The Dirty Truth About Smut
(Unless you’re thinking of corn fungus. In which case: wow, same page.)
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“Smut” is a gloriously loaded word, half taboo, half wink, all marketing power. It’s the kind of term that makes people lean in or flinch…and both reactions are useful.
If you’re like me, the word smut probably makes you raise an eyebrow, or brace for a steamy scene. It’s one of those words that’s been so thoroughly claimed by the world of spicy fiction that I assumed it only meant…well, that.
So, imagine my surprise when I recently learned about corn smut.
Yes. That’s a real thing. Not a punchline. Not a euphemism. Not the name of a niche indie band. (Although that is going on my list of band names)
Meet Ustilago maydis
That’s the Latin name for corn smut, a fungus that infects corn kernels and turns them into bulbous, grayish-black growths that look like something out of a Guillermo del Toro film. In the U.S., farmers usually consider it a disease, a blight, a crop-wrecking horror.
But in Mexico?
It’s called huitlacoche and it’s considered a delicacy. Earthy, rich, almost truffle-like. You can sauté it. Put it in tacos. Fold it into quesadillas. It’s packed with amino acids, lysine, and culinary intrigue.
A Word with a Double Life
This got me thinking, smut has more than one life. More than two, even.
Here’s a brief tour of smut’s surprisingly diverse résumé:
Agriculture: Corn smut. Wheat smut. Sorghum smut. A family of fungal diseases that attack grains.Slang: Sexual content, often printed or broadcast. Sometimes cheeky, sometimes pejorative.Soot: Yes, soot. As in, “a smut of ash blew across the page.” (Dickens, anyone?)Pirate insult potential: “Ye filthy smut, swab the deck!” (Okay, maybe I made that one up. But it fits.)It’s fascinating how a single syllable can carry so much weight, from fungal cuisine to fanfiction, from ash to innuendo. It’s the kind of word that changes hats faster than a con artist at a Renaissance fair.
So What Do We Do With It?
Honestly? We embrace the weird.
Language is messy and wild and often hilarious. “Smut” might still get the most attention in romance hashtags, but it also reminds us that words evolve, and sometimes they loop back around and surprise us.
So the next time someone says, “I love smut,” you can smile and ask,
“Corn or Kindle?”
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