# The word "douchebag" (used as an insult) is classless and overused **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680 "2008-12-18T02:15:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/1 "2008-12-18T02:15:58Z")
Am I the only one who considers the word douche or douchebag, so popular as a trendy insult, to be disgusting and sexist? I can’t believe it’s being thrown around so casually … it’s as aggressive a swear word as there is. I’d seriously consider walking out on someone who used it in my presence. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/2 "2008-12-18T02:18:44Z")
We just had a thread about this (I’m sure someone will find it). I’m a feminist and I like it. I generally use it to refer to dudes who are living in the past and bad news for vaginas (just like douchebags!) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/3 "2008-12-18T02:33:17Z")
Seriously? You think ‘douchebag’ is more aggressive than any other insult? Boy, that’s . . . well, surprising. I would think insults that involve actual obscenities would rank higher. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/4 "2008-12-18T02:34:57Z")
I like it. Maybe to protest though, you can call people ‘used condoms.’ ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/5 "2008-12-18T02:38:07Z")
I like it. It may be overused, but it has a certain specificity and feel to it that other insults don’t quite convey. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/6 "2008-12-18T02:39:05Z")
> [@Cagey\_Drifter](#): > > I like it. Maybe to protest though, you can call people ‘used condoms.’ As in, “scumbags”. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/7 "2008-12-18T02:51:32Z")
It \*is \*classless, but no more than any other “serious” insult. It does have the advantage of referring to a very specific type of unlikeable person, though. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/8 "2008-12-18T02:59:33Z")
I like it. Out of curiosity, are you a man or a woman? ---
**Author:** ![Lawn\_Gnome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lawn\_Gnome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawn_Gnome)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/9 "2008-12-18T03:00:16Z")
In my experience and usage of the word, I’ve never known it to be sexist (no one I know uses it as the literal meaning, in fact I doubt if the majority of people even know the real definition). I don’t hear it being overused either, just used when someone is being a total jackass, which seems to me to be the general meaning of the word these days (In the St. Louis area anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/10 "2008-12-18T03:28:10Z")
I prefer douche nozzle. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/11 "2008-12-18T03:31:06Z")
Probably overused, but I like it. “Douchebag” has a fun sound, wheras “bitch” and “dick” are most blunt instruments. Classy isn’t really the point. And I don’t see the sexism. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/12 "2008-12-18T03:32:19Z")
I like it. I use it at work all the time. “The people from Accounts Payable are douchebags!” “That ho from CBG Biotech is acting totally douchey!” “Man, that dude from maintenence is a total douche!” I’m a pistol. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/13 "2008-12-18T03:46:36Z")
I agree. It is classless. Whether rich or poor, no matter your standing on the social pyramid, no insult gives more satisfaction than good ol’ “d-bag.” \ Ohhhhhh… nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/14 "2008-12-18T03:48:44Z")
“Douche” is great-- douchebag, douchenozzle, doucheflap, douchelicker, and plain ol’ douche. I admit it’s lost the funness of novelty through overuse, but it still retains quite a bit of funness out of the sheer political incorrectness of it. I think the only insult I enjoy using as much as “douche” is “nutbag” or “ball sack.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/15 "2008-12-18T05:15:30Z")
I think it’s like “sucks”, most people are unaware of or don’t think of the hsitoric meaning. It just means what people use it to mean. (And for the record, I didn’t know what douching was until probably this last year and I’m 29. I suspect this is common.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/16 "2008-12-18T05:23:04Z")
It does provide me with the line ‘calling him a douchebag is an insult to vaginal sanitation’ ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/17 "2008-12-18T05:31:20Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Seriously? You think ‘douchebag’ is more aggressive than any other insult? Boy, that’s . . . well, surprising. I would think insults that involve actual obscenities would rank higher. Well I personally think it **is** an actual obscenity on par with other four-letter words (it’s a blatantly vulgar reference with a sexist edge)… that’s why I was surprised it’s so commonly used in everyday conversation. [QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Out of curiosity, are you a man or a woman? [/QUOTE] I am actually a man. This isn’t my attempt at fake online chivalry, but I could never utter a term like “douchebag” without feeling my flesh creep. Even Howard Stern doesn’t seem to use that word. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/18 "2008-12-18T05:38:26Z")
I recently learned a new word - pizzle: a whip made from a bull’s penis. I recommend pizzle as the new trendy insult word. “Yeah, can you believe the nerve of that **pizzle**? He totally just cut me off.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/19 "2008-12-18T06:18:18Z")
It is a useful word with a very specific meaning that cannot be replicated with another small string of words. It means a male that is extremely arrogant, a little whiny, prone to be forcing themselves in the public eye, and out of touch with reality. The very popular Toucher & Rich radio show in Boston recently ran brackets for the biggest Douche in America. Spencer Pratt beat out Nick Hogan in the final round mainly because he claimed that “I won’t step foot in a nightclub for less than 100K these days”. His fiance claimed that he was low-balling himself. That is a douche. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680/20 "2008-12-18T06:36:02Z")
I was on vacation in Tahiti, and staying at a kind of a youth hostel when a beautiful young French girl came up to me, smiling a glorious smile, and started speaking in French: “blah, la blah blah blah, le blah DOUCHE, les blah blah blah?” At the only word I understood, DOUCHE, my eyebrows almost flew off my forehead, but she could have called me anything she liked and I’d still be hers. Of course, as most of you will know, but at the time I didn’t, douche = shower in French. She was probably asking if we could shower together. Well anyway, that’s what I choose to believe. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-douchebag-used-as-an-insult-is-classless-and-overused/477680.md?page=2)