on the left) or bottom/submissive (worn on the right).
The origins of the Hanky Codes dates back to American cowboy during the mid- and late-nineteenth century. It is thought that the wearing of bandanas which was a common partice for men, originated in San Francisco after the Gold Rush, when, because of a shortage of women, men dancing with each other in square dances developed a code wherein the man wearing the blue bandana took the male part in the square dance, and the man wearing the red bandana took the female part (these bandanas were usually worn around the arm or hanging from the belt or in the back pocket of one's jeans). The modern hanky code started in New York City sometime in the late 1970 - early 1971 and has became a staple of the modern leather culture.
The first chart below shows the twelve most popular (as well as distinguable) colors in the Hanky Code, as well as their meaning listed just under the color name. The succeeding chart is the long list of colors and items.
* But not necessarily anyone
**Purple, the code for piercing, merely indicates an interest in piercing (usually that the wearer has body piercings), not necessarily that they wish to incorporate piercing into sexual play.
|
COLOR |
WORN ON LEFT |
WORN ON RIGHT |
BLACK
|
heavy SM top
|
heavy SM bottom |
GREY
|
bondage top
|
fit to be tied! |
BLUE, Light
|
wants head
|
cocksucker |
BLUE, Robin's Egg
|
69er
|
anything but 69ing |
BLUE, Medium
|
cop
|
copsucker |
BLUE, Navy
|
fucker (top)
|
fuckee (bottom) |
BLUE, Airforce
|
pilot/flight attendant
|
likes flyboys |
BLUE, Light w/WHITE Stripe
|
sailor
|
lookin' for salty seamen |
BLUE, Teal
|
cock & ball torturer
|
cock & ball torturee |
BLUE, Turquoise |
cathetizer |
catheterizee |
RED
|
fist fucker
|
fist fuckee |
MAROON
|
cuts
|
bleeds |
RED, Dark
|
2-handed fister
|
2-handed fistee |
PUCE |
bruiser |
bruise me |
PINK, Light
|
dildo fucker
|
dildo fuckee |
PINK, Dark
|
tit torturer
|
tit torturee |
MAUVE
|
into navel worshippers
|
has a navel fetish |
MAGENTA
|
suck my pits
|
armpit freak |
PURPLE
|
piercer
|
piercee |
LAVENDER
|
likes drag queens
|
drag queen |
YELLOW
|
pisser/WS
|
piss freak |
YELLOW, Pale
|
spits
|
drool crazy |
MUSTARD
|
hung 8"+
|
wants 8"+ |
GOLD
|
two looking for one
|
one looking for two |
ORANGE
|
anything anytime
|
nothing now (just cruising) |
APRICOT
|
two tons o' fun
|
chubby chaser |
PEACH |
bear |
cub |
CORAL
|
suck my toes
|
shrimper (sucks toes) |
RUST
|
a cowboy
|
a cowboy's horse |
FUSCHIA
|
spanker
|
spankee |
GREEN, Kelly
|
hustler (for rent)
|
john (looking to buy) |
GREEN, Hunter
|
daddy
|
orphan boy looking for daddy |
OLIVE DRAB
|
military top
|
military bottom |
GREEN, Lime
|
dines off tricks (food)
|
dinner plate (will buy dinner) |
BEIGE
|
rimmer
|
rimmee |
KHAKI |
wears a uniform |
loves a man in uniform |
BROWN
|
scat top
|
scat bottom |
BROWN LACE
|
uncut
|
likes uncut |
BROWN SATIN
|
cut
|
likes cut |
CHARCOAL
|
latex fetish top
|
latex fetish bottom |
GREY FLANNEL
|
owns a suit
|
likes men in suits |
WHITE
|
beat my meat (J/O)
|
I'll do us both (J/O) |
HOLSTEIN
|
milker
|
milkee |
CREAM
|
cums in condoms
|
sucks cum out of condoms |
BLACK w/WHITE Check
|
safe sex top
|
safe sex bottom |
RED w/WHITE Stripe
|
shaver
|
shavee |
RED w/WHITE Check |
brander or cutter |
brandee or cuttee |
RED w/BLACK Stripe
|
furry bear
|
likes bears |
WHITE LACE
|
likes white bottoms
|
likes white tops |
BLACK w/WHITE Stripe
|
likes black bottoms
|
likes black tops |
BROWN w/WHITE Stripe
|
likes latino bottoms
|
likes latino tops |
YELLOW w/WHITE Stripe
|
likes asian bottoms
|
likes asian tops |
BLUE, Light w/WHITE Dots
|
likes white suckers
|
likes to suck whites |
BLUE, Light w/BLACK Dots
|
likes black suckers
|
likes to suck blacks |
BLUE, Light w/BROWN Dots
|
likes latino suckers
|
likes to suck latinos |
BLUE, Light w/YELLOW Dots
|
likes asian suckers
|
likes to suck asians |
RED/WHITE GINGHAM
|
park sex top
|
park sex bottom |
BROWN CORDUROY
|
headmaster
|
student |
PAISLEY
|
wears boxer shorts
|
likes boxer shorts |
FUR
|
bestialist top
|
bestialist bottom |
GOLD LAME
|
likes muscleboy bottoms
|
likes muscleboy tops |
SILVER LAME
|
starfucker
|
celebrity |
BLACK VELVET
|
has/takes videos
|
will perform for the camera |
WHITE VELVET
|
voyeur (likes to watch)
|
will put on a show |
LEOPARD
|
has tattoos
|
likes tattoos |
TAN
|
smokes cigars
|
likes cigars |
TEDDY BEAR
|
cuddler
|
cuddlee |
KEWPIE DOLL
|
chicken (under-aged)
|
chicken hawk (likes them young) |
DIRTY JOCKSTRAP
|
wears a dirty jock
|
sucks dirty jocks clean |
JOCKSTRAP, Any color |
wears one |
likes jockstraps |
DOILY
|
tearoom top (pours)
|
tearoom bottom (drinks) |
MOSQUITO NETTING
|
outdoor sex top
|
outdoor sex bottom |
ZIPLOC BAG
|
has drugs
|
looking for drugs |
COCKTAIL NAPKIN
|
bartender
|
bar groupie |
KLEENEX
|
stinks
|
sniffs |
KEYS IN FRONT
|
has a car
|
looking for a ride |
KEYS IN BACK
|
has a home
|
needs a place to stay |
HOUNDSTOOTH
|
likes to nibble
|
willing to be bitten |
ARGYLE |
geek |
likes sexy nerds |
TARTAN, Caledonian |
fully clothed |
fully naked |
UNION JACK
|
skinhead top
|
skinhead bottom |
CALICO
|
new in town
|
tourists welcome |
CHAMOIS |
rides a motorcycle |
biker groupie |
TERRYCLOTH
|
bathhouse top
|
bathhouse bottom |
WHITE w/MULTICOLOR Dots
|
hosting an orgy
|
looking for an orgy |
The long, elaborate list seen here, are more imaginative and the variations of of bandanas colors or items are less often used in practice, although most of the colors found in the longer list are offered as bandanas for sale at most leather stores along with free color code cards listing their meanings and as well as being available for sale at online retailers.
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