Nice try Lindal

I think that its application probably is somewhat gendered: I suspect (as Treasure's post suggests too) that it's used a great deal more against women than men.

But what I really meant was that the "C word," which is probably just about the most socially-unacceptable insult in the language, references female genitalia. By contrast, I don't think calling someone a "dick" is nearly as frowned upon. In fact, so much so, that I have no hesitation typing in "dick" here, where I do feel a bit more circumspect about typing "cunt."

Oh when I was growing up, that was used on guys all the time. If they were acting emo or wishy washy or whiney, they got that one. If they were being jerks they were dicks, and if they were mean spirited they were pricks.

I grew up in an almost exclusively male family so I got to hear a lot of interesting insults.

I'm just wishing there was a way to put images in your signature over at SLA.

I could just add the image every time I post but I'm way too lazy for that.

I generally don't like beating around the bush.

You could just start a thread in the Blogorama asking what does it mean or something and quote it.

This.
Prefer shaved as well here.

/me glares menacingly at Marcel.

Landing strip then?

Not where I live it isn't, it's used more against men if anything, there's nothing gender specific about it when used as an insult, or when you're being sarcastic and put clever or funny in front of it.



That's to do with social norms. There's no logical reason for it to be less offensive to call someone a dick, it's just accepted. Slag is less controversial but that is generally gender specific, although those down south seem to use it for both genders.

Ah. It's different here, I think.


Oh, of course. But that's my point: WHY is it "accepted"? Why can a woman be called a "whore" or a "slut," when there isn't really a male equivalent -- in fact, the term "manwhore" has crept into usage to address precisely to address that fact.

I think this is all changing, quite rapidly, but vestigially there are still more, and more "serious," vulgarisms built around female sexuality generally than around males.

Anyway, to get back to my first point: I actually think "cunt" is far too good a word to be wasted on the kinds of idiots (male or female) that it might normally be applied to.

Around here, I have observed that the average IQ of those that habitually use the c word is about that required to get a job in McDonalds, so it says more about the inadequacies of the user than its target.

Pep (Swearing is just another symptom of illiteracy.)

Are you politicising the word though?

The issue is manners Pep, to swear in context you need to be literate.

straight laced, are you?

In my experience, the C-word is generally used by men, against men. My partner and his male friends even use it as an affectionate term ... "how are you, you c***?" You probably have to know somebody pretty well to greet them like that. I've never heard a woman called a c*** in the same way, or even, thinking about it, as an insult - women get called bitches where men would be called c***s (I'm UK, if that's relevant).

The C word is generally considered much, much ruder than male equivalents like dick or prick (see, I can bring myself to write those), and that's where the gender thing comes in ... why are our genitals somehow ruder than yours? Come to that, why can't ours be hairy when yours almost invariably are?

I think swear words in general, used appropriately, are good and powerful things. When they are inserted into every other sentence they lose that power - how do you express strong feelings if swear words have become part of your routine vocabulary? If one of my kids is obviously very worked up about something, I won't tell them off for swearing, but in any other circumstances I'd let them know it's not acceptable. I read somewhere (don't ask me for a link or anything - I don't have one) that if, say, you bang your thumb with a hammer and explete (is that a word?), the word is not processed by the same part of your brain that processes the rest of your everyday language.

Anyway, I think Brenda's use of the C word as an expletive in this thread was appropriate and powerful - it shocked me and made me laugh.

Oh, and "scrote" FTW

In my part of the US the C word is the, be all end all insult to a woman.
The only thing to follow the C word is slaps and hair pulling.

Oh, of course I am! But it's also politicized to begin with: my response is, to some degree, an attempt to re-appropriate a term that has been taken down an unfortunate path.

Well if you believe Wikipedia it first started down Gropec*nt lane, now that's something to get political about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gropecunt_Lane

Yup My friends and I do that and all other sorts of insults, friendly greetings and all that.

You should take responsibility for your forum postings no matter where you are. If you are busy when someone contacts you regarding your posts you can be polite and arrange another time to talk. You know, like adults do.

Now that was an interesting History lesson that I hadn't seen before

When someone from SCII visited your cannibal restaurant, your adult response was, IIRC, to accuse them of stalking your restaurant.

Me agrees with Marcel

Exactly. The greatest possible insult to a man--whether it's offered playfully or with genuine hostility--is to refer to him as Female, or with female-related terms.

THAT's what makes it gender-political.