Yiff

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

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

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

Furry conventions usually have strict policies regulating where yiff artwork can be displayed or sold.^[6]

History

See also: Furry fandom § History

The term "yiff", within the context of the furry fandom, was initially conceived as part of the "Foxese" language, a series of onomatopoeic sounds used by a group of anthropomorphic fox roleplayers in the 1990s. At the time, the term was non-sexual, translating to an emphatic yes before being used by another group as a generic term for sex.^{[7][unreliable source?]}

The CSI episode "Fur and Loathing", which aired on October 30, 2003, increased awareness of the term outside of the furry fandom while misrepresenting and inadvertently contributing to the negative stigma commonly associated with the furry fandom.^[8][9] The word yiff became mainstream later that decade from anti-furry rhetoric on sites like 4chan.^[4]

According to Google Trends, Google searches for the term were more prevalent during the 2000s and 2010s, reaching a peak during June 2010 before steadily declining outside of a brief rise in November 2020.^[10]

See also

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