I did the exact same thing in high school. The exact same thing. And I said it in front of a teacher too.
I read the word “dildo” in a book somewhere, where it was used as an insult, but with no indication that it was a sex toy, or that it was that offensive.
So one day I was in Mr. Smith’s art class talking to a friend about Mr. Jones, the other art teacher. No one liked Mr. Jones, and during the conversation I called him a dildo. Mr. Smith overheard me and said, “You’re right, but don’t use that word”.
I went home, looked the word up, and considered myself very lucky that I wasn’t hauled off to the principal’s office.
Asshole might be the strongest PC insult. Others open you up to accusations of homophobia or misogyny. Asshole is egalitarian.
The fastest way to get into a fight with generic men would be to question their masculinity. “Fucking faggot” or “punk ass bitch” would be the best route. Not so bad on the internet though. “Sup fag” is a friendly greeting on 4chan.
Over here in Canada, the worst possible insult that you can call anyone is to call them a pedophile. There’s actually a term here, which is uniquely Canadian: “goof”. That term, in the U.S. and everywhere else, only means “a clumsy or silly person”. But in Canada, the term “goof” has evolved from prison jargon and specifically means a pedophile. Outside the prison culture, it’s a street term used mainly by the younger generation. calling anyone a “goof” in prison is fighting words, and might get you killed. It’s not a word to use lightly.
Honestly, calling anyone a pedophile in America would be considered a pretty horrifying insult. We just don’t have a slang term for it, exactly; “pedo” is just short, “creeper” might be closest. That might be different in prison, though.
I think there’s a critical difference between calling someone a pedophile vs asshole, though. One is an insult. The other is an accusation.
“Cunt” is a wonderful word in part because the sound of it is so striking. It meets the ears in such a powerful way just because of the sound of it. “Fuck” is like that too. Risky (risque?) poetry in a single syllable.
Of course, when and how you employ these words is very important. As someone posted above, the word “cunt” can be deliciously erotic when used in the right time and place. But it’s such a powerful word that using it at an inappropriate time is more than deleterious. Same with fuck, but less so—at least in the States.
I love powerfully effective words. Use them when it’s appropriate and you’re a champ. Use them when they’re not and you’re a pariah.
Should have seen the altercation that ensued the first time I was on the receiving end. We’ve been together for about eight months, so were reminiscing. He declared it’s practically a term of endearment!
