# Distinction between assholes and douchebags? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404 "2011-06-05T17:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/21 "2011-06-06T05:08:16Z")
Howabout assclowns? Where do they fit into the scheme of things? ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/22 "2011-06-06T05:14:28Z")
Or fucktards, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/23 "2011-06-06T05:20:14Z")
Dennis Miller, back in his salad ranty days, defined tool thusly: A guy driving a Hummer in the desert is using a tool. A guy driving it anywhere else IS a tool. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/24 "2011-06-06T05:46:20Z")
I suppose the difference is do you think you are better than that asshole or do you think that douchebag thinks he’s better than you. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/25 "2011-06-06T12:21:34Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I suppose the difference is do you think you are better than that asshole or do you think that douchebag thinks he’s better than you. I like the succintness of this, but would argue that Tool works better than Asshole in your sentence. [Related thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=562904&highlight=taxonomy). ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/26 "2011-06-06T12:28:49Z")
D’bags are A’holes in training. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/27 "2011-06-06T14:51:19Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > In my mind, an asshole is someone with malicious intent. A douchebag is someone irritating who doesn’t necessarily mean to be so. This is how I’ve come to define it. Intent versus attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/28 "2011-06-06T16:36:01Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The Utility Guy has no possible way of answering other than a straightforward statement of “yes it’s going to disturb it”. > > I’m not clear of what you or your neighbor think he should have said. The utility guy had absolutely no way of knowing what was going to happen - he was just there to find the lines, not dig any holes. His response was garbage because a) he didn’t know the answer, b) he acted like he knew the answer and c) was dismissive of my neighbor because he acted like \*everyone \*should know the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/29 "2011-06-06T16:38:41Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Howabout assclowns? Where do they fit into the scheme of things? They’re the people driving around me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/30 "2011-06-06T18:01:09Z")
George Carlin said, “Anyone who drives slower than you is an idiot. Anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/31 "2011-06-06T18:06:46Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Howabout assclowns? Where do they fit into the scheme of things? Only two douchebags will fit into a VW bug, whereas eight assclowns will. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/32 "2011-06-06T19:42:09Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Only two douchebags will fit into a VW bug, whereas eight assclowns will. If they are \*no-talent \*assclowns, they may be on stage violating “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/33 "2011-06-06T19:50:24Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > If they are \*no-talent \*assclowns, they may be on stage violating “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” 😉 PC LOAD LETTER? What the fuck does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/34 "2011-06-06T19:52:22Z")
I refer to an asshole as NED (nasty, evil and disgusting), and a douchebag as SAL (stupid, arrogant, and lazy). ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/35 "2011-06-06T19:59:22Z")
An asshole weaves in and out and tailgates, all while going nowhere. A douchebag parks their marginally nice car over two spaces, hogging an extra one. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/36 "2011-06-06T20:27:24Z")
Sometimes, douchebags turn me into an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/37 "2011-06-06T20:42:05Z")
Douchebags make me want to punch them right in their stupid faces. Assholes make me want to verbally tear them a new one and humuliate them to for all the world to see. So I conclude from this analysis that stupidity is the primary driver for douchebags while ego is the prevailing driver for assholes. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/38 "2011-06-06T20:59:51Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > The utility guy had absolutely no way of knowing what was going to happen - he was just there to find the lines, not dig any holes. His response was garbage because a) he didn’t know the answer, b) he acted like he knew the answer and c) was dismissive of my neighbor because he acted like \*everyone \*should know the answer. I didn’t get that from the exchange. He’s being asked a question way outside his expertise by a worried homeowner and he’s trying to give a cogent answer based on his opinion. The fact that he’s somewhat emphatic about about the answer is no more silly or rude than your neighbor having the expectation he was going to have some useful answer in the first place. What you perceive as the brusque and direct tone of his conversation simply the usual way a lot or working people and tradesman talk. I think your sensitivity meter is dialed up to 11 in this exchange. > [@](#): > > Perfect. I was thinking of the utility guy that was in the neighborhood yesterday marking out all the lines. My neighbor has a water leak near the street, and was worried that when they dig, they’re going to harm the giant tree next to. > > Neighbor: Is the digging going to damage the tree? > Utility Guy: What do you think? > Neighbor: I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. > Utility Guy: Of course it’s going to disturb it! It’s right next to it! ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/39 "2011-06-06T22:34:28Z")
Douchebags aren’t necessarily assholes. Take Guy Fieri for example, who many people on this board consider to be a grade-A douchebag (I seem to recall there was even a thread dedicated to the topic of his douchiness). For all his douchiness though, he doesn’t strike me as particularly assholish. He’s just some guy who’s trying too hard to be cool, has an atrocious fashion sense and comes off as really grating in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404/40 "2011-06-07T01:02:13Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Douchebags aren’t necessarily assholes. Take Guy Fieri for example, who many people on this board consider to be a grade-A douchebag (I seem to recall there was even a thread dedicated to the topic of his douchiness). > > For all his douchiness though, he doesn’t strike me as particularly assholish. He’s just some guy who’s trying too hard to be cool, has an atrocious fashion sense and comes off as really grating in the process. I agree. You can have one without the other. ‘Asshole’ implies mostly aggression. ‘Douchebag’ suggests mostly arrogance and self-centeredness to the point where it is flaunted. A common rude person can be an asshole without being a douche especially if they are just coarse and boorish. A good douchebag can intrude on you by projecting who they are through general style. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distinction-between-assholes-and-douchebags/584404.md?page=3)