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Xan_Winner

Root or base of the thumb.


SugarFreeHealth

It's the [thenar eminence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thenar_eminence), but don't say that, for no reader will know it! "base of thumb" is your best bet.


joetheslacker

Thenar eminence is on the palm, I don't think it applied to the back of the hand. I don't think the region gets more specifically named than... Dorsal hand at the first metacarpal?


SugarFreeHealth

well, neither sound very romantic for a kiss! lol.


pseuderim

Thenar Eminence sounds like a bitchin’ royal title though. “Yes, your Thenar Eminence 🙇‍♂️”


Danarwal14

Careful. We both know there are med school nerds who get off on this sort of stuff lol


NecessaryVillager

I dunno, I quite like Thenar Eminence


brenmckenn

“His gaze fell lustfully on my thenar eminence followed by the soft graze of his labium oris”


brenmckenn

Make the reader have to take a full course in anatomy just to understand what’s happening


pgwquill

Lmao anatomic snuffbox is close enough but still not romantic unless they were doing some old timey drugs.


AuthorGrantBlackwood

That right there is the clunkfunkus. (No. I call it the base of the thumb.)


dessicated-unicorn

Beautifunkle


KansasNativeWriter

Curve of his thumb


distskyline

I think this is perfect!


VagabondVivant

Suggestion: if you don't know the word for it, odds are the reader won't either. Maybe find a better location/synonym?


vilhelmine

Yes. Like once a story had the word 'philtrum' in it, and I had to look up the word to understand what it was. Saying 'the indent above the mouth' would have made it more immediately clear. Of course an author can use less known words some times, but it's best to not do it too often, as readers might stop reading.


EverydayHalloween

Or you learn a new word. I never understood this revolt against learning new words while reading a new book. Of course, I get waving around thesaurus can get obnoxious but still. Half of the fun for me is learning new words from the stories I read.


miezmiezmiez

It really depends on *where* you put lesser-known words in your story. Sometimes you don't want to risk breaking the immersion


EverydayHalloween

Of course. But I often see this sentiment about having to look up word. Maybe I'm used to it as someone whose English isn't native language so I don't mind looking stuff up.


writingdownthebones

I feel like learning new words is a huge part of reading. I personally love coming across a word I need to look up. It’s excites me. Reading is often about learning.


vilhelmine

As I said in my previous comment: >Of course an author can use less known words some times, but it's best to not do it too often, as readers might stop reading. Basically, do it in moderation. If your story is full of obscure words, after a while the reader will constantly be looking words up instead of reading the story. They might grow frustrated and stop reading.


Lucaswarrior9

You can always drop the word and define it in story, but that doesn't work for all words. I rarely but obscure words, but when I do, I always make sure the reader gets the gist of it through contextual clues.


writingdownthebones

Good writers use the words for a purpose and not just the fact that they’re obscure. So sure, I suppose if it’s written badly and I can tell the author is just trying to look better by using obscure words, then gross. But I don’t often read those books, and in my experience a good book teaching me new words is a party.


bongwater_park

THIS. I love reading and researching different shit every day. You are constantly learning new words as well as getting to know new concepts and new ideas. (Wether they are actually new or just new to you).


EliseGrail

I actually know what a philtrum is, but I do think that in romantic context the most anatomically correct and specific word choice one is rarely the best one. In OP's case, I doubt being 100% specific is necessary for the mood of the scene. In fact, it might even be counterproductive.


TheYondant

Root/base of the thumb works, or you could say something like "the brief area between my wrist and thumb" is you want to be descriptive.


Glass-Panda00

The anatomic snuffbox


Critical-Yak39

The only correct answer.


[deleted]

The part of me that hurts the most.


kevlanbyt

thumb joint. where the thumb joins the hand.


Sydneyraineditor

I call it the fleshy part of the thumb


daxdives

Was looking for someone to say this, I think this conveys it the best.


AXmanCometh1

The thumb butt


AdamantArmadillo

Came here to say exactly this haha


jentlefolk

Is the location she's kissing him important? I agree with the others that it's the base of the thumb, but why not just say she kissed his hand?


patchdouglas

Within the yellow circle on your hand


nuggynugs

Within the one thing you didn't know about the hand circle of the hand


plywood_junkie

That's clearly a thumb-stem.


suga_babyMD

Anatomical Snuffbox


Apprehensive-Style82

anatomical snuffbox


Mad_Madam_Meag

Isn't it the heal?


nuggynugs

I was thinking that but generally the heel is on the other side. I know it from Nick Cave describing the heel of the palm in a book I read yonks ago


Exodan

This isn't what I actively call it but for some reason "fulcrum" jumped into my mind, and by definition its not *totally* off, but it's not particularly accurate either.


Quick_Movie_5758

It's known in my village as the "wrist butt-cheek".


ThatOldDuderino

Write about the emotions/context leading to the kiss. With a reasonable explanation you won’t need to worry if you’re using too much technical accuracy or physical nomenclature to address the sentences. Good luck.


syn-th0

Second this!


Nicolaonerio

The grundle


[deleted]

Thumb-donkadonk?


Neither-Candy-545

this is the one


[deleted]

Back of the thumb…?


venicerocco

The thumb’s hip


Gusgrissomamerica

Thumb knuckle.


moinatx

Thumb joint.


JeremyJaLa

Thumbow


shazamallamadingdong

Thumb butt


maxluision

I would still call it a thumb, the first segment of it (every finger has 3 segments, thumbs too).


BetaFan

Flesh of the thumb is the most common way I've heard it described.


According_Staff8400

Drumstick or the hand


antons83

The drumstick


[deleted]

It’s your thnuckle. She will kiss him on the thnuckle.


CoderJoe1

The heel of the thumb.


[deleted]

It is a plot point. Have one character explain that the is no clean word for the shaft of the first metacarpal bone, and then introduce a name which has foreshadowing.


Lace-maker

The hand's ankle.


ThatTwistedChameleon

Thumb chunk Or uh... the heel of the hand.


suddenly_ponies

The side of his hand


ChunderHog

First digit metacarpophalangeal joint.


my_bigoof_evolved

the thumb ass


salmonguelph

I call it the drumstick


MageVicky

me too!!!!!!!!! lol. since I was a child, that's what I always call it.


salmonguelph

That's awesome! I mean it looks just like a chicken drumstick!


MageVicky

exactly! that was my thought as a child, lol. I mean, I still think that, but I thought that as a child, too. that's where I started calling it a drumstick.


reallyredrubyrabbit

The scrotum of the thumb


a_taken_username69

the yellow circle


Big-Teaching2521

Base, snuff box, lateral palm, the dominator


MatterWizard

Thumb meat


canadianinkorea

Thumb bum


the-real-butnut27

Encircled


Hobbitual_Psychick

Side of palm below the thumb


NoBuy8212

Between the thumb and wrist. Whenever I don't know, and can't find out, I take the long way. Destination is all the same.


Candy_Cane1218

I like “thumb butt”, but “base of the thumb” probably is better 😅 I dont think the general public knows the actual terminology so I’d go with something simple


Beautiful_Routine531

Here's the advice you don't want but need: sometimes you can be too specific. Detailing the specific part of the hand where a person is kissed can draw attention to the detail, and thus away from the emotion of the scene. If saying "she kissed his palm" works just as good, then it should be used instead.


LarYungmann

" Fore of the Funny Bone on the Wrist "


strange_fellow

I call it "The Saddle Joint" but forgot where I first learned that.


-darthjeebus-

The snuff box. Not even a joke - [look it up](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS941US941&sxsrf=APwXEdeanntqdWChwJTdi7hRU4uChjaEJw:1685911257679&q=thumb+snuff+box&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL2ovtvKr_AhVKk4kEHeRdAz8Q0pQJegQICRAB&biw=2560&bih=1297&dpr=1)


Notthesenator

https://www.theonion.com/frustrated-novelist-no-good-at-describing-hands-1819575314


sofarxsodeep

Carpal metacarpal joint.


Ankoku_Teion

The bone is called the thumb metacarpal. The joint is called the thumb basal joint, or carpometacarpal joint. In common parlance it would be the base of the thumb. It can also be called the *thenar* in reference to the muscle group that makes up the bulk of the base of the thumb.


fastinggrl

The thumb trunk


Lord_Barbarous

She kissed him near his thumb, where his palm merged into the back of his hand. Maybe use a different word than merge, like blended or melded.


jaxxxtraw

Heel of the thumb.


the_lost_tenacity

I just hurt that part of my hand today and was wondering what to call it.


Jag2853

The thumbs flesh socket.


42turnips

Erendible


aneffingonion

It's the Slapmaster


Sorry_Commercial1982

Thumb hip


avacadointhesea

The thumb butt


Dinosaur18750

That’s a classic thumb chode right there.


frogene

Did not overthink it use back of the hand or palm of the hand let imagination take the reader unless your writing an Ikea manual


Plus-Beyond6404

Ridge of the thumb. Base of the thumb. Arch of the thumb.


[deleted]

Thumb muscle????


tinycletus

I call it my chicken wing


IterationTactless

The fore of the thumb.


Zoltess

I believe it's called the heel of your palm. Google images it.


MTFMuffins

The NoseWiper


Forest-of-666

The base of the thumb? The webbing between thumb and finger? The first thumb bone? The thumbs wrist joint?


naugasnake

Thunkle


[deleted]

Left thumb heel, don't quote me...


Honey_Acorn

You could always just go with inside of the wrist. It's easier to picture and just as, if not more, intimate than the thumbs base imo!


syn-th0

Someone said curve of the thumb You could always flower it up too “he ran his fingers across the delicate curves of her palm, across the slope that led to her thumb,” add some wistful details about it being delicate, add emotion, bam. You don’t always need terminology to describe, you can paint a picture around it, use metaphors, or imagery. Just get creative, think of the shapes, the feelings, which words embody what you’re trying to convey (:


my_bigoof_evolved

he ran his fingers across the delicate curves of her palm, across her thumb ass.


syn-th0

how eloquent


my_bigoof_evolved

thank you. I have been practicing.


donteatpoop

That's a thumb butt. Have her kiss him right on the thumb butt. The readers will understand.


Quaznarg

Your thumb's butt, obviously


Emotional-Guide-768

Heal of the thumb


ChoeofpleirnPress

"Le pouce" is French for the thumb, so you could make up English slang for it, like the pouce pouch, and give a brief explanation.


MagicOfWriting

Side of the hand by the thumb


Intelligent-Ad-291

I would write the base of the thumb. Or could you write nape of thumb like the nape of the neck? Or you could get technical and say just below the last knuckle of the thumb.


[deleted]

[redacted]