# Most forceful term of abuse in the English language? Warning: bad words. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718 "2009-06-14T07:03:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/41 "2009-06-16T02:26:31Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Wow. You obviously know no urban black men under 40. Nigger. NiggeR. With an R. Very very different from the black pronunciation of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/42 "2009-06-16T05:37:43Z")
To my ears, “cunt” is the ugliest-sounding word in English. And as for hateful, I’d say it beats “nigger”, and any other race-, religion-, or whatever-based term of abuse by at least a nose. It is absolutely the worst thing one might say to a (female) person. Limited to males, I suppose that “fag” is the worst thing to say (again, to my ears). YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/43 "2009-06-16T08:43:57Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Yeah, I put Cunt nowhere near the top of the list. While I was growing up it was about the same as Bitch and Twat. Then all the sudden in the mid 90’s the feminists decided they needed a nuclear offense word, because they were losing out on valuable oppression points, and pretended cunt had been like that all along. That in now way accords with my experience. I grew up in the seventies and eighties. Twat was a very mild insult, almost jocular. Bitch could be quite serious but was also used light heartedly quite often. Cunt in my middle class upbringing Simply Was Not Spoken by moderately polite people, and even in an uncouth context (bunch of men in a casual mood and place) cunt would be seen as something you said as a way to evoke a strong reaction. The only context in which I’ve ever heard cunt referred to by feminists was precisely the opposite to what you say: ie I’ve heard them arguing that cunt _should not_ be offensive on the basis there is no good reason why female genitalia should be used as the most offensive word in the lexicon. At least in my experience what you say is BS. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/44 "2009-06-16T08:57:43Z")
I’ve read the theory that words beginning or ending with “hard” consonants are almost universally perceived as more offensive and more aggressive than other types of words. I think this theory has something to it; certainly “Cunt” as the most offensive word would bear that out. “Kike” is also viewed as extremely offensive, much more so than “hebe” and other slurs against Jews. Most of the common slang terms for the penis also adhere to this form: dick, cock, prick. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/45 "2009-06-16T11:11:04Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > That in now way accords with my experience. I grew up in the seventies and eighties. Twat was a very mild insult, almost jocular. Bitch could be quite serious but was also used light heartedly quite often. Cunt in my middle class upbringing Simply Was Not Spoken by moderately polite people, and even in an uncouth context (bunch of men in a casual mood and place) cunt would be seen as something you said as a way to evoke a strong reaction. > > The only context in which I’ve ever heard cunt referred to by feminists was precisely the opposite to what you say: ie I’ve heard them arguing that cunt _should not_ be offensive on the basis there is no good reason why female genitalia should be used as the most offensive word in the lexicon. > > At least in my experience what you say is BS. Shit, hell must be having a cold-snap…I _agree_ with you **Prinny!** 😃 I’m a bit older than you though, and remember very well getting a stern rebuke for using the word ‘bum’ in the sixties. Telling someone to ‘get stuffed’ was as rude and uncouth as could be imagined in the early 70’s, and my mother nearly had an apopleptic fit when I first used the word ‘shit’ in her presence. Nowadays all of those words are considered fair game in the community lexicon, but SOME words, like **cunt** , are still mostly taboo. I cannot deny I have used the word, but it is reserved for the most extreme of circumstances. IOW, if you ever hear me refer to you or someone around you as a cunt, it might be time to take a step back and nicky-woop real quick…if you know what’s good for you that is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/46 "2009-06-16T12:41:27Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > IOW, if you ever hear me refer to you or someone around you as a cunt, it might be time to take a step back and **nicky-woop** real quick…if you know what’s good for you that is. What’s that? Nicky-woop? What’s that mean, you silly Aussie? I really like that phrase a lot! It’s hilarious! Can I steal it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718/47 "2009-06-16T13:00:45Z")
I have no idea what “nicky woop” mean either. I think it’s **Kambucktan**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-forceful-term-of-abuse-in-the-english-language-warning-bad-words/499718.md?page=2)