# 'Butch' offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butch-offensive/593128 "2011-08-18T07:05:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butch-offensive/593128/1 "2011-08-18T07:05:09Z")
Reading hte thread about ‘dyke’ being derogatory, I wondered,“Is butch as offensive?” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butch-offensive/593128/2 "2011-08-18T12:23:33Z")
Not usually. It’s just descriptive. It can be used offensively, of course, but just because one word for lesbians is widely considered offensive doesn’t all words connected to lesbians are. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butch-offensive/593128/3 "2011-08-18T22:52:13Z")
I just read a guide to terms that includes “butch” as an offensive one, not to be used. I forget the origin but it’s a university reference doc. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butch-offensive/593128/4 "2011-08-18T23:09:21Z")
As a lesbian, I say ‘meh.’ It’s all about context/tone, nothing inherently offensive about ‘dyke’ or ‘butch.’