I've seen products called "dongs". Its a really silly word. Then again, dildo is a really strange word, too. In casual conversation I sometimes use "dil" as long as I know the other person will know what I'm talking about.

The OED says that the origin of "dildo" is unclear but it might have to do with a phallus shaped plug used to lock an oar in position in a dory. I found it interesting that the word is quite old...Shakespeare used it in "The Winter's Tale," for example. The OED says the first known use is in 1593.

Now about dong...I haven't gotten any further with that word. The Urban Dictionary seems to think that it is an especially LARGE penis.

Hey WildKimA!! I recently did sales for Topco Sales and did product development for them several years back. When it comes to dong or dildo, typically they liked to use dildo for any insertable toy that wasn't phallic shaped or naturally colored. So all the purple penises and such were called dildos, but anything phallic shaped and natually colored was called a dong. I'm sure that gets screwed up from time to time, but that's how they did it

I think i would tend to agree that the word dong, in the context of this conversation, would describe a dildo that closely resembles a real penis. Personally, I'm not fond of the word, as seems to be the general consensus around here (which makes me wonder why companies and sites are still using it to describe their products).

I think there is something impersonal about the word dildo which, for someone who's gender variant to some degree, like myself, might not be completely agreeable. I do recognize that not everyone who uses a detachable cock is gender variant but it is a small portion of the community that would be a tad more likely to like their accoutrements to be referred to as something more, hmm...human I suppose.

I much prefer cock to words like dong or dick and certainly don't like dildo as calling it that makes it feel like it's less a part of me and more an afterthought.

Like I said, I know it's a smaller portion of the community, just tossing in my two cents.