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Glite Dictionary
Aunt Flo

Aunt Flo

1 9.9
A woman's monthly period
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : la regla
  • When Aunt Flo arrives, I always feel tired.

Examples

  • She always carries extra supplies in her bag in case Aunt Flo arrives unexpectedly.

  • Whenever Aunt Flo visits, she prefers to stay home and rest.

  • Some commercials humorously refer to tampons as products for when Aunt Flo comes to town.

  • I can't go out tonight; Aunt Flo is visiting.

  • I always know when Aunt Flo is coming because of the cramping.

  • When Aunt Flo visits, I like to stay in and binge-watch my favorite shows.

  • Every month, Aunt Flo reminds me it's time to stock up on supplies.

Synonyms

period
vsAunt Flo
144 3.5

Monthly bleeding from the womb in women between puberty and menopause

is an informal euphemism used in casual speech rather than medical language
that time of the month
vsAunt Flo
  • Informal
9 6.8

The time when a woman has her monthly period

is a playful informal name rather than a neutral description

How Heavy

menorrhagia
  • Specialized
9.9
Aunt Flo
  • Informal
1 9.9
menstrual flow
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Surface Forms

Aunt Flo singular
Aunt Flos plural

Morphology

Aunt + Flo

The phrase is a euphemistic personification using a kin term and a personal name; the literal meanings of 'aunt' and 'Flo' give no clue to menstruation. The idiomatic use relies on cultural euphemism (someone 'visiting') rather than compositional semantics, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not predict the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Aunt Flo probably comes from turning the word 'flow' for monthly bleeding into a friendly name, Flo. People added Aunt to make it sound softer, so Aunt Flo is used to mean 'period'.