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THE PINEAPPLE USED to represent wealth and luxury, due to its exotic rarity, and is now considered a universal symbol of welcome and hospitality. Flip the pineapple on its head, however, and things get spicy. If you’ve ever seen an upside-down pineapple—say, on a cruise ship cabin door, or an RV parked at a campground—you should know it symbolizes something entirely different (and subjectively sexy).
We’ll venture to guess that you probably don’t associate pineapples with sex, but they have a surprisingly sensual history. In his 1629 book Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris (roughly translated: Park-in-Sun’s Earthly Paradise), John Parkinson wrote that Eve’s seduction tool of choice was actually a pineapple rather than an apple. Not only that, but pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may play a role in enhancing your sex life by improving blood flow while boosting testosterone and sperm count.
Finally, while there’s no scientific proof for this, there’s anecdotal evidence that eating sweet, acidic pineapple can make your semen taste better by reducing the bitterness. (Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, right?)
As for the upside-down pineapple—a hashtag that’s already garnered hundreds of millions of views from curious TikTokers—it has a very specific meaning relating to non-monogamy. And you might see it proudly displayed anywhere, from a stranger’s necklace or tote bag.
Wondering what that upside-down pineapple on your neighbor’s welcome mat really means? Let’s just say you’ll never accidentally flip a pineapple over in your grocery cart ever again. (Or will you?)
What does an upside-down pineapple mean?
An upside-down pineapple—worn on clothing or jewelry, pushed around in a shopping cart, etc.—is a subtle signal that someone is a swinger or looking for a swinger party. (The pineapple doesn’t have to be upside-down to carry that meaning, FYI. The story goes that when a pineapple is set by a front door, or on someone’s porch, it signifies that a swinger party is in session.)
According to SlangLang.net, the exact origin of this symbol as a means of public identification is unknown. But, we do know that the popularity of the phrase and symbol started rising in the 1990s. In 2006, the first Urban Dictionary entry mentioning “upside-down pineapple” was published, followed by its own definition on the site in 2017. During the 2010s and beyond, sites like YouTube and Reddit began to blow up with discussions about upside-down pineapples.
Interestingly, in many cultures, the pineapple is used as a symbol of wanting to share—which, when used in the context of swinging, is an amusing play on the original connotation.
Do swingers actually use the upside-down pineapple symbol?
Before we move into whether people actually use this in their real lives and not just in online discussions, let’s talk about what swinging means.
Swinging is one form of non-monogamy, wherein folks who are partnered enjoy having sex with other people and their partners. Swinging is often done between sets of couples; it’s where the “wife swap” and “keys in a bowl” stereotypes come from.
Are people actually using the pineapple symbol to meet other swingers? Absolutely. On dating apps—especially those geared toward non-monogamous arrangements, like Feeld—people may use pineapple emojis in their profiles to signify their swinger status to other users. You’ll also find pineapples all over swinger-related content on Instagram and TikTok (check out #swingtok and see for yourself).
On cruise ships, guests will reportedly hang an upside-down pineapple on their door to signify their swinger status.
I spoke with someone who identifies as a swinger. They shared with me that if there is a pineapple available, they will make it near them, and upside-down—and it’s worked. On their last trip to the grocery store in New York City, they went straight to the produce department, tossed a pineapple in the top of the cart (upside-down, of course), and within about 10 minutes, had someone approach them asking if they wanted details about a play party happening that evening in the neighborhood.
elvira ladocki / 500px//Getty Images
What are some other symbols for swinging (and other forms of non-monogamy)?
Here’s the thing about symbols in general, especially when it comes to symbols in the sex-positive community: they are necessary for communication. Our culture is just starting to normalize all sexualities and relationship designs. These symbols have helped—and continue to help—bring people together when they can’t be as open as they’d like.
In 2017, the New York Post published an article about signs your neighbor may be a swinger. Some of the symbols they noted were:
a black ring on someone’s right handhaving garden pampas grass outside your homewearing an anklet, toe rings, and thumb rings switching your wedding ring to the right handwhite landscaping rocks pink or purple decorations in the front gardenand, of course, an upside-down pineapple door knocker.
Some of these things could happen without the person realizing it’s a sign for swinging; I wore a toe ring and an anklet long before I knew anything about swinging! If you’re wondering if the symbol means what you think it means, you can always ask the person something like, “Hey, I noticed the white landscaping rocks in your front yard. Are we in the same club?” You’ll know pretty quickly by their response if they are, in fact, a swinger! If that person looks at you with a perplexed face, you can simply say, “Oh never mind, I really like your landscaping!” and continue on your merry way.
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