Same here.
And here.
I don’t know of a specific term. Siren or coquette strike me as close, but each lacks a bit of the connotation.
It does seem like the kind of thing that there ought to be a word for, but I can’t support any of the suggestions so far—IMHO none of them are really specific to the kind of thing the OP is talking about (or at least I’ve never heard them used in specifically that way).
I always saw a “firebrand” as someone, usually an orator, who incites trouble as an agent of change or to call attention to a political or social issue. Maybe they’re trying to incite a mob to storm the Bastille, for example. Stirring the pot just for entertainment value doesn’t seem to fit IMHO.
I’ll accept this.
Right. There are lots of words for women who use sexual attraction to exploit men. But I can’t think of any that specifically refer to a woman who tries to get men to fight over her (although that might often be one of the results of this behavior.)
Minx
Siren
Coquette
Vamp
Cock-tease
Vixen, maybe, although I see the dictionary definition is merely an unpleasant woman.
Other words apply to people who like to start trouble in general, but are not specific to women.
If it exists, it’s not any of those mentioned so far.
I feel like Andrew Vachss used the term a couple of times in his books… But there’s a lot of them and it wasn’t like an “every other page” sort of usage…
I guess I’ll update the thread if I ever encounter the term again.
Perhaps I’m dating myself but we used to just call a girl like that a “Troublemaker”.
I can confirm that Vachss uses the term, fire-starter, in the sense I described. I guess it must have been a lingo in his circles at some point in time, but not one that ever spread beyond that.
I fail to see how that applies. Portia doesn’t deliberately create a rivalry between her suitors. She is bound by the terms of her father’s will. Comparing a woman to Portia would indicate one who is intelligent, wise, and resourceful. As the article notes, references to the character are uniformly positive, and Portia is generally seen as a role model for women.
The word is not specific to women, though.
Breedbate?
Wait, I had more, but I lost the edit. Dang. Please just one more …
ahem
Reason I’m gay (or asexual or incel, take your pick.)
Seriously 'tho, woman who flirts, not because she wants to be flirtatious, but only to cause trouble? That exists? Seriously, did I fall through a crack in time and end up in the 1940’s? 'Cause my computer is now worth millions.
Hussy.
Wait, what?
This thread is already a disaster and you want to encourage the problem???
I think gender neutral terms must be the priority here.
I’ve discouraged the “problem” by issuing mod notes for inappropriate responses.
Those aren’t what the OP is asking for.
If you have a problem with the thread or its premise, there is already a thread in ATMB where you can comment on it. Take it there.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Moderator Warning
Making a similar joke after already having been noted on it will get you a warning.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Yeah, you’re right. It was more than a reach–and for that reach, I was trying to think of if there is a word for “woman who, at least in common imagery, two jousters in armor fight for the hand of…”
Ie, a joke on other (many) standard situations where men fight over women, for varying definitions of the word “fight.”