# Is 'pussy' an obscenity (as in 'he's a pussy') **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644 "2016-02-09T20:15:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/21 "2016-02-09T21:07:49Z")
It’s used to insult men by comparing them with a female body part. Unless he was talking about in in the feline sense, which, given what we know about Trump, is about a .001% chance. It’s stupid and, yeah, pretty offensive, but I’m sure all the hubbub over it will only make people who hate Trump hate him more, and people who love Trump love him more. ETA: And looking at the video, it’s clear he knows it’s bad - he fake-scolds the (woman) who called it out, then draws more attention to it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/22 "2016-02-09T21:13:44Z")
On two different occasions I’ve heard elderly, doddering women refer to their pet cats as their pussies. Try keeping a straight face when your friend’s granny tells you about her sick pussy. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/23 "2016-02-09T21:16:24Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That’s how language works. Most if not all vulgarities have non-vulgar synonyms. Fuck has copulate; shit has feces; whore has prostitute. In English the vulgar term usually has Germanic rather than French or Latin roots, but not always. It’s just a matter of chance. I don’t believe this is chance. I think this is due to the Norman/Anglo-Saxon distinction. At the time the Normans were upper class and their French words became the polite words. It’s much like Anglo-Saxon-based words apply to the animals while Norman-based words apply to the meats consumed. Cow v. beef, pig v. pork, sheep v. lamb. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/24 "2016-02-09T21:17:10Z")
Definitely vulgar, but worse than that (in my mind) is that it’s sexist. He’s referring to his opponent as part of a woman’s anatomy. Why is that an insult unless you consider women somehow inferior? It’s like insulting someone by calling them ‘gay.’ Not just vulgar, but ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/25 "2016-02-09T21:38:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > On two different occasions I’ve heard elderly, doddering women refer to their pet cats as their pussies. Try keeping a straight face when your friend’s granny tells you about her sick pussy. Thank you Mrs. Slocombe. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/26 "2016-02-09T21:44:28Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Now if Trump wanted to insult Cruz by calling him the name of a weak, delicate body part that can’t be handled too rough, he should’ve called him a ballsack. \*That \*would probably get a bleep. Oh, like in _teabagging_. Yes, there was some news coverage about that a while ago, when it was being used by right-wing Tea Party types, until they were told that it was a slang term for certain sexual activities. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/27 "2016-02-09T22:02:55Z")
I’m 50 years old and any use of the word for anything other than a cat has always been considered vulgar. Had I called someone in school a pussy, I would have been given detention. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/28 "2016-02-09T22:11:10Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Although I can’t give a cite, I think I’ve even heard the admonition, “don’t be such a pussy” used on network TV over the years. The FCC regulates “indecent material” [between 6am and 10pm](http://www.vox.com/2016/2/9/10950182/donald-trump-ted-cruz). You might have heard the word outside of that time. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/29 "2016-02-09T22:15:25Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Oh, like in _teabagging_. On vacation in the Caribbean we drove past a new tequila bar called **Dirty Sanchez**. My gf thought it was cute. I did a double take looking at her. She had never heard the term. As soon as we had wifi, I searched and the first six or so hits were obscene. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/30 "2016-02-09T22:23:49Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > Yes, “pussy” (meaning a weak or cowardly person) is a mild obscenity. > > In the movie _Goonies_, the older brother calls the younger brother a “wuss” and the younger brother gets upset and says he knows what that means. “Wuss” is a portmanteau of “wimp” and “pussy”. “Pussy” was considered obscene enough that you couldn’t say it in a PG movie but rather had to use a bowdlerized version of it (like saying “dad gum it” instead of “god damn it”). At least that was the situation when _Goonies_ came out, perhaps things are different now. > > Also, if you think about it, it’s a double insult. On the surface you’re telling a male “you are acting weak and cowardly” but you’re also insulting every female on the planet by implying that they are, as a group, weak and cowardly. IMHO, this is the really offensive part, not the fact that it refers reproductive organs. In polite company I would considered its usage this way as a vulgarity/mild obscenity. I hesitate to use the term ‘obscene’ because to me that means X-Rated, i.e. pornographic and although close, it isn’t quite being used that way. If Trump had said, _“You stink worse than Rosie O’Donnell’s pussy!”_ that would absolutely be obscene. Here it’s being used as a harsh epithet for wimp. _But_, it is being used that way by directly correlating a man to (having) female genitalia, so like I said it’s pretty close. And totally offensive to women in general. Remember though that it was never one of Carlin’s seven (or +3) words in either form. Wuss is definitely childishly unoffensive let alone not obscene. [This site references](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wuss) its origin to 1982’s _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ (first thing I thought of too…) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/31 "2016-02-09T22:24:17Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > The FCC regulates “indecent material” [between 6am and 10pm](http://www.vox.com/2016/2/9/10950182/donald-trump-ted-cruz). You might have heard the word outside of that time. I recall that years ago Saturday Night Live blipped the word in their “p\*\*\*\*\*whipped” sketch. (Actually, they substituted the sound of a cat screeching.) I don’t know if they allow it now. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/32 "2016-02-09T22:28:41Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I recall that years ago Saturday Night Live blipped the word in their “p\*\*\*\*\*whipped” sketch. (Actually, they substituted the sound of a cat screeching.) I don’t know if they allow it now. Here’s how TBBT handled it: > [@](#): > > BERNADETTE: How can I put this? She’s been known to call you a name that usually applies to a lady part. Or a cat. Or a willow. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/33 "2016-02-09T22:34:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’d call it a vulgarity but not an obscenity. In my mind there’s a difference between “vulgar” and "obscene."In fact, the words “shit” and “crap” (and also, arguably, “poop”) are almost identical in meaning, both literal and metaphorical. Where they differ is precisely in their level of vulgarity. I didn’t contrast shit with poop or crap. Poop isn’t really vulgar, though. It’s euphemistic and often humorous. Even my mother would say poop. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/34 "2016-02-09T22:41:52Z")
I remember not too long ago, Col. Ralph Peters (retired) called Obama “a pussy” on Fox News Channel. He was suspended for it. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/35 "2016-02-09T22:47:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Poop isn’t really vulgar, though. It’s euphemistic and often humorous. Even my mother would say poop. Yes, that’s what I mean. “Poop” is the G-rated version of “crap,” which is the PG-rated version of “shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/36 "2016-02-09T22:50:51Z")
If “cunt” is a cuss word, I can’t see why “pussy” wouldn’t be, although they’re not precisely synonymous. In America, a pussy is a man lacking in traditionally masculine virtues, while a cunt is a duplicitous woman. (Might be the other way around in the UK.) ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/37 "2016-02-09T22:51:40Z")
No. The word even appears in children’s nursery rhymes and in the common names of plants such as the pussywillow. So, it is not obscene unless used in a way in which it is intended to make an obscene reference. Just as dick and balls and ass and many other such words are not obscene unless the user wishes them to be interpreted that way. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/38 "2016-02-09T22:54:58Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > So, it is not obscene unless used in a way in which it is intended to make an obscene reference. Note that the OP’s question was “Is ‘pussy’ obscene _when used in that manner_?” (italics mine) ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/39 "2016-02-09T22:57:20Z")
I’d imagine “Pussy” is one of those 2 way words George Carlin spoke about in his “Seven Words” monologue. You know, you can catch a ball on television, but you can’t play with your balls. It’s possible to [talk](https://youtu.be/a8mn0AKKh60) your way around it if you’re not [Mrs. Slocumbe.](https://youtu.be/vRJlItzalJY) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644/40 "2016-02-09T23:11:38Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Thank you Mrs. Slocombe. Ninja’ed [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pussy-an-obscenity-as-in-hes-a-pussy/745644.md?page=3)