The handkerchief code
Home Glossary Disclaimer Site map	The handkerchief code is a method, less popular these days, of identifying your sexual interests visually. It involves placing a handkerchief of the appropriate colour or material in your back pocket on the approriate side: left for tops or people with this characteristic, and right for bottoms or people who are after that characteristic. I think this actually makes a fair bit of sense for cruising noisy, smoky bars. However, the diversity of sexual interests means that the full list of colours and patterns runs to several dozen possibilities; some of the less common entries are quite creative. A quick web search reveals many different versions of the code with subtle differences and some outright contradictions. That means that you could be a larger gentleman who is repulsed by the sight of bare feet, cruising a dark, smoky nightclub trying to discern whether that cute guy is wearing an apricot hankie (which denotes that he's looking for a larger partner), or whether it's more a coral colour, which denotes a foot fetish...  The 'official' meaning is from www.sexuality.org; other meanings are from other lists; see below the table. Please bear in mind that I find some of the entries in this list discriminatory; they have been included for completeness, but I do not endorse them. Colour 'Official' meaning Other meanings Comments black S&M grey bondage red fisting yellow golden shower brown scat less common meanings purple piercing dark blue anal sex light blue oral sex light pink dildo user lavender likes drag olive drab likes uniforms uncommon meanings chequered safe sex silver electric red lace group sex white with multicoloured dots orgies pink orgies dark pink nipple torturer light pink dildo user medium blue police officer airforce blue pilot fetish light blue/white stripes sailor fetish hunter green dad/son fetish magenta armpit fetish pale yellow saliva fetish duck-egg blue 69er teal blue genital torturer dark red two-handed fister maroon likes menstruating women enemas I assume menstruation applies more to lesbian bars? mauve navel worship magenta armpit worship mustard large penis size gold threesome orange anything goes apricot larger ladies and gentlemen coral foot fetish rust cowboy play fuschia spanking lime green rent boy? this one is always listed in euphemisms; I think that's what it's supposed to be? beige rimming brown lace uncut brown satin cut charcoal latex fetish rubber fetish grey flannel suits white masturbation red/white stripes shaving black/white stripes black men brown/white stripes Latin men yellow/white stripes Asian men white lace white men Victorian scenes paisley boxer shorts I find a boxer-shorts fetish difficult to imagine, but never mind... silver lame star fucker Listen to Nine Inch Nails' Starfuckers, Inc. for a definition of this one. gold lame muscle men leopardskin tattoos tan cigar fetish wine rubber fetish cocktail napkin bartenders, bar groupies doily tearoom (ie: beat) enthusiast terry towelling tearoom (ie: beat) enthusiast teddy bear cuddling Handy Wipe oil massages chamois biker mosquito netting outdoor sex toothbrush my place is OK Holstein milking cream comes in condoms red/black stripe bears OR vampires red/white gingham park sex brown corduroy school fetish black velvet videos/movies white velvet, blue/white checks voyeur houndstooth biting Union Jack skinhead calico new in town red/white checks branding, cutting skull/crossbones pirate turqoise catheters http://www.ncf.ca/ip/sigs/life/gay/codes/hanky http://www.ncf.ca/ip/sigs/life/gay/codes/hankypanky http://alt.xmission.com/~trevin/hanky.html http://www.ncf.ca/ip/sigs/life/gay/codes/keys http://alt.xmission.com/~trevin/hanky.html http://members.aol.com/OfficerJim/hankycodes.html		See also: More information: Bi Australia A bisexual version of the hanky code