# The origins of bitchery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156 "2005-09-11T22:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/1 "2005-09-11T22:52:40Z")
I got a brief note which, in its entirety, said **why r u such a bitch?** Well, now, that’s a good question. I’ll think about that a little bit. In the meantime, I thought it might be interesting to enquire of some of the other bitches around here. So, gals, why are **you** a bitch? (Not saying that you are one, just wonderin’ why you are, if you are). ---
**Author:** ![Gundhilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@Gundhilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundhilde)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/2 "2005-09-11T23:12:37Z")
Because being a delicate flower isn’t nearly as fun 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/3 "2005-09-11T23:16:10Z")
Because my mother was a first class A-1 bitch my entire life , and it was a case of bitch up or be eaten alive. I will (thankfully) never match her for pure bitchiness , but I can hold my own when need be. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/4 "2005-09-11T23:16:49Z")
Hmmm…this is a sort of **nature or nurture** debate sort of thing, ent it. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/5 "2005-09-11T23:17:05Z")
Reply “Because you ask me questions using IM speech instead of proper English.” Yeesh. I suspect I’m thought of as a bitch sometimes at work, but there’s standing up for your department and lying over and let someone ride right over our deadlines with no regard to the extra work it will cause. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But I make them pick their battles. And I think my “bitchiness” is working, because things are slowly getting better. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/6 "2005-09-11T23:19:25Z")
Ever since I got my hysterectomy, the response has been “because now, I don’t need to use 5 days at the end of the month as an excuse. I can be a bitch whenever. I. Want.” ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/7 "2005-09-11T23:20:41Z")
Because it’s easier and more fun than not being one. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/8 "2005-09-11T23:21:04Z")
I’m not a bitch; I’m just assertive. And I don’t take crap from people. On second thought, if that is being a bitch, then so be it. I’m happy to embrace it if it makes the morons leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/9 "2005-09-11T23:42:12Z")
As a first-class bitch myself, I’ve been mulling the question of bitchiness over a lot lately. Some people are very threatened by a strong woman, and I think that calling them bitches is a way to try to put them back in their place. I prefer to think that bitch stands for Being In Total Control of Herself. If it’s a question of getting over on me and me being quiet and meek and letting you do it, or me being a bitch, well, I’ll take the bitch label any day. Also, I’ve lately started noticing that, to some men, a woman is either a Whore or a Bitch. That is, their worth lies in being a sex object, or if she doesn’t have that going for her or she’s not willing to be that, then she’s just a worthless bitch. And to some men, all women fall into one of those two categories. I’d like to think that as society advances, that’s falling by the wayside. But then I see a lot of young women today that are actually buying into that, and maybe we’re not advancing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/10 "2005-09-12T00:04:26Z")
Ditto on \*\*trublmakr’s \*\* first line…there are some real bitches, but too many people, threatedn by strong women (women included!) call anyone a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/11 "2005-09-12T00:05:18Z")
True, but there are also many who confuse strong woman with bitch in the other direction. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/12 "2005-09-12T00:05:57Z")
> [@Maureen](#): > > Ever since I got my hysterectomy, the response has been “because now, I don’t need to use 5 days at the end of the month as an excuse. I can be a bitch whenever. I. Want.” Ooooh, as a postmenopausal woman, I really like that one! ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/13 "2005-09-12T00:06:24Z")
I’m only a bitch when it is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/14 "2005-09-12T00:11:48Z")
Bitchery is in the eye of the beholder. _Most_ people I know would say I’m a sweet, kind, caring girl, who would never purposely hurt someone. However, there are a handful of people in the world who I’ve had to stand up to for some reason or another who will tell you without hesitation that I am an evil, rotten, bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/15 "2005-09-12T00:14:46Z")
What she said. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/16 "2005-09-12T00:15:52Z")
Actually I would have to disagree with that, trublmakr. Some women can be classified as both a whore and a bitch, generally if they don’t want to sleep with the man who is labelling. Me, I’m only a bitch when someone is being unreasonable. Happens more often than I’d like. But I’m not going to be nice and a doormat, never again. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/17 "2005-09-12T00:26:25Z")
> [@Elysian](#): > > Actually I would have to disagree with that, trublmakr. Some women can be classified as both a whore and a bitch, generally if they don’t want to sleep with the man who is labelling. I thought in that case, the woman was automatically a lesbian. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/18 "2005-09-12T00:31:54Z")
> [@Elysian](#): > > Actually I would have to disagree with that, trublmakr. Some women can be classified as both a whore and a bitch, generally if they don’t want to sleep with the man who is labelling. I thought in that case, the woman was automatically a lesbian. 😃 A few weeks ago I went camping with my best friend, who’s a man, his 18 year-old son, and my six year-old son. As we were coming home, and his son was driving, my friend referred to the woman we were behind, who was only going the speed limit, as a bitch. Oh, boy, did that piss me off. I let him know in no uncertain terms that, if he was going to call women bitches because they weren’t doing as he pleased, he was not to do it in front of MY son. And that every time he referred to women as bitches, he was sending a message both to my son and HIS. I really had to re-examine our friendship after that incident, but eventually decided that the good parts of it outweighed the bad. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/19 "2005-09-12T00:33:11Z")
Oops, sorry about that double post. I must be a stupid bitch. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156/20 "2005-09-12T00:48:08Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > Ooooh, as a postmenopausal woman, I really like that one! It works well when I hear “Is it that time of the month?” I’ve mostly heard “God, what a bitch” used when referring to a woman who refuses to compromise her principles. Whether I agree with that woman’s principles or not isn’t the point. Women are generally viewed as flexible and willing to compromise. For some reason, when a woman refuses to do it’s always a surprise and she is viewed as a “bitch.” The word “no” has a lot of power. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origins-of-bitchery/321156.md?page=2)