# Origins of slang terms/derogatory terms for women

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923 "2013-03-25T15:23:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923/1 "2013-03-25T15:23:10Z")

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Yes, I could go and search on an etymology website for the answers, but StraightDope is much livelier and more entertaining.

What is the origin/original meanings of the following slang/derogatory term for women? When did they come into use to describe women?

Chick  
Hag  
Bag  
Slut  
Whore  
Babe  
Skank  
Bird  
Butterface  
Floozy  
Hussy

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923/2 "2013-03-25T18:45:10Z")

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Have you tried… A dictionary?

For example, Mr Webster tells me  
Slut - from the Middle English, slutte, a dirty or slovenly woman.

In other words, this term as an insult is actually older than modern English.

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**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:** [March 25, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923/3 "2013-03-25T19:04:09Z")

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> [@Hello\_Again](#):
>
> Have you tried… A dictionary?

The OP gave his reasons for not consulting a dictionary or etymology website, which are legitimate ones.

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923/4 "2013-03-25T21:37:30Z")

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Possibly apocryphal, but I’ve been told that “butterface” is a corruption of “but 'er face” (“but her face”). I.E. a woman with a comely body **but her face** is ugly.

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**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:** [March 25, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-slang-terms-derogatory-terms-for-women/653923/5 "2013-03-25T23:56:57Z")

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> [@Jragon](#):
>
> Possibly apocryphal, but I’ve been told that “butterface” is a corruption of “but 'er face” (“but her face”). I.E. a woman with a comely body **but her face** is ugly.

No, that’s not apocryphal, that’s what it means (what else could it mean?!) I’m sure this wasn’t the source but the first time I ever heard that was on Howard Stern circa late 90s early 2000s maybe.

Babe, baby, chick etc. are all simply synonyms for cute newborn humans/mammals. Being a male-centric species we continue to associate the ‘fairer sex’ with them, even long after they’ve outgrown it. Bird is also related to this, as birdies are often considered sweet & cute looking into adulthood (though calling women ‘birds’ is more of a British thing, you don’t hear it in America).

You left out the big one, **cunt**. As I recall it’s derived from the Latin \*cuneiform \*meaning wedge-shaped (i.e. the general shape of a woman’s pubic region). How it became the ultimate female insult (in the US anyway) I don’t know.