# The C word
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 28, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984 "2003-05-28T10:24:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/1 "2003-05-28T10:24:01Z")
Pet peeves, no 318 in an unlimited series.
People who complain about the word cunt, as seen in this example here:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=186831](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=186831)
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by teleute12 \*
> \*\*a lot of people on the board consider “cunt” to be a pretty vile word. You might want to consider using another one in your future posts. \*\*
Yes it’s a nasty, vile word. It’s an insulting thing to call someone. But when I call someone a cunt, it’s because I want to insult them and I find nasty, vile words the most effective way to do so. I value clear communication, and think it’s something we should all strive for. Cunt is a word that communicates quite clearly that you are displeased with someone. Such clarity should be cherished.
So please explain why it is such a bad word to use? It could be seen as sexist or derogatory to women, but I have yet to see the use of “cock” or “dick” as an insult be criticised for being derogatory to men.
Overly graphic? Perhaps, but a quick scan of current pit titles shows references to assholes and genital warts, with nary a squeak of complaint.
So please, a little less hypocrisy. Unless you do not swear yourself, don’t try to condemn another person because you don’t like their choice of swear words. And if you don’t swear, why the fuck are you frequenting a forum where it’s permitted?
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### Author:  [@tempsbaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tempsbaby)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/2 "2003-05-28T10:27:16Z")
CeeUNextTues works…= )
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/3 "2003-05-28T10:27:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* And if you don’t swear, why the fuck are you frequenting a forum where it’s permitted?
Namby pamby whingers.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/4 "2003-05-28T10:30:18Z")
This guy tried to hit me with a snowball once, but it turned out he only whinged me.
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### Author:  [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/5 "2003-05-28T10:34:45Z")
Speaking of Cunts - there’s a shitload of them over in Great Debates ragging on me because I said it was a pity Bush didn’t get killed in the 9-11 attacks.
The Pit - at last I’ve found my home…
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/6 "2003-05-28T10:59:52Z")
I can see the OP’s point.
However, I am at times troubled by the fact that the most horrid insults that can be offered have to do with the female gender in some way.
Examples:
Bitch (losing some of it’s reference to sexual promiscuity, and becoming a personality statement)
Son-of-a bitch (putting down the person’s mother)
Bastard (could be a statement on the father’s character, but is usually a jab at the mother)
Cunt
Twat
You get the picture.
Before you mistake me, yes I also acknowledge thesr insults usually thrown at males:
Cock
Prick
Dick
Asshole
Motherfucker
However, these insults aren’t seen as degrading to males as the counterparts are to females:
Whore/golddigger-female
Gigilo/Player-male
Dog/cheater-male
Homewrecker/Slut-female
I’m sure I’ve missed some insults, but hopefully you can at least see what I’m saying, if not agree with it.
I’m glad that some of the insults are gradually crossing the gender boundaries, and the meanings are changing to reflect this. It still bothers me that for such a long time, the worst insults that can be hurled have to do with denigrating females in some way. ☹
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/7 "2003-05-28T11:03:52Z")
Couldn’t agree more with the OP.
I know several people who will curse left right and center and then almost have a stroke when the hear cunt being said. Yes it can be a very hard insult but that’s the intention.
BTW I use cunt across both sexes.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/8 "2003-05-28T11:05:12Z")
I agree - if you don’t like our cunts, you can cunt off.
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/9 "2003-05-28T11:08:51Z")
Ok, I see I wasn’t too clear. What bother’s me is that dick, and cunt don’t have the same weight in the world of insults. They are on different “levels”. To be insulted with cunt is worse than to be called a dick. Thus female=less, worst etc. This is what bothers me about it. I don’t throw a hissy fit when it’s used though.
Once again, let me state that I see the OP’s point, and that I even agree with them a little. It’s just one of those things that kinda chafes a bit is all.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/10 "2003-05-28T11:11:51Z")
Could it possibly be that cunt has more weight because people get more offended by it - for the reasons you’ve stated?
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/11 "2003-05-28T11:17:33Z")
That may be the way it is now, however I’ll admit that being 30, I can remember how it was. It wasn’t that long ago, that it was used because females were veiwed as less valuable to society. For me personally it’s more of a memory of what was (but in some places still is) that chafes. (Somewhat like the term “boy” it’s histrorical use is too charged.) Because this situation is in transition, people are more aware of the word, and more likely to have an aversion to it’s use. At least, that’s how it is for me.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/12 "2003-05-28T11:18:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \*
> **It wasn’t that long ago, that it was used because females were veiwed as less valuable to society.**
AFAIK, it’s never been used thus on this side of the Atlantic.
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/13 "2003-05-28T11:27:03Z")
It may not have struck home to you.
Look at the relative weight of how insulting “cunt” was compared to “dick”. If the insult “dick” was spread around, the guy’s reputation did not fall very fall. However, if the inslut “cunt” attached itself to a female, she would have a ruined reputation.
Also, look at some of the other terminoligies for the female genitals, like “axe wound”. (From my understanding that is not used in the USA, it’s used in the UK) Just from that, you can see that female genitals were somehow a worse thing, and then go from there.
Females were seen as “the weaker sex” “bad at math” “not cut out to be executives” etc. This has changed as females have queitly (in most cases) proven themselves. This is why the meaning of the insults are changing too.
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/14 "2003-05-28T11:52:14Z")
Hmm, I’ll throw in a comparison to better illustrate the point I was making on slang terminologies for female genitals.
Female genitals=cunt, twat, snatch, pussy, axe wound
Male genitals=Cock, dick, prick, weenie, cobra/anaconda/trouser snake
4 out of the 5 slang terms for the female genital have negative connatations in some way, three are used as insults.
3 out of the 5 slang terms for male genitals have negative connatations, and all 3 are used as insults. 2 out of the 5 slang terms for male genitals have to do with animals that were seen as powerful, and are implying that maleness is stronger. (I counted the last 3 as one, because they are all a snake of some sort.)
This isn’t covering the “tit” insult in the UK, or any number of other country specific insults.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/15 "2003-05-28T11:55:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \*
> **inslut**
Freudian slip…? 😉
Well, as I said, I have very rarely heard the word cunt applied to a woman in a derogatory fashion in the UK or Ireland. Most of my female friends use the word cunt as much as I do. In fact, one of them uses it practically every other word, to everyone’s amusement. It’s a fine old Anglo-Saxon word and I maintain my right to use it.
Whereas “axe wound” is simply puerile - sort of Viz-like humour. I don’t use this as an insult or a description.
On preview: that’s not necessarily a representative sample, as you chose those slang words yourself.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/16 "2003-05-28T11:56:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \*
>
> Look at the relative weight of how insulting “cunt” was compared to “dick”. If the insult “dick” was spread around, the guy’s reputation did not fall very fall. However, if the **inslut** “cunt” attached itself to a female, she would have a ruined reputation.
Freudian slip! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/17 "2003-05-28T11:57:05Z")
Hmm, I didn’t count cock as an insult, because it really isn’t used as such alone, it’s usually used in combination with another word to speculate on the person’s sexual preferences, and somehow attach a slur to it.
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/18 "2003-05-28T11:58:20Z")
mhendo: Or tired fingers, I haven’t been to sleep yet, and am making lots of typos. ☹
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### Author:  [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/19 "2003-05-28T12:05:42Z")
These people should be forced to listen to Derek and Clive’s [“This Bloke Came Up To Me”](http://www.phespirit.info/derekandclive/live_02.htm).
(Derek and Clive are (the late) Peter Cook and Dudley Moore).
Or watch Malcolm McDowell in [Gangster No. 1](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0210065)
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-c-word/177984/20 "2003-05-28T12:07:10Z")
jjimm: I honestly can say I’ve heard every insult I posted used at least once, I heard axe wound second hand on a BBC show, but the rest I have heard in person. Most of them fairly often too. (trouser snake isn’t used here, but “spitting cobra” is)
Around here, if you call a guy a dick, he can shrug it off fairly quickly. (People tend to see it as a one time event, he was in a pissy mood, and was a dick.) However, if you call a woman a cunt, it is saying her character is somehow irredeemable, and it tends to stick.
As for your assertion that “cunt” is not used in the country you live, just don’t use it when you visit here, ok? Just like you would’t call a male in Mexico a “pinche puhto”. (Fucking whore, but used on a male, it’s worse, it means he’s completely no good, lazy, and immoral.)
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