Raw Dog, Safe Dick, Grease The Peach, And More: ‘Shrinking’ Is Changing The Way We Talk About Sex

Shrinking Season 1 may have ended, but I have yet to stop thinking about the heartwarming series, its charming characters, that final “boop,” and of course, Harrison Ford repeatedly saying “raw dog.”

Over the course of its first 10 episodes, the comedy from Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel delved into the depths of grief as its characters navigated everything from loss, divorce, and trauma, to health issues and estranged relationships. On a lighter note, the series also featured open — often hilarious — conversations about sex that introduced viewers to a fresh set of terminology. From coining a term for “the female version of ‘get it up'”  to educating the people about “safe dick,” Shrinking is changing the way people talk about sex while reminding us that discussions around intimacy can be fun, casual, and enlightening.

In a standout episode, “Imposter Syndrome,” Ford’s character Paul, who firmly believes “raw dogging” means “to talk to somebody that doesn’t want to talk to you” asks Liz (Christa Miller) not to raw dog him in the cheese store again. “What does he think that means?” an appalled Liz asks Alice (Lukita Maxwell). “I don’t know. But he says it so confidently,” she laughs. 

As it turns out, Paul wasn’t the only one unsure about the phrase. The Episode 6 scene inspired a fair share of awkward conversations, Google searches, and even a viral tweet from @kenzianidiot, whose mom texted the family group chat to inquire about the definition.

is anyone elses family like this or just mine pic.twitter.com/qMtPEWTtOQ

— kenzi (@kenzianidiot) March 19, 2023

Since Shrinking premiered in January, “raw dog” has regularly sparked the curiosity of a typical sex-related term. But search interest drastically spiked on February 24, the day “Imposter Syndrome” premiered on Apple TV+, and climaxed the following day, when people often catch up on new episodes. In the Season 1 finale, Paul brought the phrase back again by saying, “First you raw dog me in public, and now you burst into my office and raw dog me here?” When Jimmy (Segel) finally informed him that raw dog means “sex without a condom,” he vowed to stop saying it. But we’ll always have those glorious Harrison Ford scenes, and thankfully we’ve learned from Paul’s mistakes.

Shrinking’s sexual slang doesn’t stop there. In Episode 6, Gaby (Jessica Williams) and Liz also set out to coin a term for “lady-get-it-up,” and after passing on “guac the taco,” they settled on “grease the peach.” Since the episode aired, the delightful (long overdue) phrase has already inspired two Urban Dictionary entries and received social media praise from fans excited to incorporate the fruity language into their everyday vernacular.

@_d_i_l_l_a_n_12.20.22

I will be saying this from now on!!! The show is Shrinking on Apple TV! #shrinking #queertiktok #greasethepeach #peach #lgbt

♬ original sound – 🌈 Dillan 💗

The same can be said for “safe dick,” a term that’s been around for years but gained a new audience on Apple TV+ when Gaby told Jimmy, “You’re safe dick,” to alleviate concerns after they slept together. “You and I will never have feelings for each other, so you’ve got what’s called a safe dick,” she explained. “[It’s] simple, uncomplicated sex that doesn’t ruin your life.”

Safe dick is essentially another term for “friends with benefits,” but Shrinking put its own spin on the saying by floating alternative names like “working class dick” or “a bad boy, like Neil Diamond.” The show even had Paul dub his hookup with Julie “safe dick,” establishing the term as gender-neutral. After Jimmy officiates Brian and Charlie’s wedding in Shrinking’s season finale, Liz looks at Gaby and says, “I can hear your vagina humming! He’s not safe dick!” The line offered another hilarious phrase to use in real life while warning viewers that like friends with benefits or no strings attached relationships, safe dick also carries a risk of catching feelings.

Whether she’s bringing back “pound town,” describing a hookup as “Mariah Carey hitting the high note good,” or complaining about “guys smacking titties,” Williams’ character is at the heart of Shrinking‘s free-flowing sex speech. Gaby repeats the phrase “Big Fat Coochie Energy” to hype herself up before a job interview, she proudly recalls giving dad’s paralegal “a really powerful handjob at family brunch” using pancake butter, and she dares remind Jimmy that teen girls like his daughter can be horny too. She brings refreshing confidence and levity to conversations about sex, but also knows when to get serious, as we see during her chat with Alice when she stresses the importance of safe, comfortable sex.

Shrinking‘s writers and actors deliver a satisfying balance of playful, comical scenes that celebrate and delight in sex talk and serious, honest conversations that aim to prioritize emotional and physical safety. One moment, Derek (Ted McGinley) is dancing in his doorway rejoicing over the news that his son “got laid.” The next, Jimmy and Gaby are peeling back the layers of their vulnerable hookup. There’s talk of changing libidos over appetizers, TMI shared between a father and daughter, and a look at the complexities that come with sex after losing a partner.

I’m not saying Shrinking entirely eradicates the awkwardness associated with sexual conversations, nor should it. But after watching characters comfortably discuss their sexuality and have fun with witty terminology, you’ll come out of Season 1 with a newfound appreciation for sex talk, an expanded vocabulary, and — crucially — a proper understanding of “raw dog.”

Season 1 of Shrinking is now streaming on Apple TV+.