Glossary
Right of the slash
Why a lowercase letter after the slash shows who hands over the lead.
What is the right of the slash?
The right of the slash is, in notations like D/s and M/s, the side after the slash, and it stands for the receiving role: the submissive or the slave. The lowercase letter and the spot behind the slash belong to the one who hands over the lead. Before the slash stands the counterpart, the dominant or the master.
| Notation | the letter after the slash in D/s and M/s |
| Stands for | the receiving role: submissive, slave, or bottom |
| Opposite | the left of the slash, the dominant or master |
| Why a lowercase letter | the lowercase letter marks the submissive side of the notation |
| Where you see it | in D/s and M/s, and on profiles |
| Important | the lowercase letter says something about the role in the play, not about a person’s worth |
How the lowercase letter works
The right side leans on a writing convention that starts from the capitals. The encyclopedia describes that some people in the D/s world write references to the dominant with a capital and those to the submissive without: “do not capitalize those that refer to submissives”. The lowercase s in D/s therefore belongs to the one who follows. That same source names a variant that goes further: some submissives drop personal pronouns and call themselves “this slave” or “Master Bob’s girl”. The right of the slash is thus more than a letter smaller. Sometimes it is also a way to place yourself deliberately in the background during the play. The abbreviation D/s itself appears in the overview of BDSM as a fixed spelling for dominance and submission.
Why people use the term
Whoever calls themselves “right of the slash” says in two characters that he or she is looking for the receiving, following role. For someone who wants to hand over control, that saves a whole explanation. In a profile or a conversation it is clear right away what you are after, without having to describe the whole dynamic first. What stays important is that the lowercase letter makes no one less: it is a chosen role in the play, not a judgment about who you are outside it. Whoever switches stands right of the slash one time and left of it the next.
Where this fits on my site
If you recognize yourself in the right of the slash, then you are looking for someone who takes the lead while you hand it over. That is the role I take on in a D/s dynamic, always by agreement and within what we settle together. How that works you can read on the page about the BDSM date. Don’t know yet which side fits you? Just ask, no appointment is needed for that.
Sources
- Dominance and submission. Wikipedia. Gives the writing convention that references to the submissive are not written with a capital (“do not capitalize those that refer to submissives”), and that some submissives call themselves “this slave” or “Master Bob’s girl”.
- BDSM. Wikipedia. Gives the abbreviation D/s for dominance and submission as a fixed spelling within BDSM.
Related terms
The right of the slash is a writing convention within BDSM, and points to the submissive role.
- BDSM. The larger whole the notation D/s and M/s is part of.
- Left of the slash. The counterpart before the slash, the dominant side.
- Submissive. The role the right of the slash marks.
- Bottoming. Undergoing the acts, close to what stands right of the slash.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about this term
What is the right of the slash?
The right of the slash is, in notations like D/s and M/s, the side after the slash, which stands for the submissive or the slave. The lowercase letter and the spot behind the slash belong to the one who hands over the lead. Before the slash stands the dominant or the master.
Why is the right of the slash written in lowercase?
Because the writing convention within D/s writes references to the dominant with a capital and those to the submissive without. The lowercase s after the slash thus marks the receiving, following role. It says something about the role in the play, not about the worth of the person.
Who can you turn to with questions about the right of the slash?
Victor, gigolo with twenty-five years of experience and a background as a psychotherapist. If you’re looking for someone who takes the lead while you hand it over, that is the role Victor takes on in a D/s dynamic, always by agreement. Ask your question through the contact form or chat for free first.
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Still have questions about the right of the slash?
I'm Victor, gigolo with a background as a psychotherapist. If you're looking for someone who takes the lead while you hand it over, that is exactly the role I take on in a D/s dynamic. Just ask whatever you want to know, with no obligation at all.