# gender of a swear word?(Warning, swearing) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 9, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226 "2005-08-09T02:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/1 "2005-08-09T02:11:28Z")
ok, having a discussion regarding whether or not “Asshole” is a term that can be used on a woman. I say, why not, but my friend argues that Asshole is only to be used on males (such as “bitch” signifies females). What say the dopers? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/2 "2005-08-09T02:25:12Z")
From a metonymical perspective, I can’t see why not. In fact, I have heard women describe other women as assholes. Men, of course tend to be inclined to focus on an area a bit more forward. ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/3 "2005-08-09T02:26:41Z")
I use asshole regardless of gender. I don’t see why it would particularly be a “male” insult. Generally, an insult is an insult and basically doesn’t have a gender. I have an ex who would agree on asshole, but disagree on other anatomical insults, as he thinks that only a person who has that feature can be that feature. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/4 "2005-08-09T02:27:41Z")
I think asshole is gender-neutral. For the record, I feel the same way about the words bitch and pussy, too. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/5 "2005-08-09T02:30:35Z")
What an interesting poll. I’ll move it for you to IMHO, where we do polls. **samclem, GQ moderator** ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/6 "2005-08-09T02:30:40Z")
I don’t think asshole _has_ to be exclusively for men, but that’s how I’m accustomed to using it. Incidentally, my favorite female-only insult is “toolbox,” as opposed to a guy who is a tool. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/7 "2005-08-09T03:00:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Incidentally, my favorite female-only insult is “toolbox,” as opposed to a guy who is a tool. That’s clever! I think I shall adopt it! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/8 "2005-08-09T03:09:07Z")
I know that whilst “cunt” is still a very strong swearword in Australia, it doesn’t have anywhere near the weight it carries in the US where it is mentioned in hushed tones as “the ‘C’ word” by the same people who’d say “fuck” as soon as look at you. This is because for whatever reason, “cunt” as an insult (or term of endearment or even neutral word like “guy” in some circles) is, strangely, a purely MALE thing here. The word is _never_ applied to women, so there is none of that baggage of sexism about it (we call guys "pricks’ or “dickheads” just as readily). The first time I saw “cunt” refering to a woman (in an American novel). I had to re-read the sentence two or three times to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/9 "2005-08-09T03:18:31Z")
**TheLoadedDog** , does it just mean “jerk” in general, or does it mean sissy (like the N.A. use of the word “pussy,” which I’ve only heard applied to men)? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/10 "2005-08-09T03:51:13Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > **TheLoadedDog** , does it just mean “jerk” in general, or does it mean sissy (like the N.A. use of the word “pussy,” which I’ve only heard applied to men)? Well, I’m not Australian, but in all forms of British-influenced English I’ve encountered, “cunt” has a similar connotation as “asshole.” It definitely does not refer to sissiness as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/11 "2005-08-09T04:10:29Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > **TheLoadedDog** , does it just mean “jerk” in general, or does it mean sissy (like the N.A. use of the word “pussy,” which I’ve only heard applied to men)? The usage would rarely be applied to a ‘pussy’ kind of guy over here. ‘Cunt’ is usually hurled at the top of one’s lungs, at someone who is a complete asshole. So it’s more of the ‘jerk’ category, but with a bit of viciousness implied. I use it as an equal-opportunity cuss, however. FTR I’m female, and I’ll call another woman a ‘cunt’ if she’s really pissed me off. There’s something pleasing about how sharp and harsh it is, and it really does get people’s attention when you call them it to their face. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/12 "2005-08-09T04:23:26Z")
Personally I treat all blue words as gender neutral, while realizing that some have more ramifications when applied to one gender or another (i.e., calling a man “bitch” or “twat”, “cunt” is totally and completely offensive all 'round and rather a favorite during high-anger moments). So, while I use them towards both male and females, the sex of the recipient does lend a bit more of a profane gravity to the word. 24y.o. woman if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/13 "2005-08-09T04:33:19Z")
Misnomer’s Guide to Gender-Appropriate Insults: Asshole = used for men Ass = used for both men and women Dick = used for men Bitch = used for women, but can be used for a man if he 1) is gay and effeminate enough to be referred to as “she” when we’re feeling catty, or 2) has said something snarky, the way a woman would Cunt = used for women Pussy = used for both men and women Motherfucker = used for men (but rarely, for some reason) Fuckface = used for both men and women Shithead = used for men Bastard = used mostly for men, but sometimes for women Have I forgotten anything? 🙂 (On preview, I see that **The Sausage Creature** mentioned “twat”: that’s not a word I’ve ever used. It doesn’t bother me, it just never became part of my vocabulary. However, if I want to insult a woman but am not in a situation where I can swear, I’ll think back to my time in England and call her a “cow” or a “slag.”) ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/14 "2005-08-09T05:40:25Z")
Then there’s my all-time, gender-neutral favourite: Suppurating Gutterfuck! Generally slung towards whichever ass has decided I don’t have any rights on the road when I’m on my bike, and has decided to cut me off/park in the bike lane/try to turn a corner and run me over without indicating. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/15 "2005-08-09T08:35:06Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > **TheLoadedDog** , does it just mean “jerk” in general, or does it mean sissy (like the N.A. use of the word “pussy,” which I’ve only heard applied to men)? It has a variety of uses. “Sissy” certainly isn’t one of them (the word “wuss” is used here for that). As a pejorative term, it is more similar to “asshole” than to “jerk” in that it implies the subject has a mean or vindictive character, rather than simply being annoying and socially inept as a jerk can be. Where it gets complicated is that it can also simply be used neutrally simply to mean “a guy” (obviously only in situations where coarse language is permitted such as at a pub or in a locker room): eg. _“sorry I took so long to order the beers, there were heaps of cunts in front of me at the fucken bar”_, or _“see that sign on the wall? No, over there behind the cunt in the red shirt”_. Indeed, I once over heard an argument on the street in which a knife was nearly pulled, one guy saying he’d “slice” the other one, but _“you’re lucky there’s cunts here”_ simply meaning “you’re lucky there are potential witnesses”. Come to think of it, I have heard _cunt_ used as an insult against a woman, but exclusively by gay men, and even then very, very rarely. I’ve never heard anyone use it as a neutral term to describe a woman. I’ve also never heard it used to describe a woman as a sexual object, like _skirt_ or such (though the term _pussy_ is sometimes used in this context). It remains, strangely enough, 99.9% male. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/16 "2005-08-09T11:04:58Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Misnomer’s Guide to Gender-Appropriate Insults: > > Asshole = used for men > > Ass = used for both men and women > > Dick = used for men > > Bitch = used for women, but can be used for a man if he 1) is gay and effeminate enough to be referred to as “she” when we’re feeling catty, or 2) has said something snarky, the way a woman would > > Cunt = used for women > > Pussy = used for both men and women > > Motherfucker = used for men (but rarely, for some reason) > > Fuckface = used for both men and women > > Shithead = used for men > > Bitch= mostly female though sometimes objects. (This bitch of a …) > > Bastard = used mostly for men, but sometimes for women The Kiwi-ised version of **Misnomer’s** list (well my Kiwi version anyway) Cunt= Almost always a bloke on bloke insult (as **TheLoadedDog** explained). Sometimes used on women. Pussy= Almost never used. Wussy is the more popular version. Mostly used on men. Motherfucker= Only in American movies. I have never heard anyone use this (other then in the movies…perhaps we don’t mind if someone fucks our mother?) and I know some foul mouthed fuckers 😃 Fuckface= Either Shithead= Either Bastard= Either AND objects eg, “this bastard door won’t open”, “this bastard lightbulb has blown” (2 examples from my day 🙂 ) Wanker is almost alway male though. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/17 "2005-08-09T13:26:30Z")
My old favorite double standard. Calling a guy a cocksucker is a big no-no, but it’s an admirable trait for a woman. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/18 "2005-08-09T18:16:35Z")
> [@rabbit](#): > > ok, having a discussion regarding whether or not “Asshole” is a term that can be used on a woman. I say, why not, but my friend argues that Asshole is only to be used on males (such as “bitch” signifies females). > What say the dopers? Asshole is also hilarious when applied to cats - i.e. that lazy little asshole. Or maybe it’s just me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/19 "2005-08-09T21:43:24Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > I think asshole is gender-neutral. For the record, I feel the same way about the words bitch and pussy, too. Bitch and pussy are not at all the same, though. Used on a man, they both imply weakness or cowardice, while “bitch” in reference to a woman is a completely different insult, and “pussy” is not an insult at all, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-of-a-swear-word-warning-swearing/316226/20 "2005-08-10T01:21:27Z")
in our lovely sexual harassment presentation at work, the presenter said that gender specific profanity was a no-no in the office. using them could get you called into hr and possibly fired. she then told a wonderful story of how after one of her presentations she got a call from a company asking if she told “john” it was okay to call people " \*s " ? she said she didn’t remember giving him suggestions on what to call people, other than what they said their name was. certainly " \* " was never discussed or suggested. hr went back to “john” and “john” said that presenter said not to use gender specific profanity… everyone has an " \* " so he thought it was okay to call anyone that, as he saw fit. presenter now says that any and all profanity is a no-no in any office.