Talk:play doctor

SOP?

Aren't the verbal senses just literal sums of their constituent parts? You could also say "play cops and robbers" or "play cowboy", etc. Maybe there's something idiomatic I'm missing. 70.172.194.25 19:13, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

On second thought, "play cowboy" does not sound as natural to me. Not sure about this. Maybe "doctor" is special. 70.172.194.25 19:17, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

Sense 2

@Vininn126: I'm super confused by the label. I don't think prepubescents - which is what comes to my mind when I hear the word "children" - engage in sexual activities. Or is something else meant? PUC – 21:27, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

See the linked Wikipedia article. I did not know this specific term existed either, which is why I opened the discussion in the first place. Other than the sense mentioned on Wikipedia, I think this verb is SOP. Children playing make-believe, or even adults roleplaying in a sexual context, does not constitute a separate sense of the verbs "roleplay" or "play", since it can be used with basically any occupation or role you can think of. 70.172.194.25 21:30, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

Yes. That's exactly what's happening. I don't think it's SOP because how am I supposed to know that play or doctor refers to two children exploring sexuality? Vininn126 (talk) 21:57, 14 April 2022 (UTC)

It's used in this article for the actions of the adult offender, so it may be a general euphemism for any sexual activity involving small children. —Soap— 13:38, 7 March 2024 (UTC)