Within the B&D world it was probably just Mistress. To the outside world, the word “mistress” has a totally different meaning. So a new word was really needed. I don’t think there was a word in the public domain to describe women who get paid to punish men in a erotic way.

Even DDI Magazine, which was the slickest of the B&D contact magazines in the 1990s, the cover on DDI Said, “DDI Domination Directory International” Subheading, “The ultimate guide to finding a Mistress.”