slash

Originally a verb of uncertain etymology. Possibly from French esclachier (“to break”). Used in the Wycliffe Bible as slascht (see 1 Kings 5:18) but otherwise unattested until 16th century. Conjunctive use from various applications of the punctuation mark ⟨/⟩. See also slash fiction.

Comments merely allow readers to proclaim themselves mortally offended by the content of a story, despite having been warned in large block letters of INCEST or SLASH (any kind of sex between two men or two women: the term originated with the Kirk/Spock pairing – it described the literal slash between their names).

2013, Katherine Arcement, “Diary”, in London Review of Books, volume 35, number 5:

(fandom slang) Slash fiction; fan fiction focused on homoerotic pairing of fictional characters.


slash

en-verb

slash (third-person singular simple present slashes, present participle slashing, simple past and past participle slashed)

slashes (present singular third-person)
slashing (participle present)
slashed (participle past)
slashed (past)

Having read slash for other fandoms (mainly X-Files and Sentinel), I can say the whole gay issue gets dealt with more often in that slash than it does in Trek slash. That's not to say that all the slashers who slash in a "modern-era" show deal with AIDS, homophobia and other gay issues, but some of them do.

1997 December 17, ASCEM, quoting Ruth Gifford, “Re: An Interesting Question, re Slash vs. Gay Fiction”, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated (Usenet):

(intransitive, fandom slang) To write slash fiction.


ship

(fandom slang) A fictional romantic relationship between two characters, either real or themselves fictional, especially one explored in fan fiction.


ship

ship (third-person singular simple present ships, present participle shipping, simple past and past participle shipped)

ships (present singular third-person)
shipping (participle present)
shipped (participle past)
shipped (past)

→ Spanish: shippear, shipear

→ Portuguese: shippar

I ship Kirk and Spock in “Star Trek”.

I ship Peggy and Angie in “Marvel's Agent Carter”.

I should warn you that I could not identify a ‘dank meme’ if the fate of the working class depended on it and that I shall not be ‘shipping’ Lenin and Trotsky.

2017, Helen Razer, Total Propaganda: Basic Marxist Brainwashing for the Angry and the Young, Allen & Unwin, →ISBN:

(fandom slang, transitive) To support or approve of a fictional romantic relationship between two characters, typically in fan fiction or other fandom contexts.


ship

Unadapted borrowing from English ship, clipping of relationship.

(Brazil, fandom slang) ship (a fictional romantic relationship between two characters, either real or themselves fictional)


Larry

No one gets named Larry anymore. It's had it as a name. Think of someone called Larry and you automatically conjure up a guy drinking beer in a sixties rec room.

1998, Carol Shields, Larry's Party, Penguin, →ISBN, page 254:

"Larry, name's Larry." I smiled, it was too ridiculous. He was worried about me calling him Lawrence instead of Larry with a rogue zombie climbing out of the dirt.

2002, Laurell K. Hamilton, Circus of the Damned, JOVE, →ISBN, page 149:

A diminutive of the male given name Laurence or Lawrence, popular as a male given name in the U.S. in the 1940s and the 1950s.


Initialism of one true threesome coined by analogy with OTP (“one true pairing”).

And you don't have to limit your favorite ship to two characters — if there's a third involved, they can be your OT3.

2015, Sam Maggs, The Fangirl's Guide to the Universe: A Handbook for Girl Geeks, page 31:

For some, each member of the triangle cares deeply for the other two, like Elena/Damon/Stefan and Scott/Allison/Isaac—both the most popular OT3s in their respective fandoms.

2017, Charity A. Fowler, "Negotiating Desire: Resisting, Reimagining and Reinscribing Normalized Sexuality and Gender in Fan Fiction", dissertation submitted to Virginia Commonwealth University, page 286

Not only are male characters often presented as unapologetically bisexual (or, in some sense, post-sexual), but OT3 partnerships are not uncommon.

2018, Lucy Neville, Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: Women and Gay Male Pornography and Erotica, page 237:

(fandom slang) One true threesome; a polyamorous ship involving three characters that is a personal favorite of a fan.


OTP

Other common OTPs are Frodo/Sam and Aragorn/Legolas.

2007, Kristin Thompson, The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood, page 179:

The 'shippers in the study asserted that they may enjoy reading stories about other 'ships, or stories without a 'ship […] but the stories they most enjoy are those about their OTP.

2013, Jennifer K. Stuller, Fan Phenomena: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, page 43:

Over Rico's shoulder, I see Claire biting her lip, wearing the look of a shipper watching her OTP interact.

2018, Britta Lundin, Ship It, unnumbered page:

(fandom slang) Initialism of one true pair (or pairing): the romantic pairing preferred by an author or reader of fan fiction.


fluff

en-noun

fluff (countable and uncountable, plural fluffs)

From earlier floow (“woolly substance, down, nap, lint”), also spelt flough, flue, and flew, from West Flemish vluwe,
of uncertain ultimate origin:
* Compare Old English flōh (“that which is flown off, fragment, piece”) - see flaw
* Possibly representing a blend of flue + puff; compare Middle Dutch vloe, or perhaps onomatopoeic; compare dialectal English floose, flooze, fleeze (“particles of wool or cotton; fluff; loose threads or fibres”), Danish fnug (“down, fluff”), Swedish fnugg (“speck, flake”).
* Alternatively, West Flemish vluwe may derive from French velu (“hairy, furry”), from Latin villūtus (“having shaggy hair”), from villus (“shaggy hair, tuft of hair”).
For words of similar sound and meaning in other languages, compare Japanese フワフワ (fuwafuwa, “lightly, softly”), Hungarian puha (“soft, fluffy”), Polish puchaty (“soft, fluffy”),Romanian puf (“down, peachfuzz, soft hair of some animals, powderpuff”).

onomatopoeic

onomatopoeic

cog

And when something triggers, I can close the window and go read fluff for hours until I calm down.

2011, anonymous, quoted in Katherine Larsen & Lynn Zubernis, Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/producer Relationships, page 138

Fans prefer fluff to other types of fic. But angst (dramatic stories where characters have a wide range of emotions, including...angsty ones) comes in close second.

2017, "Flourish Kink", quoted in Ashley J. Barner, The Case for Fanfiction: Exploring the Pleasures and Practices of a Maligned Craft, page 67

Ah, fluff. My happy place. These fics are dedicated to feel-good feelings, which are the very best type of feelings.

2017, Carrie DiRisio, Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me, unnumbered page:

(fandom slang) Fan fiction, or part of a fan fiction, which is sweet and feel-good in tone, usually involving romance.


左側

左側 (canonical)
hidarigawa (romanization)

[çida̠ɾʲiɡa̠β̞a̠]

(fandom slang) top (referring to the order of names in pairings)


endgame

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-endgame.wav

TJLC’ers’ strong belief in Johnlock as endgame was intrinsically linked with their trust in the show’s creators, which enabled them to interpret the repeated denial of the subtext in Sherlock as part of the game.

2017, Suzanne Frenk, "Telling The True Story: Queerbaiting, representation, and fan resistance in the BBC Sherlock fandom", thesis submitted to Tilburg University, page 50

I think the fans and I were pretty aligned with who we wanted as endgame couples.

2020, Marlene King, quoted in Sara K. Day & Summer Melody Pennell, "#PLLQueerTheory: Fans’ reactions to queer representation in Pretty Little Liars", The Journal of Fandom Studies, Volume 8, Number 2, June 2020

One user, for example, posted, “Bughead haters can suck it. They’re endgame.”

2021, Emily Burkhardt, Verity Trott, Whitney Monaghan, “'#Bughead Is Endgame': Civic Meaning-Making inRiverdale Anti-Fandom andShipping Practices on Tumblr”, in Television & New Media:

(fandom slang, of a ship) Having become canon by the end of the plot of a work of fiction or speculated to be intended to become such.


shipper

From a clipping of relationshipper. Relationshipper emerged in early online fandom of the television series The X-Files as a term for fans who supported the possibility of a Mulder/Scully romance. It was shortened to r'shipper, then 'shipper, and finally shipper. By surface analysis, ship (“to create a fictional romantic relationship”) + -er.

surf

For creative fans and committed 'shippers^([sic]), fanfiction continues the interaction — the dialogue, the conversation, the story […]

2013, Jennifer K. Stuller, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, page 42:

(fandom slang) A person who supports a romantic or sexual relationship between fictional characters or real people.


slasher

With the success of the first film and the third one already in production, Warner Bros. is more likely to greet Harry Potter slashers with more takedown orders than tolerance.

2002 December 21, Christopher Noxon, “What to do about Harry Potter Porn?”, in The Vancouver Sun, page 96:

The same aspects that made buddy shows attractive to relationship-oriented fans also made them attractive to slashers; the fact that these shows were set in an era of tight jeans and unbuttoned shirts, and of the loosening of formerly strict standards of acceptable male behavior, only provided additional evidence for homoerotic interpretation.

2006, Francesca Coppa, “Writing Bodies in Space: Media Fan Fiction as Theatrical Performance”, in Kristina Busse, editor, Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet: New Essays, page 49:

In other words denied their own voice by a conservative misogynist culture, the original female slashers and vidders needed male characters as surrogates to express their own identity and desires.

2014, Kathryn Hill, “'Easy to Associate Angsty Lyrics with Buffy': An Introduction to a Participatory Fan Culture: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vidders, Popular Music and the Internet”, in Mary Kirby-Diaz, editor, Buffy and Angel Conquer the Internet: Essays on Online Fandom, page 182:

(fandom slang) One who writes slash fiction and/or supports male/male ships.


Rayne

A surname transferred from the given name, variant of Raine.

A city in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States

A township in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States.

A village and civil parish in Braintree district, Essex, England (OS grid ref TL7222).


rivalship

From rival + ship (“a fictional romantic relationship between two characters”).

compound

it took me longer to ship drarry bc when i first read HP i was young and pure and didnt care about ships but now im rivalship trash so

2015 October 16, kat (@saItkath), Twitter:

where are my femslash rivalships/hateships i want girls who wanna DUEL before they smooch

2017 December 20, in the netherdeep (@NatRoze), Twitter:

I dont like kylo ren bc hes a bitch. Also r*ylo sucks because fuck rivalships she deserves better. Dont @ me

2019 March 6, may (@myosotiskills), Twitter:

(fandom slang) A ship involving characters with an adversarial relationship.


slow burn

Another familiar trope, the slow burn, teases the reader as characters secretly pine for one another . . . for a long time.

2018, Francesca DiPiazza, Fandom: Fic Writers, Vidders, Gamers, Artists, and Cosplayers, page 30:

Slow burns are torture. Why wait? I want my characters getting down and dirty ASAP, and there's nothing wrong with that.

2019, Robinwritesallthethings, “porn with plot”, in Lemon, page 62:

On some nights, I want a good long, juicy 70k word slowburn, mutual pining, angst (with a happy ending, of course, I'm not a monster).

2021, Aditi Dubey, “Considering Fanfic”, in Rabbit Hole, number 1, Australian National University, page 33:

(idiomatic) Something that emerges or unfolds slowly or gradually.

(fiction) A work of fiction with a slow-paced plot; also, such a storyline.

(fiction, fandom slang) A romantic story (especially a work of fan fiction) in which the central relationship develops slowly.


M/S

(nautical) Initialism of motor ship. – a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, in contrast to sailing ships and steamships


MSR

I am a shipper, and yes, I prefer to read MSR.

2000 May 8, C. E. McLarney, “Re: NEW: "Remotely Controlled" (1/1) by Marguerite”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

Although I read MSR occasionally (and at one time did exclusively) the minute I discovered slash I was hooked.

2003 April 14, pjay [username], “slash”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

Made me want to read MSR again, and I thought I'd finally kicked that habit.

2006 June 12, jzjenn [username], “Paula Graves News”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

(uncountable, fandom slang) Such fan fiction collectively.


multiship

en-verb

multiship (third-person singular simple present multiships, present participle multishipping, simple past and past participle multishipped)

multiships (present singular third-person)
multishipping (participle present)
multishipped (participle past)
multishipped (past)

Though I do have a habit of picking a lady chara and multishipping her. Especially hermione. 💁♀

2020 July 2, Emlyn (@evilmaid_), Twitter:

As someone who multiships Chaggie and Charlastor. You guys fighting in the tags is annoying the hell out of me. Please stop using the tags. 😒

2021 February 18, ObsessedKatie (@ObsessedKatie), Twitter:

There’s a reason Sakura is multishipped so much and it’s bc she had interactions/development with almost the entire cast

2021 March 26, @uchihassasusaku, Twitter:

(fandom slang) To ship multiple pairings in the same fandom, especially ones featuring the same character.


Phan

In 2017 Tumblr fandometrics identified that two of the ten most reblogged ships were RPF ships. YouTube vloggers Dan Howell and Phil Lester, whose ship portmanteau is Phan, […]

2018 June, Emily E. Roach, “The homoerotics of the boyband, queerbaiting and RPF in pop music fandoms”, in The Journal of Fandom Studies, volume 6, number 2:

In hindsight, I now regret the errors of my ways (flashback to the time I was embarrassingly obsessed with Phan, the romantic pairing of YouTubers Daniel Howell and Phil Lester) as I find it uncomfortable to see people make the mistakes I once did.

2019 June 24, Jade Tan, “All Aboard The Ship”, in The High, International School of Lausanne, page 10:

Fans were so frenzied by the idea of a romantic relationship between them that Phan has always maintained a spot in the top five of Yearly Top Ships on Tumblr for the past three years.

2020 May, Sherin John Francis, Kavya Purushothaman, “Fanfiction: A Study as An Uprising Genre in LIterature”, in Purakala, volume 31, number 30, page 28:

(fandom slang) The real-person fiction ship of YouTube personalities Daniel Howell and Phil Lester.


slashable

en-adj

slashable (comparative more slashable, superlative most slashable)

more slashable (comparative)
most slashable (superlative)

I met so many other great people who have a similar interest in pairing up those oh-so-slashable couples.

1999, Reesa, “My very late Friscon report”, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated (Usenet):

(fandom slang) Suitable for writing slash fan fiction about.


Jaspis

Blend of jasper and lapis (from lapis lazuli).

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Lazuli Jasper and Lapis Lazulifrom the Steven Universe series.


Rocketshipper

From rocket + shipper (after the characters' team, Team Rocket, and punningly on rocketship).

Those of you who have read my fanfics will know that I am a Rocketshipper.

2000 January 13, Blue-Jackal and her box-o-Skywarp [username], “Jessie and James, an item?”, in alt.fan.team-rocket (Usenet):

All the Rocketshippers love to talk about evidence in favor of Jessie/James being in love and such.

2000 February 7, BBD127 [username], “Rocketshipping... negative evidence?”, in alt.fan.team-rocket (Usenet):

You realize, of course, that this thread would probably get us lynched by the large Rocketshipper population on the net.

2001 January 15, Bodger [username], “Re: Gay couple in Godzilla vs. Megalon”, in rec.arts.tv.mst3k.misc (Usenet):

(fandom slang) A shipper of Jessie and James, characters in the animated version of Pokémon.


WAFF

en-noun

WAFF (countable and uncountable, plural WAFFs)

Acronym of warm and fuzzy feeling(s). Reportedly coined by fans of the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997). First attested on alt.tv.lois-n-clark as part of a fandom glossary in January 1996.

Why wait until the series is close to an end to change their relationship, leaving fans with a feeling of having been cheated of great WAFFs (Warm And Fuzzy Feelings)?

1996 January 7, Nancy Lemieux, “Re: The girlfriend/boyfriend thing”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

Sharon remembers the WAFFs, the romance, the cuddling, the tender bits, the honesty and openness between our heroes and gives the episode an A+.

1996 March 18, Colonel X, “Re: Camping With Clark”, in alt.tv.lois-n-clark (Usenet):

I did love Dad Kent's response to her, beginning with "Dearest Lois, a love... [I've forgotten the rest, but it was a major WAFF for me :-)]

1996 May 14, Polly Robinson, “Re: Clark's disappearance”, in alt.tv.lois-n-clark (Usenet):

(countable, fandom slang) A warm and fuzzy feeling, especially in relation to a ship.

Any idiot would have to know that 99% of the fans expect the relationship to progress, but Singer's answer just doesn't give fans that WAFF that they may need after feeling so betrayed by the current arc.

1996 March 6, KalElFan, “Damage Control at TPTB Central”, in alt.tv.lois-n-clark (Usenet):

Well, I can now see why ABC did not hop on the boards here to try and quell the disquiet the 'wedding' arc caused. A) because there is no wedding in the arc, and B) The episode isn't quite the WAFF one might expect.

1996 March 16, Zoomway, “Updated Spoilers on OW”, in alt.tv.lois-n-clark (Usenet):

It's a pity that this term isn't used on atxc, as I'd describe this as a lovely slice of Moose & Squirrel WAFF (stands for warm-and-fuzzy-feelings).

1999 July 14, Harper, “Re: xfc NEW: When God Dreams, 3 of 3. by Snark, rated PG”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

(uncountable, fandom slang) Such feelings collectively.


snogger

They're nearly as pathetic as those snoggers (sad, deluded morons who believe DD and GA should be together!).

2001 July 12, Caffeine Cal, “Re: *Nasty* Doggett-Haters Website :(”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

It's a bit sad when snoggers write in to the IMDB to pass on the false information that DD has "filed for divorce" from TL: […]

2002 August 27, pam, “Re: Doggett to come back to Fox”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

While I'm not a snogger (don't look at me like that!), I do think, from what little I know of them, that David and Gillian had a kind of working relationship that in some weird cosmic way must have reflected what we saw on the screen between them.

2005 June 17, Robert Cook, “Re: Speaking of "Lost"”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

(X-Files fandom slang, derogatory) A fan who believed Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny were romantically involved or shipped them together.


slashy

en-adj

slashy (comparative slashier, superlative slashiest)

slashier (comparative)
slashiest (superlative)

It was the first slashy story published after the threats to expose slash to the producers and actors in Starsky and Hutch.

2001, Kelly Simca Boyd, "'One Index Finger On The Mouse Scroll And The Other On My Clit': Slash Writers' Views On Pornography, Censorship, Feminism and Risk", thesis submitted to Simon Fraser University, page 156

One amazing claim to fame, though, is that very soon after this collating party at my house, Roberta published her slashy/raunchy stories in a fanzine that was called, I think, GRIP (a sendup of zines Grope and Grup) […]

2013, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, “Recollections of a Collating Party”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 92:

As this vidder's website modestly states: "I think of this vid as my proof of how slashy these shows are. […]

2014, Kathryn Hill, “'Easy to Associate Angsty Lyrics with Buffy': An Introduction to a Participatory Fan Culture: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vidders, Popular Music and the Internet”, in Mary Kirby-Diaz, editor, Buffy and Angel Conquer the Internet: Essays on Online Fandom, page 182:

(fandom slang) Characteristic of or related to slash fiction.


femslash

The demographics of femslash are a little more complicated than regular slash; stories are written by straight and lesbian women and sometimes straight men.

2005, Phyllis M. Japp, Mark Meister, Debra K. Japp, Communication Ethics, Media & Popular Culture, page 178:

One of the driving forces behind slash and femslash is the pervading heterosexism of commercial media – if television will not give us the due proportion of same-sex eroticism we are entitled to expect, then we will make it for ourselves.

2010, Stacey Abbott, The Cult TV Book, page 245:

The point of slash is that the orientation of one or more canonical characters is changed, which is why slashing is strongest in fandoms where the source parades heteronormativity or machismo. Kirk/Spock, Bodie/Doyle, Aragorn/Boromir, Darcy/Bingley and Harry/Snape stories all slash their canons, but a story featuring, say, Sebastian Flyte and Anthony Blanche in bed would not be slash, nor would a relationship between two lesbian characters in The L Word qualify as femslash.

2013, John Lennard, London Review of Books, letter, vol. 35, no. 6:

(fandom slang) Slash fiction that focuses on romantic and/or sexual relationships between female characters.


slash fiction

en-noun

slash fiction (countable and uncountable, plural slash fictions)

From slash + fiction, from the use of the slash symbol (/) to separate the names or initials of the characters or persons involved.

But Buffy has also generated enormous amounts of slash fiction. The cult television text and the rise of the Internet have both had an important aspect on the development of slash fiction.

2005, Milly Williamson, The lure of the vampire: gender, fiction and fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy, Wallflower Press, page 169:

They analyze slash fiction (stories about romantic and sexual relationships between two male characters, some of which involve graphic descriptions of sex), and argue that the similarities between romance novels and slash fiction prove gender differences exist.

2009, Mark Bould, The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, Routledge, page 208:

Over the years, slash writers have started dismissing as homophobic this trope of men having sex with men without identifying as homosexual or bisexual; nevertheless, much slash fiction retains the trope's underlying sentiment of true love and devotion transcending all external rules.

2009, Robin Anne Reid, Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy, page 282:

(uncountable) A genre of fan fiction focusing on romantic and/or sexual relationships between characters of the same sex (typically men).


slashfic

slashfic (countable and uncountable, plural slashfics)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-slashfic.wav

(uncountable) Short for slash fiction, a genre of fan fiction.


little black dress

little black dress (plural little black dresses)

When dressing up for a night out, let's not forget the sex appeal, allure, and slenderizing effect of ultrasheer black hosiery under that little black dress.

2012, Rebecca Apsan, Lessons in Lingerie: Finding Your Perfect Shade of Seduction:

A simply cut and often quite short evening or cocktail dress.


slashzine

There's also a healthy B7 [Blake's 7] slashzine community.

1994, William James Moyer, “Sinclair vs. Avon (?!)”, in rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 (Usenet):

Slashzines based on Dark Shadows characters are rare; most Dark Shadows fans have never even heard of them.

1998, Cheryl Harris, Alison Alexander, Theorizing fandom: fans, subculture, and identity:

That's why all the SW [Star Wars] slashzines are pubbed underground -- there is no sex, let alone kinky sex, in the SW universe, and by damn LucasArts is gonna see that it stays that way!

2000, Rez, “New Napster Software but for DOOM LEVELS”, in rec.games.computer.doom.misc (Usenet):


K/S

Initialism from the names of James T. Kirk and Spock, separated by a slash (/).

(fandom slang, often attributively) Fan fiction where the characters James T. Kirk and Spock from the science fiction media franchise Star Trek are shown in a homosexual relationship.


hetfic

hetfic (countable and uncountable, plural hetfics)

The slashers don't object to the fact that your friend (Let's call her "Mamin Mavis") writes hetfic. They object to the fact that she bitches and moans about slash on a list that's at least 50% slash-fic.

2000 October 13, trekkigrrl [username], “Re: Why some K/Sers enjoy slash”, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated (Usenet):

I -do- also read hetfic when there's a straight couple I like.

2002 May 26, Kirei, “Re: Fanattempts”, in alt.books.pratchett (Usenet):

Genfic and hetfic typically extend the source material along lines consistent with the producers' intentions, albeit sometimes more explicitly than the broadcast market would allow.

2008, Steve Abrams, Smaragd Grün, “Mundanes at the Gate … and Perverts Within: Managing Internal and External Threats to Community Online”, in Tyrone L. Adams, Stephen A. Smith, editors, Electronic Tribes: The Virtual Worlds of Geeks, Gamers, Shamans, and Scammers, University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 210:


bandslash

It's an archive of bandslash about the rock group Orgy, who are best known for their hard-hitting remake of New Order's early 80s chestnut "Blue Monday."

2002 August 10, LadyCyrrh [username], “[ART] The Annex Reviews, 8/10/02”, in alt.sex.stories.gay.moderated (Usenet):

Even more amusing is that those doing the wishful humping in bandslash aren't your usual pin-ups. Bandslash has gone indie. This is a shadowy world where the boys in Franz Ferdinand are each others' fetish objects, and former Libertines Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, lovers.

2006 October 26, Kitty Empire, “Pop idols trade licks”, in The Observer:

Westcott doesn’t even consider the thornier question of fan fiction based on real and often living people, for instance, the “bandslash” or “bandfic” phenomenon built around rock-star characters and often homoerotic subplots.

2008 July 15, Keith Goetzman, “Is Fan Fiction Flouting the Law?”, in Utne Reader:

(fandom slang) Slash fan fiction which pairs real musicians, especially ones belonging to the same group.


popslash

Popslash writers use pop stars as their protagonists, constructing fictional narratives that supplement and enhance those disseminated by the media.

2006, Kristina Busse, “'I'm jealous of the fake me': Postmodern subjectivity and identity construction in boy band fan fiction”, in Su Holmes, Sean Redmond, editors, Framing Celebrity: New Directions in Celebrity Culture, Routledge, →ISBN, page 254:

Consequently, popslash grew popular among media fan writers, many of whom created similarly brilliant and science fiction-like premises to explore celebrity culture as a metaphor for gender identity and other performances of the self.

2006, Francesca Coppa, “A Brief History of Media Fandom”, in Karen Hellekson, Kristina Busse, editors, Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet: New Essays, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 56:

The popslash phenomenon gathered momentum after a 2001 story that imagined Chris Kirkpatrick of the band 'N Sync experiencing a sudden overnight gender change, […]

2011, Katherine Meizel, Idolized: Music, Media, and Identity in American Idol, Indiana University Press, →ISBN, page 46:

(fandom slang) Slash fan fiction which pairs pop musicians, especially ones belonging to the same boy band.


noromo

Being a hard-core "noromo" (parlance for "no romancer," someone who believes the show's UST, or unresolved sexual tension, is the key to its vitality), I have also flamed "shippers" ("relationshippers," those who want Mulder and Scully to get it on in the film) with now embarrassing vituperations, such as, "Why don't you just go get the lame job you're destined for at the state budget office?"

1998 June 22, John Cloud, “Cinema: An X-Phile Confesses”, in Time:

There had always been a separation between the noromos and the shippers, but at the start of the eighth season, another significant division was born.

2002, Tom Kessenich, EXaminations: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6-9 of The X-Files, Featuring the Reviews of Unbound I, Trafford Publishing (2002), page 5

Once it became generally accepted that Mulder and Scully were romantically involved off screen, the noromos stopped watching in disgust, while the shippers lamented not being allowed to witness the transition in the relationship.

2002, Elizabeth Weinbloom, "'THE X-FILES'; A Botched Romance" (letter to the editor), The New York Times, 2 June 2002

(X-Files fandom slang) A person who opposes the idea of a romantic relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.


selfcest

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And this is where selfcest comes in. For those unfamiliar with Adventure Time, it has two series: the main, phallogocentric one, Adventure Time, and another spin-off version, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, in which gender-flipped versions of the original characters are presented. Marceline spawns Marshall Lee, Jake turns into Cake, Finn becomes Fionna, Princess Bubblegum is chewed up and spat out as Prince Gumball… you get the picture. Enter Fanfiction, which causes them to hook up. Creepy, yes.

2013, Boo Patrick, "Selfcest", Manifesto (University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts), April 2013, page 8

Several Loki fans shared their horror over the idea of Loki and Sylvie getting together, as it would be an example of selfcest.

2021 July 2, Sabrina Barr, “Loki fans defend Marvel series over ‘queerbaiting’ claims as director says God of Mischief’s bisexuality won’t be explored further”, in Metro, UK:

'"The Time Traveler's Wife” having selfcest was not on my 2022 bingo card,' another [Twitter] user commented.

2022 May 25, Erica Tempesta, “'Selfcest was not on my 2022 bingo card': The Time Traveler's Wife baffles viewers with 'wild' and 'disturbing' oral sex scene between the HBO show's protagonist and HIMSELF”, in The Daily Mail:

(fandom slang, fiction) Sexual activity with an alternate version of oneself, such as a clone, duplicate, alter ego, or a version of oneself from a different time or alternate universe.


Delena

And vice versa, when we want Stefan and Elena to have a moment together, how can we do that and not have our Delena fans outraged?

2012, Julie Plec, quoted in Nuzhat Naoreen, "This Week's Cover: 'The Vampire Diaries' stars talk about the red-hot Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle", Entertainment Weekly, 8 February 2012

And while you may deny having ever watched the "Vampire Diaries" in pubic, you have a strong opinion regarding team Stelena vs. team Delena.

2014, Danielle Wolk, "Netflix or Nut-flix?: A guide to Understanding Your Netflix Obsession", The Lion's Roar (Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Hartsdale, New York), January 2014, page 6

There will never be enough swoon-worthy Delena moments to fill shippers’ hearts, […]

2014 May 4, Lanford Beard, “TV Jukebox: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'The Following,' 'Supernatural,' and more of the week's best music-on-TV moments”, in Entertainment Weekly:

(fandom slang) The romantic pairing of the characters Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert from the American television series The Vampire Diaries.


shipfic

shipfic (countable and uncountable, plural shipfics)

Just make sure you don't let me know where your shipfic is available, won't you? <g>

2001 December 6, Eva, “Re: 48 Hours: Please God, tell me that's not Daniel's replacement! ***Spoiler***”, in alt.tv.stargate-sg1 (Usenet):

HP slashfic gives me the creeps, not because of homophobia, but more because I get this imperceptible vibe that it's written by people who are obsessed with the movie stars, and in some peculiar way want to debase them because they can't have them. Actually, I shouldn't single out the slashfic. There's plenty of shipfic that gives me this same impression, too.

2003 August 20, Chistaya, “Re: and either must die at the hand of the other...”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

I've just started looking for DW fanfic to see if there's any Rose-meets-altuniverse-Doctor, and have been drowned in shipfic on places like ff.net (or whatever its^([sic]) called now.

2006 September 2, JACUK, “Re: What has happened to DW fanfic...?”, in alt.drwho.creative (Usenet):

(fandom slang) Fan fiction revolving around or dedicated to shipping.


Wincest

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Wincest.wav

From Win(chester) + -cest. Possibly influenced by wincest.

Wincest stories often take their transgressive cues from the text itself; often when Sam and Dean are seducing each other in Wincest stories, the more reluctant of the two is convinced to engage in the relationship when the other reiterates that they are already outsiders in society, already isolated from the “normality” of their world—why should the prohibition of incest stand in their way when they have already broken so many other laws?

2009, Emily Turner, "Scary Just Got Sexy: Transgression in Supernatural and Its Fanfiction", in In the Hunt: Unauthorized Essays on Supernatural (ed. Supernatural.tv), BenBella Books (2009), page 159

Instead, she suggests, the romanticized, paratextual Wincest slash fiction offers Sam and Dean a redemptive happiness that they are perpetually denied by the show's writers both in a diegetic sense (via Chuck Shurley, the show's writer/prophet who publishes novels based on the boys' adventures) and in a non-diegetic sense (via Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble, and the show's returning writers).

2011, Darren Elliott-Smith, “'Go Be Gay for That Poor, Dead Intern:' Conversion Fantasies and Gay Anxieties in Supernatural”, in Stacey Abbott, David Lavery, editors, TV Goes to Hell: An Unofficial Road Map of, Supernatural , ECW Press, →ISBN, page 106:

Supernatural fandom features some of the more controversial iterations of slash, predominantly Wincest (the incestuous coupling of the show's protagonists, the Winchester brothers), […]

2013, Henry Jenkins & Suzanne Scott, "Textual Poachers, Twenty Years Later", in Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture, Routledge (2013), page xxxiii

(fandom slang) The incestuous slash ship of the fictional brothers Dean and Sam Winchester from the television series Supernatural.


Waycest

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(fandom slang) The incestuous real-person pairing of the brothers Gerard Way and Mikey Way, of American rock band My Chemical Romance, in slash fan fiction.


Snarry

Best Excuse for a Wandering Mind: SNARRY!, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman

2004 December 31, barbarella [username], “Re: That Was The Year That Was 2004”, in aus.culture.gothic (Usenet):

"Snarry is part of a subgenre of fan fiction called Slash," she says. "Snarry depicts romantic relationships between Harry Potter and Severus Snape, together - Snarry. […]

2009 July 17, David Templeton, “One geek over the line”, in Pacific Sun:

Snarry slash people (ie people who write fan fiction about Snape and Harry getting it on till the break o’dawn) are super-intense. Seriously that is one rich, rich subculture.

2009 July 22, Lev Grossman, “Notes from Azkatraz, a Harry Potter Convention”, in Time:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Harry Potter and Severus Snape of the Harry Potter series.


Destiel

His overt revulsion is caused by the Wincest fan fiction — the Sam-slash-Dean pairing that also alarms Dean in the epigraph of this paper — and to a Dean-slash-Castiel (or Destiel) kink meme in which Castiel has a crab claw for a hand.

2011, Brigid Cherry, “Becky Rosen, Fan Identity, and Interactivity in Supernatural”, in Stacey Abbott, David Lavery, editors, TV Goes to Hell: An Unofficial Road Map of, Supernatural , ECW Press, →ISBN, page 204:

All of our "feels" are on the line again as they continue to be with anything that involves Johnlock (thanks a lot, Moffat), Merthur and Destiel.

2013, Keren Lopez, "Yahoo buys Tumblr, leaves fandoms in despair", La Voz Weekly (De Anza College), Volume 46, Number 27, 3 June 2013, page 8

I'm always happy to write some sappy Destiel one shot (a one chapter story, often focused solely on fluff, or pure cuddles) when writer's block is making work on Phoenix difficult.

2013, Evangeline Warren, "Confessions of a Teenage Fangirl", INKredible!, Issue 4, Summer 2013, page 21

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Castiel and Dean Winchester from the television series Supernatural.


H/Hr

This news group certainly seemed to filled with a lot of R/Hr people. As I am a H/Hr person and I believe that Hermione and Harry have this subtle thing that's being^([sic]) built up since the very beginning, I will elaborate on my personal beliefs.

2002 May 4, Imran [username], “Re: Ron and hermoine”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

I can't help but suspect it's either some sort of passive-aggressive moralistic reaction or thinly disguised sour grapes on the part of die-hard H/Hr shippers.

2007 September 7, Bill Blakely, “Re: What happens next?”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

For instance, those who write about or are interested in a relationship between Harry and Hermione are considered “H/Hr” shippers.

2007 Katie Greenway, "Dumbledore heats up overwhelming fanfic", The Badger Herald (University of Wisconsin-Madison), 25 October 2007

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Harry Potter and Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series.


ship war

Oh, no, not another ship war between members of Team Edward and Team Jacob.

They seemed fascinated by my and Meg's absorption in the Harry Potter culture, so we told them stories of the ship wars […]

2008, Melissa Anelli, Harry, A History, Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 236:

'Ship wars' are discussions, usually between female fans, about who the best partner would be for their favourite character or artist, a classic example being the debates over whether Yoko Ono was good for John Lennon.

2013, Mark Duffet, Understanding Fandom: An Introduction to the Study of Media Fan Culture, Bloomsbury Academic, →ISBN, page 248:

Habermas may not have imagined ship wars as a context for practical discourse, but fandom is in fact an excellent space in which to engage in the forms of contestation he describes.

2013, Emily Regan Wills, “Fannish discourse communities and the construction of gender in The X-Files”, in Transformative Works and Cultures, volume 14:

(fandom slang) An intense and sometimes hostile disagreement between shippers of rival ships in a fandom.


Team Jacob

Of course, there are those two camps I mentioned earlier in this chapter: Team Edward and Team Jacob. Over time, Team Jacob has grown to the point where a lot of fans prefer Jacob to Edward.

2009, Lois H. Gresh, The Twilight Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series, St Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 89:

However, Team Jacob members on the Anglophone boards were even more emphatic in their dismissal of Edward, and several posters argued that his behavior was abusive.

2010, Inger-Lise Kalviknes Bore, Rebecca Williams, “Transnational Twilighters: A Twilight Fan Community in Norway”, in Melissa A. Click, Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, editors, Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, & the Vampire Franchise, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 200:

Team Jacob argues that Jacob's warmth, support, and wolfy exuberance should have won Bella away from her vampire swain.

2010, Liv Spencer, Love Bites: The Unofficial Saga of Twilight, ECW Press, →ISBN, page 192:

(fandom slang) The faction of Twilight fandom which prefers Bella Swan in a romantic relationship with Jacob Black.


Team Edward

However, the continued conflict between Team Jacob and Team Edward shows that the series is sufficiently open to allow for the shipping of both Bella/Edward and Bella/Jacob.

2010, Inger-Lise Kalviknes Bore, Rebecca Williams, “Transnational Twilighters: A Twilight Fan Community in Norway”, in Melissa A. Click, Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, editors, Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, & the Vampire Franchise, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 202:

To Team Edward, the canon pairing with the stoic, troubled, immortal 17-year-old is unquestionable.

Although the tension between Team Edward and Team Jacob fans is usually expressed in playful banter, there is the possibility that this group conflict will erupt into hostility.

2011, Melissa Burkley, “Prejudice in Twilight”, in E. David Klonsky, Alexis Black, editors, The Psychology of Twilight, BenBella Books, →ISBN, page 72:

(fandom slang) The faction of Twilight fandom which prefers Bella Swan in a romantic relationship with Edward Cullen.


Johnlock

For Karen the most exciting thing about the comeback is the reunion between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman: “I ship Johnlock!” Karen enthused.

2013, Gerrit van de Riet, "November for Fandoms: Sneak Peek", The Window (New College, Toronto), November 2013, page 20

Across the pond, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss often place characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in situations that suggest a relationship between them, even though the series establishes Watson as heterosexual, to placate the fans that “ship Johnlock” in the BBC series “Sherlock.”

2013, Pragya Parmita, "Fandoms: Too Powerful?", The Bottom Line (Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara), Volume 8, Issue 5, 6 November - 12 November 2013, page 8

(fandom slang) The ship of characters John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from the television series Sherlock.


Sterek

Some shows have released official promos that play up the fans' favorite slash couples to court fans, most recently Hawaii Five-O and Teen Wolf, whose showrunner began to write the show itself in a slashy direction when he became aware of the popularity of “Sterek,” the slash pairing of sidekick Stiles and alpha wolf Derek.

2013, Katherine Larsen, Lynn S. Zubernis, Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls, University of Iowa Press, →ISBN, page 101:

"Teen Wolf 'Sterek' fans, we've read your (hundreds and hundreds of) comments and admire your passion," EW.com responded. "The reason Sterek didn't make the category is because it's not an acknowledged will-they-or-won't-they storyline."
This controversy led the gay entertainment news site AfterElton.com to start an annual "slash madness" tournament. Sterek won the first.

2013 October 31, Zachary Pincus-Roth, “Slash Fiction: A Fantasy World in Which Male TV Characters Find Romance — With Each Other”, in LA Weekly:

Even a nascent fandom will begin to develop its own tropes. You could see it, for instance, in the popular Sterek pairing in the Teen Wolf fandom as it took off.

2013, Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, BenBella Books, →ISBN:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale from the television series Teen Wolf.


Drarry

It occurs because in canon Harry and Draco feel no emotion for each other warmer than intense dislike. […] Harry is willing to save Draco's life out of recognition of their shared humanity, but with apologies to all the Drarry shippers out there, that's as far as it goes.

2011, Aaron Schwabach, Fan Fiction and Copyright: Outsider Works and Intellectual Property Protection, Ashgate, →ISBN, pages 69–79:

2013, Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, BenBella Books (2013), →ISBN, unnumbered page:draco malfoy is a beautiful creation and he should be protected by harry potter who is his second cousin and who cares if you think its gross they are adorable together let the gayness happen
Dramione shippers apparently feel the same way when too much attention is paid to Drarry.

Fanfics that depict relationships between Draco and Harry have been particularly popular, spawning a cult of ‘Drarry’ shippers – with Facebook pages, fan art and many stories all dedicated to the pairing.

2013, Sarah Dear, "Fanfiction - A Hobby for Generations of Teenagers", Impact (University of Nottingham), 26 April 2013

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter of the Harry Potter series.


Dramione

"I secretly ship Dramione!" one boldly asserts, while more serious blogs boast confessions along the lines of, "I moved away to college this year and haven't made any new friends."

2011, Brittany Dalton, "Away with the Niceties", The Vista (University of Central Oklahoma), 1 September 2011, page 3

This is a haven for writers and readers to converge and show their interest in a variety of genres with any characters, from the typical Dramione (Draco and Hermione) action-adventure to the absurd Filch-Peeves BDSM.

2011 September 15, Sayantan Deb, Angela Song, “Potter Legacy”, in The Harvard Independent, volume 42, number 25, page 10:

Dramione shippers apparently feel the same way when too much attention is paid to Drarry.

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series.


Sculder

Alas, Jess Mabe's "Bittersweet" has a similar nickname for the Sculder baby, and Jean Robinson's "When Old Friends Meet" is likewise obsessed with dolls.

2000 October 1, story_posting [username], “Dream Life 1/1”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

Do come visit to read about Mulder, Scully, Frohike, CJ, Josh, Angel, deadly spellcasting books, Cordy, Buffy, Jack the gypsy computer repairman and the Sculder sproglet in all its many gestational forms

2001 May 3, ymmv2001 [username], “New update at YMMV”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

But Thackeray, like his Kirk/Spock, Johnlock, and (in the early years) “Sculder” descendants, must confront the sticky problem of canon: […]

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Dana Scully and Fox Mulder from the television series The X-Files.


schmoop

Mulder/Krycek and a bowl of kittens, what more could you want from schmoop?

1999 April 3, Drovar [username], “Re: Slash Suggestions?”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

Would someone please give me some M/K or Sk/K or M/K/Sk or K/Sp or M/Sp or Sk/Sp (you get the picture) recs on some super super, sugar sugar, sweet sweet, honey-dipped, cavity-causing schmoop or hurt/comfort slash?

1999 May 3, geoffrey2 [username], “Re: Sugar sweet syrupy schmoopy slash”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative.mature (Usenet):

Oh, and schmoop - this chapter's got a great heap of schmoop, but there'll be plenty of angst as well, not to fear.

2003 July 2, nik_cleo [username], “[atxc-pi] NEW: Life's Little Quirks, Part Three -R- (1/1)”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

(fandom slang) Fan fiction, or part of a fan fiction, which is sweetly romantic or cute, usually to a degree considered maudlin.


schmoopy

en-adj

schmoopy (comparative schmoopier, superlative schmoopiest)

schmoopier (comparative)
schmoopiest (superlative)

Ah... I find that the best way to maintain joyous shipperhood is to not read much schmoopy shipper fic.

1999 July 22, Kipler [username], “Re: Mulder/Scully "relationship"”, in alt.tv.x-files.analysis (Usenet):

Nothing wrong with schmoopy fic Ingrid...

2002 September 7, Carolin, “Re: A What if.....?”, in alt.tv.smallville (Usenet):

That "Barbie Shippers" faction of XF fandom is currently cloistering itself somewhere in really dreadful, schmoopy fanfic where no other character threatens the purity of their "deep, abiding luv".

2005 June 25, campylobacter [username], “Re: Never Again question”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

(fandom slang) Characteristic of schmoop; maudlin.


schmoopiness

Warnings on the series: Contains post-Emily angst. Some Mulder/Scully schmoopiness, but emphasis on UST.

1998 August 3, JenRose [username], “New! Facing Janus chap 5 (actually a repost, but hey...)”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

A bit more angst than schmoopiness, but the underlying feelings are very well communicated.

1999 April 3, | vlbb | [username], “Re: Slash Suggestions?”, in alt.tv.x-files.creative (Usenet):

I'm all for earthy romance. I know a lot of folks abhor schmoopiness, and I'm not comfortable with the term schmoopy, but I'd love to see some long romantic kisses, or just one.

2000 July 4, Deborah, “Re: "Powerful good news"?”, in alt.tv.x-files.analysis (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The state or quality of being schmoopy.


shipperhood

This ep pushed me off the fence and right into full-fledged shipperhood ( I WANT TO BELIEVE !!!)

1997 February 3, Colleen Sullivan-Baier, “Re: "Never Again"”, in alt.tv.x-files (Usenet):

Look, it's all happy and hopeful and absolutely wonderful--but I need more to sustain my Odo/Kira shipperhood!

2002 September 21, Tori Sky, “Re: FB: DS9: Edge of the World 1/2 (O/K; NC-17)”, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The state or quality of being a shipper.


Romione

Ask her about her favorite ships. Does she like Dramione, or Romione? Ask her why, and if she's written fanfics about them.

2012, Krixia Subingsubing, "Date A Girl Who Writes", The Sword (St. Paul College of Makati), Volume 18, Number 1, June 2012-January 2013, page 14

The fans who believed in the canonical pairing were outraged that Rowling would say such things about their beloved Romione.

2014 February 10, Rebecca Godwin, “Romione vs. Harmony: Why do we even care?”, in The Michigan Daily, page 8A:

2014, J. Cibelli, "J. K. Rowling reflects on Romione romance", The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 18, 12 February 2014, page 11 (used in title only)

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series.


Harmony

Blend of Harry + Hermione, based on the common noun harmony.

Oh that is bloody priceless, unfortunately I've seen some of the Harmony shippers' rants and that little piece of creative fiction could really be considered understating some of the reactions that were areound^([sic]) on some forums after the HBP release.

2006 June 16, Deevo [username], “Re: OT - but not by far: Shippers and fan-ficcers and psychos, oh, brother...”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

Did you see where that retarded fucker Emerson Spaz ^([sic]) "that the Harmony shippers were (and still are) delusional. It's Romione all the way!" […]

2014 February 8, Darryl Homo Forests, “Re: Rowling Admits H/Hr was Better”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

Others, who shipped, which is the internet's way of saying supported, Harmony (Harry and Hermione), claimed superiority over the Romione shippers, claiming they always knew whom the true pairing should have been.


OBHWF

Initialism of One Big Happy Weasley Family, since the ship results in two of the main characters in the series, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, ending up with two of the seven Weasley children.

Sadly for you & other OBHWF fans, Ginny is now over Harry, and is on her second boyfriend, while Luna Lovegood has the hots for Ron.

2003 June 30, Tennant Stuart, “Re: A couple of questions about book 5.”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

Because JKR ships OBHWF that's why. The way Hermione has been written shows us she's much more and^([sic]) equal and compatible with Harry though.

2005 July 24, Egla Bob, “Re: What Does Hermione See in Ron?”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

Those of us who didn't want OBHWF felt that Rowling was making a mistake, not that she was being misleading.

2008 September 9, Louis Epstein, “Re: Cho Chang not Ginny”, in alt.fan.harry-potter (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The double ship of Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley and Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter series.


soulbond

6 fans (11%) did not like to specify a genre but offered an alternative view of “common tropes” in fan fiction, such as: “The tropier, the better! Werewolves or A/B/O or soulbonds or time travel or coffeeshop AUs. […]

2014, Lucie Cupalová, "Slash Factor: Characteristics and Varieties of Slash Fan Fiction", thesis submitted to Charles University, page 59

This is amplified by the common use in a/b/o of the soulmate and soulbond tropes, where two characters are written as destined for each other on a biological level, resulting in near-irresistible mutual attraction and a special connection.

2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 97

And that's not even getting into some of slash's more science-fictional tropes: soulbonds and telepathy, interspecies relationships; male pregnancy.

2018, Francesca Coppa, “Slash/Drag: Appropriation and Visibility in the Age of Hamilton”, in Paul Booth, editor, A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, page 191:

(fandom slang) A deep, lasting emotional or spiritual connection between two characters, typically of a psychic or magical nature.


Mondler

Although we had yet another Chandler & Monica story, it nicely explored the hurdles faced by the couple, rather than being a Mondler story where Chandler's personality changes to match Monica's.

2000 November 24, Tennant Stuart, “Friends S6-21 - will Rachel be Chandler's mother?”, in uk.media.tv.friends (Usenet):

I'll grant you the "Mondler" stuff since their marriage has been mostly a disappointment, but the closet storyline shows promise in reversing the trend.

2002 February 20, Mibbitmaker [username], “Re: Happy Birthday Jennifer Aniston”, in alt.tv.snl (Usenet):

As far as teases go, the Go On creator was coy about what sort of shenanigans Perry and Cox will get into in a few weeks time, but for the loyal "Mondler" fans out there, there could be a major romantic moment.

2013 March 12, Philiana Ng, “'Go On' Creator Reveals Secrets Behind the 'Friends' Reunion Episode”, in The Hollywood Reporter:

(fandom slang) The romantic pairing of Monica Geller and Chandler Bing from the American sitcom Friends.


Janto

At end of the 3 min 50 sec clip, as his rage cools, Hitler says: "Maybe if Jack and Ianto have lots of man-on-man action next season I might still watch it… at least I’ll have my 'Janto' fix."

2008 May 23, Matthew Moore, “Torchwood attacked by Hitler in YouTube spoof”, in The Telegraph:

‘Janto’ fans will be delighted to finally see them on a date, complete with hand-holding and one good kiss.

2009 March, Naomi Westerman, book review, Whotopia, number 16, page 42:

Whether these stories revisit Janto or provide Jack with other (sexual) adventures, sexuality will remain a key element in the further development of (at least British-based) Captain Jack.

2010, Lynnette Porter, Tarnished Heroes, Charming Villains and Modern Monsters: Science Fiction in Shades of Gray on 21st Century, McFarland, →ISBN, page 70:

(fandom slang) The romantic pairing of the characters Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones from the television series Torchwood.


altfic

Another rumor I heard: Seven kisses Janeway, Janeway tells Seven it's inappropriate. Why? Cuz it's on the bridge? Seven's nekkid? Why would it be inappropriate? What a spate of altfic coming out of that....Interaction seems to be what's missing from a lot of the season lately, not just J/7.

2000 February 11, kaboom [username], “Re: [OT] Re: Sisters are doing it for themselves indeed! (SPOILERS for "Lyre, Lyre")”, in alt.tv.xena-subtext (Usenet):

One of my favorite Xena altfic bards in Katelin B., who's fine Xena/Gabrielle stories, ranging from short stories to longer novella-length works, can be found at [URL redacted]

2000 May 26, fluffsterbrian [username], “Re: Best fanfic”, in alt.tv.xena-subtext (Usenet):

Snarky, who gave in to hir lust for fanfic late last year (I resisted for so long because I knew it would take time away from reading the newsgroup devoted to my first love, Doctor Who (radw), which it has), starting small, with the alt.callahans epic tale of "Action, Adventure, Excitement!", before moving on to XWP altfic in March

2001 October 4, Demon Lord of Confusion Snarky [username], “Re: FIN II & VS7-1 (was: Lucy was asked]”, in alt.tv.xena-subtext (Usenet):

(fandom slang) Slash fiction that focuses on romantic and/or sexual relationships between female characters.


Clex

Thus Smallville fans use the Clex pairing in fanfiction to explore, therefore, not just what it means to become “queer” in the sense of lived sexual orientation, but also what it means to become a fan.

2005, Brigid Kelly, "The Transformative Power Of 'Hot Gay Sex': Queering Superman, Queering The Fan On The TelevisionWithoutPity 'Smallville' Boards", Spectator, Volume 25, Issue 1, Spring 2005, page 75

Considering how often Smallville has already diverged from Superman canon in the course of the past five seasons, including the transformation of Clark and Lex from instant enemies to friends, this line of reasoning points to an attitude of wanting to defend and reaffirm the validity of "Clex."

2008, Melanie E. S. Kohnen, “The Adventures of a Repressed Farm Boy and the Billionaire Who Loves Him: Queer Spectatorship in Smallville Fandom”, in Sharon Marie Ross, Louisa Ellen Stein, editors, Teen Television: Essays on Programming and Fandom, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 216:

The same thing occurred among Smallvilles shippers who were divided among supporting Clana (Clark/Lana), Clois (Clark/Lois), Chlark (Chloe/Clark), with some slash fans rooting for the same sex pairing Clex' (Clark/Lex).

2008, Jennifer Gillan, Television and New Media: Must-Click TV, Routledge, published 2011, →ISBN, page 46:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Clark Kent and Lex Luthor from the television series Smallville.


Clana

The same thing occurred among Smallvilles shippers who were divided among supporting Clana' (Clark/Lana), Clois (Clark/Lois), Chlark (Chloe/Clark), with some slash fans rooting for the same sex pairing Clex (Clark/Lex).

For example it led to the incessant Clana in seasons 6 and 7 when it was long passed its expiry date.

2008 May 17, KalElFan [username], “Re: SV+ Smallville/"Sequels", The CW & WB”, in rec.arts.comics.dc.universe (Usenet):

Clana vids, for example, may pay homage to favorite moments in Clark and Lana's romantic relationship.

2011, Juli Stone Pitzer, “Vids, Vlogs, and Blogs: The Participatory Culture of Smallvilles Digital Fan”, in Lincoln Geraghty, editor, The Smallville Chronicles: Critical Essays on the Television Series, Scarecrow Press, →ISBN, page 123:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Clark Kent and Lana Lang from the television series Smallville.


Chlark

So this development may move the relationships more to a Lexana vs. Chlark end of the season, not what the Clanites would want but consistent with what the series has apparently been setting up for more of.

2006 December 25, KalElFan [username], “Re: Call For Noms: The Worst of Smallville”, in rec.arts.tv (Usenet):

The same thing occurred among Smallvilles shippers who were divided among supporting Clana (Clark/Lana), Clois (Clark/Lois), Chlark' (Chloe/Clark), with some slash fans rooting for the same sex pairing Clex (Clark/Lex).

Although "Escape" tackles these kinds of issues more heavily than the typical Smallville episode and thus could have prompted a more spirited output, other episode sub-forums are also filled with Chlark and Clois fans discussing the validity of their favorite relationship.

2014, Cory Barker, “'Chlark' vs 'Clois': Shippers, Anti-Fans, and Anti-Fan Fans in Smallville”, in Cory Barker, Chris Ryan, Myc Wiatrowski, editors, Mapping Smallville: Critical Essays on the Series and Its Characters, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 182:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Chloe Sullivan and Clark Kent from the television series Smallville.


Clois

The same thing occurred among Smallvilles shippers who were divided among supporting Clana (Clark/Lana), Clois' (Clark/Lois), Chlark (Chloe/Clark), with some slash fans rooting for the same sex pairing Clex (Clark/Lex).

I think even Clois fans would go along with that, since she dumped Clark.

2010 May 9, Christopher M., “Re: Smallville Season 10”, in rec.arts.tv (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Clark Kent and Lois Lane from the television series Smallville.


Lexana

I can only read Lexana fic if it's fucked up.

2002 October 24, Carolin, “Re: A few quick Nocturne thoughts (spoilers ahead)”, in alt.tv.smallville (Usenet):

Whereas on TWOP, the violation of community rules that declare Clark and Lex as the "one true pairing" leads to a rejection of Lexana, on LiveJournal, this transgression/queering/reworking/expansion of community standards is embraced with much delight.

2008, Melanie E. S. Kohnen, “The Adventures of a Repressed Farm Boy and the Billionaire Who Loves Him: Queer Spectatorship in Smallville Fandom”, in Sharon Marie Ross, Louisa Ellen Stein, editors, Teen Television: Essays on Programming and Fandom, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 219:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Lex Luthor and Lana Lang from the television series Smallville.


Chlollie

I guess when you direct the episode, as Allison Mack did, you get to put yourself in the final scene: The heck with Clark and Lois — Chlollie was in full effect, as Oliver guided Chloe in shooting an arrow, his arms enfolding her.

2010 February 13, Ken Tucker, “'Smallville' goes supernatural: A recap and a suggestion”, in Entertainment Weekly:

Other than the extreme crappiness of 'Escape', Chloe's nude excursion into Clark's shower probably irritated just about everybody--Clois fans, Chlollie fans, people who just don't like Chloe, etc.

2010 June 7, Christopher M., “Re: Kryptonsite poll: Favorite season 10 director?”, in alt.tv.smallville (Usenet):

While the fans do love Chlollie, the question remains: Will their marriage survive the series finale of Smallville?

2011, Natalie Abrams, "Smallville: Will Oliver and Chloe's Marriage Last?", TV Guide, 28 April 2011 (archived on Usenet)

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Chloe Sullivan and Oliver "Ollie" Queen from the television series Smallville.


Weasleycest

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Weasleycest.wav

Unlike Weasleycest, which has spread across the fandom like kudzu, Malfoycest has always been more difficult to find, and its writers a bit more secretive.

2007, Catherine Tosenberger, "Potterotics: Harry Potter Fanfiction On The Internet", dissertation submitted to the University of Florida, page 151

Although, in Weasleycest, incestuous stories with all members and possible pairings engaging in sexual acts can be found, the most popular pairing by far is George and his twin Fred.

2010, Sigrid Sindhuber, "Slashing Harry Potter: The phenomenon of border-transgression in fan fiction", thesis submitted to the University of Vienna, page 93

And if you just want to come reminisce about the glory days of Weasleycest and your early exposure to Flowers in the Attic, that’s fine too!

2012, "Family Relationships in Fanfic [Keeping It in the Family]", Wincon 2012 programme, page 21

(fandom slang) Any ship involving members of the Weasley family from the Harry Potter series in an incestuous relationship.


slashdom

Apart from that, it's usually for the sex itself, or to explore some interesting question that's come up either in the programme/book or in society in general or in slashdom.

1998, Theorizing Fandom: Fans, Subculture and Identity, eds. Cheryl Harris & Alison Alexander, Hampton Press, →ISBN, page 30:

The slash community has extensively discussed this issue of slashdom as a homoerotic space.

2006, Kristina Busse, “My Life is a WIP on My LJ: Slashing the Slasher and the Reality of Celebrity and Internet Performances”, in Karen Hellekson, Kristina Busse, editors, Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet: New Essays, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 219:

What thrills me, as a slash reader of almost any slashdom (and currently I write in two and read in a total of four, and happily so) is the actual crafting of the storylines and the variety of experiences and activities described in each.

2009 August 9, Jean Roseman, “Re: Questions on slash Thanks for the responses everybody!!!!!”, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The culture or community of slash fiction writers.


Klaroline

The flirtatious energy was fun, and we made a very conscious effort to evoke some of the "Klaroline" energy from previous seasons.

2014, Crissy Calhoun, Heather Vee, Love You to Death - Season 5: The Unofficial Companion to The Vampire Diaries, ECW Press, →ISBN:

We caught up with Candice Accola to get some information about just how bad Markos is, and what she thinks about Steroline, Klaroline, and more: […]

2014, Samantha Highfill, "'The Vampire Diaries': Candice Accola on Steroline's 'raw' moment, Markos' arrival, and her road trip with Enzo", Entertainment Weekly, 17 January 2015

Morgan also addresses the passionate fans of one massively shipped couple (hint: Klaroline) whose supporters may be the most vocal and opinionated in the Vampire Diaries universe.

2015 April 2, Amanda Michelle Steiner, “The Originals' Joseph Morgan on Klaus's 'Crazy and Irrational' Return and Why He's 'Proud' of the Show's Passionate Fandom”, in People:

(fandom slang) The romantic pairing of the characters Niklaus Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes from the American television series The Vampire Diaries.


Spuffy

In contrast, the Spuffy 'shipper may be an older, more highly-educated career professional, but she must use the Internet to access the fanfiction she desires to read, because it is not available anywhere else.

2013, Mary Kirby-Diaz, “Ficcers and 'Shippers: A Love Story”, in Jennifer K. Stuller, editor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Intellect Books, →ISBN, page 44:

Spuffy—as Spike/Buffy are often called—changed all that.

2013, Michelle Sagara West, “For The Love Of Riley”, in Glenn Yeffeth, editor, Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Discuss Their Favorite Television Show, BenBella Books, →ISBN, page 71:

Relations between these viewers – who had come to self-identify as 'Spike-Buffy relationship fans' or 'Spuffy shippers' for short – and the writers of the show reached their nadir at the end of season six, when the writers decided to show the Spuffy shippers just how wrong they were by writing a scene in which Spike attempts to rape Buffy: […]

2014, Joseph Crawford, The Twilight of the Gothic?: Vampire Fiction and the Rise of the Paranormal Romance, University of Wales Press, →ISBN, pages 129–130:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Spike and Buffy Summers from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Bangel

My only hope at this point is that SMG refuses to appear on Angel in the future, thus saving us from the inevitable Bangel ending for that series.

2003 May 14, Chris Zabel, “Re: How Does Joss Whedon Feel...”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

She never seemed to have any trouble writing Bangel or Spuffy scenes.

2004 November 1, EBailey140 [username], “Re: What is it about Riley...”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

And we get Andrew's definitive judgement on the Bangel versus Spuffy controversy, […]

2009 March 13, Stephen Tempest, “Review of BtVS 8.23 'Predators and Prey”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Buffy Summers and Angel from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Steroline

(fandom slang) The romantic pairing of the characters Stefan Salvatore and Caroline Forbes from the American television series The Vampire Diaries.


Finchel

Mercedes is dating someone new, and Finchel is going strong.

2011, Abby Bien, Grace Palmeri, & Neha Ramani, "How I met your gossipy new girl and her modern family at glee club", The Scarlette (West Lafayette High School), Volume 69, Number 2, 5 October 2011, page 4

Five bucks says it's going to be a totally adorable "Finchel" moment at the prom!

2012 April 10, “Selena Gomez getting the Glee treatment!”, in Post Noon, page 25:

After a long break from Glee this summer, waiting to see if Finchel got back together or if Puck decides to go to Los Angeles, I am more than ready to get back into my favorite show on Thursday nights.

2012, Natasha Walker, "Excitement for Glee's upcoming season", The Stampede (C. M. Russell High School, Great Falls, Montana), Volume 48, Issue 1, 13 September 2012, page 13

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry from the television series Glee.


Klaine

With the recent death of Glee's Cory Monteith, there wasn't much creators could do to make viewers feel better. Yet they found it: a reunion of gay couple "Klaine."

2013, "Tragedy Brings People Together After All, Doesn't It?", Watermark, 29 August 2013 - 11 September 2013, page 29

However Ryan Murphy gives fans a few rewards in Series 5 for sticking with the show (happy news for Klaine supporters), […]

2013, Heather Boyles, "The final curtain draws near", Seren (Bangor University), Issue 235, October 2013, page 25

Klaine fans and writers have lived in a culture where homosexuality has been mainstreamed, if not always accepted.

2014, Nicholas Alexander Hayes, “Glee Literally Means Glee: The Queer Art of Community's Parody”, in Michelle Parke, editor, Queer in the Choir Room: Essays on Gender and Sexuality in Glee, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 267:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson from the television series Glee.


Brittana

Never mind Finn and Rachel – I'm on Team Brittana now.

2009, Dorothy Snarker of AfterEllen.com, quoted in Amy Rickman, Gleeful!: A Totally Unofficial Guide to the Hit TV Series GLEE, Villard (2010), page 136

[…] there'd been such a fuss over the original Brittana kiss, & with Kurt kissing Blaine, […]

2012, Bruce Wagner, Dead Stars, Penguin, →ISBN:

However, the taste of happiness many viewers felt at Brittana's queer relationship quickly turned bitter when the label of homosexual continued to be thrust upon Santana by many of the show's straight characters as well as her own girlfriend.

2014, Taylor Cole Miller, “Forced out of the 'flannel closet': The Coming-Out-Gay Imperative”, in Michelle Parke, editor, Queer in the Choir Room: Essays on Gender and Sexuality in Glee, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 34:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez from the television series Glee.


Shamy

And if Shamy ever does go their separate ways, Sheldon fans can be sure to see plenty of Zazzles lurking about.

2011 February 10, Angela Song, “TV for Two”, in The Harvard Independent, volume 42, number 14, Harvard University, page 9:

In “The Herb Garden Germination” (4-20) “Shamy” (Sheldon and Amy's given nickname) pretend to have had sex to test their theory on meme propagation.

2012, George Beahm, Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory: An Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion, Smart Pop (2014), page 86

Shamy has become one of TV's most loved couples, and this season is crucial to the development of this relationship.

2012 September 6, Sayantan Deb, “A Look at Fall T.V.”, in The Harvard Independent, volume 44, number 1, Harvard University, page 9:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler from the television series The Big Bang Theory.


Caskett

But while it's great that Caskett finally happened, things didn't turn out so happily for one of "Castle's" other fan-favorite pairings.

2012, Jean Bentley, "'Castle' showrunner reveals what's in store for 'Caskett'", Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2012, Section 4, page 8

Is there a future for, er, Caskett? Or is this just a November sweeps romance?

2012 November 19, David Hiltbrand, “Same old 'Castle,' with a flirty twist”, in The Bulletin, page C2:

[…] and despite his claim to only watch the show for the police procedural, I know he's a secret Caskett 'shipper.

2013, Rene Webb, A White Hot Christmas, →ISBN:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Richard Castle and Kate Beckett from the television series Castle.


smush name

When my friend Danielle (there's THAT name again) was pregnant with her oldest daughter we came across a book (of which I forget the title) which actually advocated smush names. One of the more...ahem...interesting names I remember is Shetom. It was a smush of Sheila and Thomas.

2010, Danielle Reed, Emily, Jacob and Boniqua: What NOT to Name Your Child, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 17:

She looked up at them, half-expecting paparazzi to leap from the very walls to take photos, to give the couple a smush name that would undoubtedly be the key in making the new media darlings.

2014, Grace McDermott, Mirrorfall, Wibbly Press (2014), unnumbered page

They yell, “Sup, Shage,” when we walk past; we're a smush name now.

2015, Ann Aguirre, The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, Feiwei and Friends, →ISBN, page 243:

Brangelina and Snamione are smush names.

(informal) A portmanteau name created by blending two different names, especially one used to collectively describe a celebrity couple or fandom ship.


Sheriarty

The Empty Hearse club member goth girl who came up with the romantic Sheriarty solution to Sherlock’s fake suicide is played by Scottish actress Sharon Rooney, star of the British dramedy “My Mad Fat Diary.”

2014 January 19, Lori Rackl, “Answers to your ‘Sherlock’ questions — because you know you’ve got ‘em”, in Chicago Sun-Times:

The Sheriarty and Jimlock fans believe the two men are struggling in a love-hate relationship, while WH is a gay “couple” beloved by most fans.

2014 January 25, Qu Zhi, “Sherlock China’s new sex god”, in Shanghai Daily:

Having exhausted what meager supply of Sheriarty fic there was, I ended up reading a Mormor (Moriarty/Moran) story – and ended up loving it.

2015, Kee Lundqvist, "Stories of Significance: The Process and Practices of Sense-Making in the Sherlock Fan Community", thesis submitted to Uppsala University, page 77

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty from the television series Sherlock.


Sherlolly

To exemplify, 16magnolias' Lessons in Love is described as containing 'sweet, slow Sherlolly' […]

2016, Maria Lindgren Leavenworth, “Paratextual Navigation as a Research Method: Fan Fiction Archives and Reader Instructions”, in Gabriele Griffin, editor, Research Methods for Reading Digital Data in the Digital Humanities, page 62:

Where there are undoubtedly some within the Sherlolly fandom who are attracted to the pairing because of the sexuality and charisma of Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal, there is a large and vocal section of fans who are inspired and encouraged by the characterization of Molly herself.

2018, Jennifer Phillips, “A Woman in a Man's (Fictional) World: Considering the Importance of Dr. Molly Hooper in the BBC's Modern Adaptation of Sherlock”, in Ashley Lynn Carlson, editor, Women in STEM on Television: Critical Essays, page 180:

The Sherlolly writing challenge specifies that authors must bring Sherlock and Molly together in a relationship by the happy ending.

2018, Jennifer Wojton, Lynnette Porter, Sherlock and Digital Fandom: The Meeting of Creativity, Community and Advocacy, page 151:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper from the television series Sherlock.


Spillow

Well, I'm beginning a campaign for Spike and Willow in 02. Wanna join for Spillow?

2002 October 10, Stephen Weick, “Re: The Bright side of Deep Down.”, in alt.tv.angel (Usenet):

Spillow is best. Spillow the drinkin' & gal-chasin' pair. They won't put Willow with a man romantically, I promise you that.

2002 October 10, Rose, “Re: Spike and Willow (spoilers for Same Time)”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

You're all forgetting Spillow

2005 July 16, Yelps [username], “Re: What Happens When Buffy Is Done Baking?”, in alt.tv.angel (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Spike and Willow Rosenberg from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Spander

And lord knows, if you want there's plenty of Spuffy and Spander to last a lifetime.

2004 April 29, Kathryn Burlingham, “Re: You want fries with that?”, in soc.motss (Usenet):

Yeah, the Spander shippers really got off on that one.

2006 September 10, Don Sample, “Re: AOQ Review 7-2: "Beneath You"”, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer (Usenet):

Spander 'shippers prefer long NC-17 rated stories, regardless of genre.

2013, Mary Kirby-Diaz, “Ficcers and 'Shippers: A Love Story”, in Jennifer K. Stuller, editor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Intellect Books, →ISBN, page 46:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Spike and Xander Harris from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Hannigram

"I know there's a lot of Hannigram shipping out there," Gamier said, referring to the Lecter-Graham pairing. "That's not my bag, but I get it and respect them. I am more of a Hannigail or Hannibloom shipper."

2014 February 21, Dana Hayes, “Hannibal's Hungry Tumblr Fandom”, in Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting:

Aja Romano, writing for The Daily Dot during the series' first season in 2013, observed that “slashers,” fans who “ship” (imagine or write relationships) between same-sex characters, “are already coming out in droves for Hannibal/Graham, or 'Hannigram,' as fans have dubbed the obligatory ship portmanteau.”

2015, Jeff Casey, “Queer Cannibals and Deviant Detectives: Subversion and Homosocial Desire in NBC's Hannibal”, in Quarterly Review of Film and Video, volume 32, number 6:

Perhaps this is part of the reason why Hannibal, though it has an extremely devoted, practically religious fanbase (including a sizeable contingent of “Hannigram” shippers), has failed to achieve quite the level of widespread success attained by similarly lurid series like American Horror Story or The Walking Dead.

2015 June 3, Eric Thurm, “Hannibal showrunner: 'We are not making television. We are making a pretentious art film from the 80s'”, in The Guardian:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham from the television series Hannibal.


enemyslash

As an intimatopic 'enemyslash' fic, Harry Potter and the Bound Prince centers on the development of intimacy as expressed through sex and eroticized comfort between two characters that are enemies in the series canon […]

2010, Darlene Rose Hampton, "Beyond Resistance: Gender, Performance, and Fannish Practice in Digital Culture", dissertation submitted to the University of Oregon, page 102

As a result, Harry Potter fandom again denies well-known theories of slash, as its most popular pairing – Harry/Draco – belongs to the enemyslash category.

2010, Sigrid Sindhuber, "Slashing Harry Potter: The phenomenon of border-transgression in fan fiction", thesis submitted to the University of Vienna, page 65

Catherine Tosenberger suggests that the joy of an enemyslash pairing lies in watching the antagonists overcome their differences.

2013, Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, BenBella Books, →ISBN:

(fandom slang) Slash fan fiction focusing on a romantic and/or sexual relationship between adversaries.


buddyslash

Slash about Harry and Draco, who are enemies in canon, complicates academic theories of slash that are predicated upon the Kirk/Spock “buddyslash” model.

2007, Catherine Tosenberger, "Potterotics: Harry Potter Fanfiction On The Internet", dissertation submitted to the University of Florida, page 124

Although the pairing of Harry and Ron may seem as a typical example of buddyslash, one has to consider the presence of Hermione Granger as Harry's second sidekick.

2010, Sigrid Sindhuber, "Slashing Harry Potter: The phenomenon of border-transgression in fan fiction", thesis submitted to the University of Vienna, page 67

It is most commonly noted that the first famous pairing of Kirk/Spock, or Spirk, falls under the category of buddyslash.

2013, Janidean Bruner, "I 'like' slash: the demographics of Facebook slash communities", thesis submitted to the University of Louisville, page 10

(fandom slang) Slash fan fiction focusing on a romantic and/or sexual relationship between friends.


powerslash

The second most popular Potter slash pairing is Harry/Snape, which belongs to the powerslash category, and again defies findings of early fan fiction studies focusing on buddyslash.

Order of the Phoenix featured Harry and Snape (a powerslash pairing par excellence) forced to become uncomfortably intimate with each other: Snape is teaching Harry how to prevent Voldemort from reading his thoughts by...reading Harry's thoughts; […]

2011, Catherine Tosenberger, “Homosexuality at the Online Hogwarts: Harry Potter Slash Fanfiction”, in Michelle Ann Abate, Kenneth B. Kidd, editors, Over the Rainbow: Queer Children's and Young Adult Literature, →ISBN, page 343:

Although the second most popular pairing in Potter slash fandom, Snape/Harry (or Snarry), could be categorized as enemyslash, it is also a prime example of powerslash.

(fandom slang) Slash fan fiction focusing on a romantic and/or sexual relationship between characters of unequal social status or rank.


Skate

But 'Skate' fans ended the series quite disappointed in him, as it seems that even after leaving with Kate, they couldn't be together.

2010, Robert Dougherty, Lost: It Only Ends Once: An Unofficial Last Look, page 294:

(I've never subscribed to either of the Kate ships on the show, but even I was almost a Skate convert in that moment.)

2010, Nikki Stafford, Finding Lost, Season Six, unnumbered page:

And while, as a Skate fan, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that my side of the love square ultimately didn't win out (Sawyer ended up with Juliet, Jack ended up with Kate), I have to say I adored this small scene between my couple!

2015, James O'Ehley, Erin Willard, editors, The Take2 Guide to Lost: The Ultimate Compendium, unnumbered page:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters James "Sawyer" Ford and Kate Austen from the television series Lost.


右側

[mʲiɡʲiɡa̠β̞a̠]

(fandom slang) bottom (referring to the order of names in pairings)


Korrasami

Not only did the creators openly confirm that the ending was intended — and Korrasami shippers aren't just reading too much between the lines — a ton of artwork has been created and sold to benefit LGBTQ suicide prevention.

2015, Nick Havey, "Bisexual stereotypes need to go bi bi bi", The Daily Wildcat (Arizona University), Volume 108, Issue 119, 25 March 2015, page 4

The redeeming feature of Korrasami (as the pairing has become known among fans) is that the show's producers very clearly stated that both characters are bisexual and definitely in a relationship.

2018, Kate Harrad, editor, Claiming the B in LGBT: Illuminating the Bisexual Narrative, unnumbered page:

While the “Korrasami” pairing was confirmed at the ending, fans desired to see more and engaged in slash activities to portray the relationship.

2018, Nicolle Lamerichs, “When Production Is Over: Creating Narrative Closure in Fan Edits”, in Rebecca Williams, editor, Everybody Hurts: Transitions, Endings, and Resurrections in Fan Cultures, page 147:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Korra and Asami from the animated series Avatar: Legend of Korra.


rarepair

/ˈɹɛə(ɹ).pɛə(ɹ)/

Rare pairs might also slash together people or creatures that are considered unnatural, such as a human character with a magical creature such as a centaur or a house elf, or Dumbledore with any young student from Hogwarts.

2011, Nina Kaipia, "Drarry, Snarry and Snape: The Queerest of the Queer - Heteronormativity and Queer Theory in Harry Potter Slash Fan Fiction", thesis submitted to the University of Helsinki, page 61

If a Yuletide reader requested a rare pair (Silver Surfer/Aunt May?) in The Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers, that story will now assemble with its more popular Hulk/Iron Man and Captain America/Bucky Barnes fanfic colleagues in the Avengers tag.

2018, Anne Jamison, “Kant/Squid (The Fanfiction Assemblage)”, in Paul Booth, editor, A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, page 534:

With rarepairs and crackships, it's the unlikeliness or even impossibility of their coming together that gets you going.

2019, "Thefudge", "The Marvelously Crafted", Lemon, 1 February 2019, page 49

(fandom slang) A ship that generally receives little attention from fans and has few associated fanworks.


Stucky

A lot of people ship Stucky, and they ship it hard.

2016, Brittani Howell, “#LeaveCapAlone”, in Connect Statesboro, 1 June - 14 June 2016, page 4:

In her 'Domestic Stucky (feat. IKEA)' art project, Kurozawa Shiro decided to draw the characters Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes into a spare IKEA catalogue she had lying around (Stucky is the portmanteau name for the Steve/Bucky pairing).

2017, Francesca Coppa, “Hollywood of Our Own: Media Fandom as Female Artworld”, in Mary Harrod, Katarzyna Paszkiewicz, editors, Women Do Genre in Film and Television, unnumbered page:

The Stucky fandom encompasses all kinds of fans, and acts as a vast space for fans to find their preferred content.

2018 December, Alen Ríos, Diego Rivera, “Vulnerability and Trash: Divisions within the Stucky fandom”, in Otherness: Essays and Studies, volume 6, number 1, page 35:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bucky Barnes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


Malec

I think the fans of the book are really going to be excited about the "Malec" relationship.

2016, Isaiah Mustafa, quoted in Aleksander Tomovic, "Isaiah Mustafa", Bello, January 2016, page 34

Shadowhunters season 3 has been such a blessing for Malec fans.

2018 May, “Hollywood Tea News”, in Cinespirit Magazine, page 80:

"Malec" shippers will clamor for installments to come.

2019, The Red Scrolls of Magic review, Kirkus Reviews, 15 February 2019, page 143

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood from The Shadowhunter Chronicles franchise.


Fenders

"Im going to sleep!" Reads fenders fics on phone until 4am

2015 July 23, Tentacle (@10takler), Twitter:

EVERYBODY SHIPS FENDERS WRONG!!!! less angry makeouts more talking about feelings

2015 August 2, silver stars (@naiakiir), Twitter:

In my Fenders headcanon, Anders accompanies Fenris in Blue Wraith.

2023 June 26, BinkyProd (@BinkyProd), Twitter:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Fenris and Anders from Dragon Age II.


J/C

Initialism from the names Janeway and Chakotay.

(Had I missed "Elogium" I would have oh-so-little material for the J/C crusade!)

1995 December 1, schlock, “STARDIARY #6: MAYBE IT'S TIME TREKKERS WENT *ON STRIKE*.”, in alt.startrek (Usenet):

I am thinking of starting an all-ages list for J/C fans […]

1998 October 6, MsSpooky83, “OT-J/C mailing list?”, in alt.startrek (Usenet):

Christine says this is possibly her last J/C fic, but I seriously hope it's not as her 'voice' in VOY fic is truly memorable.

2013 March 29, ASC Awards, “ASC Awards Comment Digest #246 Janeway/Chakotay”, in alt.startrek.creative (Usenet):

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay from the television series Star Trek: Voyager.


J/Cer

They are both in a script-like style I am a committed J/Cer, so I do include romantic developments.

1996 September 19, CWilson980, “Voy Alternate Basics J/C pt 1”, in alt.startrek.creative (Usenet):

The story I'm referring to was identified as a vignette and it was very sad, well at least it was sad for a J/Cer such as I.

1998 April 12, Di, “Help finding a Story”, in alt.startrek.creative (Usenet):

A lovely 'what if' that all ardent J/Cers would love to see.

2001 March 23, Kattz, “VOY Feedback Vote #3 by CyberMum”, in alt.startrek.creative (Usenet):

A fan who ships the Star Trek characters Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay.


Braime

Bad news for all you Braime shippers out there, as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau doesn't think his character Jaime will get together with Brienne in Game of Thrones.

2017 July 14, Matthew Erao, “Game of Thrones: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Doubts Jaime/Brienne Romance”, in Screen Rant:

It also comes after he finally hooked up with Brienne, a long-in-the-making love connection that “Braime” fans have been waiting for since season two.

2019 May 7, Lindsey Romain, “What Is Jaime Planning to Do with Cersei?”, in Nerdist:

The final words of Dade's acknowledgements for the novel are directed at the Braime fandom, which she states to have been part of, with "some signs of that [noticeable] throughout this manuscript."

2023, Amanda Boyce, “The Fix-It Novel: How Commercial Authors Instrumentalize Fan Fiction's Subversive Potential”, in Kaitlin Tonti, editor, Fix-It Fics: Challenging the Status Quo through Fan Fiction, page 147:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.


Jonerys

You saw the way they were looking at each other in that ship’s cabin last week, and the director of that episode confirmed that Jonerys will be debuting soon.

2017 August 25, Jeremy Egner, “'Game of Thrones': 7 Questions for the Season 7 Finale”, in The New York Times:

The episode description of the season finale, titled The Dragon And The Wolf, points in that direction as well, with a subtle hint about a steamy 'Jonerys' moment.

2017 August 27, Kabita Maharana, “Jon Snow and Daenerys sex scene teased in Game of Thrones season 7 finale description”, in International Business Times:

If I read a fic by a Jonerys (Jon/Daenerys) shipper, I am likely to feel that Sansa is OOC, and if they read one of my stories, they probably wouldn't agree with my portrayal of Dany.

2023, Jessica Hautsch, Mind, Body, and Emotion in the Reception and Creation Practices of Fan Communities: Thinking Through Feels, page 178:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.


Jonsa

The moment sets the relationship between Jon and Sansa (Jonsa) at tension with the relationship between Jon and Dany (Jonerys).

2019 April 15, Henry McKenna, “Is Sansa Stark in love with Jon Snow?”, in USA Today:

Jonsa fans, convinced that Jon was just pretending to fancy Daenerys for political gain, went searching for subtextual support for their theories.

2019 April 21, Joanna Robinson, “The Game of Thrones Fan War Only George R.R. Martin Saw Coming”, in Vanity Fair:

This sentiment resonates with Jonsa shippers who have cast Jon and Sansa into stories ranging from Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Downton Abbey (2010-2015) to Emma (1815) and Tangled (2010) to The Princess Bride (1987) and The Breakfast Club (1985).

2023, Jessica Hautsch, Mind, Body, and Emotion in the Reception and Creation Practices of Fan Communities: Thinking Through Feels, page 192:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Jon Snow and Sansa Stark from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.


Gendrya

While likely an overt reference to Gendry's Baratheon heritage, but many Gendrya shippers also hope that secret has something to do with the younger Stark sister.

2019 April 10, Benjamin Fearnow, “Jamie x Brienne, Gendrya and Jonsa: The Weird and Wild Couples 'Game of Thrones' Fans Want to See Get Together”, in Newsweek:

Still, not everyone's onboard the Gendrya hype train.

2019 April 14, Jen Glennon, “Will Gendry And Arya Get Together On 'Game Of Thrones'? Premiere Hints 'Gendrya' Could Happen In Season 8”, in Newsweek:

'Gendrya' shippers have eagerly awaited this moment since season one.

2019 April 25, Catherine Regen, “Game of Thrones strikes controversy”, in Old Gold & Black, page 19:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Gendry and Arya Stark from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.


soulmark

“Unfortunately, it's not defective. Though most people's soulmarks only recognize one other soul, yours seems to recognize two.”

2011, Angela Corbett, Eternal Starling, unnumbered page:

The changes to Darcy's soulmark correspond with her soulmate's state of mind.

2017, Kinga Kowalska, “Embodied Soulmarks and Social Expectations: The Materialization of Romantic Love in Soulmate AU Fanfiction”, in Anna Malinowska, Michael Gratzke, editors, The Materiality of Love: Essays on Affection and Cultural Practice, unnumbered page:

In the fan fiction adaptation, Someone_aka_me uses the same lines to forge a connection between Alec and Magnus, both figuratively (putting both characters in the same scene and having them react to and impact each other) and literally (this particular piece of fan fiction introduces an alternative plotline in which Magnus’s words activate a soulbond between them, as they match a pre-existing soulmark imprinted on Alec’s skin).

2018, Malin Brus, "'I Don't Think We've Been Formally Introduced?": Re-contextualising a Literary Model for First Meetings through Adaptation Theory and Fan Fiction", dissertation submitted to the University of Gothenburg, page 21

(fandom slang) A mark on a character's body identifying their soulmate(s); the physical manifestation of a character's soulbond.


Reylo

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out, the fandom found itself dividing across one really hard, bright line: the Reylos and the anti-Reylos.

2017 December 15, Ani Bundel, “More Than The Force Connects Kylo Ren & Rey In 'The Last Jedi' & It's Intense”, in Elite Daily:

And with the Reylos, rose the Anti-Reylos who argued that the ship was indicative of racism and perpetuated abusive relationship tropes.

2020, Victoria Song, "How Fandom Destroyed and Protected Me", Gizmodo Australia, 3 February 2021

She goes onto state that Reylos experienced harassment over the death of Kylo Ren, as well as inherently political harassment that included sexist and racist taunts.

2020, Alexandria P. Sutherland, "Star Wars, Parasocial Relationships and Breakups, and The Force...of Fandom", thesis submitted to the University of Tennessee, pages 29-30

(fandom slang) A shipper of Rey and Kylo Ren.


Stormpilot

Stephanie didn't immediately latch onto Stormpilot after her first viewing of The Force Awakens, but now sees the developing relationship as playing on classic romantic beats.

2016 February, “Stormpilot: The Breakout Couple Of 2015”, in Colorblock Magazine, page 13:

The popularity of Stormpilot as a slash pairing is grounded in canonical signifiers, as Andrew Wheeler (2016) writes: […]

2017, Anastasia Salter, Bridget Blodgett, Toxic Geek Masculinity in Media: Sexism, Trolling, And Identity Politics, page 199:

The ambiguity act doesn't work as well for Boyega and Isaac, but The Rise of Skywalker appears to offer Stormpilot shippers (and you know who you are) no definitive reason to jump ship.

2019, André Hereford, “Forceful Finale”, in Metro Weekly, 16 December - 26 December 2019, page 39:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Finn and Poe Dameron from Star Wars.


Kylux

(Examples: how people feel about Reylo, how people perceive Kylux, etc.)

2016, "Dark Side of the Mind", quoted in Kimberly Leerkes, "Fandom As A Remixing Culture", thesis submitted to the University of Amsterdam, page 87

In May 2016, a month after TFA was available for legal download and purchase on DVD, Kylux was already the most popular pairing in the fandom with over two thousand stories; […]

2017 December, Cait Coker, Karen Viars, “Welcoming the Dark Side?: Exploring Whitelash and Actual Space Nazis in TFA Fanfiction”, in NANO: New American Notes Online, volume 12:

On the other hand, a handful of my Mutuals ship Kylux […]

2018, Indira J. C. Neill, "Tumblr as Platform Architecture, User Experience, and Interaction Artifacts", dissertation submitted to the University of Illinois at Chicago, page 102

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux from Star Wars.


Bellarke

I ship Bellarke (Bellamy and Clarke from The 100) so hard.

2016, Kiara London, Kiss Cam, unnumbered page:

This was an especially touching scene because every fan wants Bellarke.

2018, Ainsley O'Quinn & Russ Upton, "New season of The 100 brings many changes", The Sentry (Jackson Preparatory School), May 2018, page 18

Two distinct communities coalesce around fans of Clexa and fans of Bellarke.

2019, Erin Kenny, “'Ship Wars' and the OTP: Narrating Desire, Literate Agency, and Emerging Sexualities in Fanfiction of The 100”, in Ingrid E. Castro, Jessica Clark, editors, Child and Youth Agency in Science Fiction: Travel, Technology, Time, page 195:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin from The 100 novel series and its television adaptation.


Clexa

This year, in the truly perfect hour of television that was 3.03, Clexa progressed from adversaries to unbreakable partners.

2016 March 9, Vidya Srinivasan, “Reshop, Heda”, in The Tufts Daily, Tufts University, page 6:

Many fan videos in the Clexa fandom put the emphasis on the relationship between the two characters, aggregating scenes from different episodes.

2018, Mélanie Bourdaa, “A Strong Social Bond: Discussion, Debates and Friendship”, in Paul Booth, editor, A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, page 394:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Clarke Griffin and Lexa from the television series The 100.


Mystrade

The latter include Lestrade (as played by Graves) appreciation and fanfic sites [URLS redacted], a significant strand of (self-evidently, fanon/non-canon) ‘Mystrade’ slash activity, in which Lestrade is imagined to be in a romantic/sexual relationship, or even civil partnership, with Mycroft Holmes (played by Sherlock’s co-creator, Mark Gatiss) […]

2011 November, Claire Monk, “Heritage Film Audiences 2.0: Period Film Audiences and Online Fan Cultures”, in Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, volume 7, number 2, page 474:

It seems natural in the context of fandom that Mystrade and Wincest are important generic categories, or that Kirk and Spock is an entirely different fictional animal from Kirk/Spock.

2013, Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 361:

[…] whereas SailorChibi's Walking Together is labelled an 'AU' featuring 'Johnlock & mentions of Mystrade'.

2016, Maria Lindgren Leavenworth, “Paratextual Navigation as a Research Method: Fan Fiction Archives and Reader Instructions”, in Gabriele Griffin, editor, Research Methods for Reading Digital Data in the Digital Humanities, page 62:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Mycroft Holmes and Greg Lestrade from the television series Sherlock.