# When is it okay to call a woman a slut? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883 "2014-07-23T22:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/1 "2014-07-23T22:32:22Z")
My inspiration [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535796) I’d appreciate it if we didn’t make this thread about the person in that thread. Feel free to reference her if you want, but please, let’s not make this ALL about her. Thanks. So is the standard for slut label lower for women than it is for men? And is this stigma perpetuated by women themselves? (As is evidenced in the linked thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/2 "2014-07-23T22:35:45Z")
Only while you’re making love. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/3 "2014-07-23T22:43:19Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > My inspiration [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535796) > > I’d appreciate it if we didn’t make this thread about the person in that thread. Feel free to reference her if you want, but please, let’s not make this ALL about her. Thanks. > So is the standard for slut label lower for women than it is for men? > > And is this stigma perpetuated by women themselves? (As is evidenced in the linked thread.) It’s always ok, as long as you’re not worried about a defamation suit. It’s not like if a woman is really awful or has been with enough people, it stops being an insult or a nasty thing to say. As long as you’re ok with saying something nasty about someone and are ok with some people thinking you’re an asshole for doing it, you can call anyone you want a slut. I don’t know what definition of “okay” you were going for, but if something is not okay unless everyone agrees then you’ll never get to call anyone anything insulting. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/4 "2014-07-23T22:55:49Z")
I’ve always used the word for both men and women when they are borderline sex addicts, people rubbing your face in their sexuality obnoxiously. You know the guy who feels the need to tell his coworkers about how he fucked a pair of twins this weekend and details how their genitals differed. LOOK AT ME, I HAVE SEX!! ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/5 "2014-07-23T23:02:27Z")
I was wondering something similar when reading that thread. The word “slut” is a little controversial, nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/6 "2014-07-23T23:33:15Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I’ve always used the word for both men and women when they are borderline sex addicts, people rubbing your face in their sexuality obnoxiously. You know the guy who feels the need to tell his coworkers about how he fucked a pair of twins this weekend and details how their genitals differed. > > LOOK AT ME, I HAVE SEX!! Is sex addiction even a medically-recognized condition? I’ve heard that “sex addiction” is really nothing more than a high libido. Ive heard it be described as a real compulsion too. It seems like the medical community is divided on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/7 "2014-07-23T23:51:22Z")
When? In the 1950s-60s. At that time, there was not necessarily an implication of sexual promiscuity. The word was generally used to refer to a woman who seemed to have so little care for her reputation, that the presented herself in slovenly, untidy comportment, which may or may not have had overtones of sexuality. In that era, sexual promiscuity was much, much less widespread than it is now, and many girls quite properly referred to as sluts were in fact virgins, or faithfully married women. They were called that according to their public appearance, not their private behavior. According to the Ngram Viewer, the word is used about twice as frequently now as before the 1970s, largely due to the change in its implications to include sexual behavior, and it’s widespread use as a casual insult. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/8 "2014-07-23T23:51:41Z")
Why would you feel the need to call any woman a slut? It’s not polite, it’s not helpful, it’s not meaningful, it’s not particularly insightful or interesting. Ditto for whatever terms are used for men. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/9 "2014-07-24T00:05:12Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Why would you feel the need to call any woman a slut? It’s not polite, it’s not helpful, it’s not meaningful, it’s not particularly insightful or interesting. Ditto for whatever terms are used for men. Yeah, pretty much this. So, I guess the natural next question is, why do you ask? Have an urge to call someone a slut? I’m a dude, but I could be pretty slutty, given the right opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/10 "2014-07-24T00:24:27Z")
When you are trying to insult her. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/11 "2014-07-24T00:28:56Z")
When it’s funny? Otherwise, it’s not an insult I use for either sex, because it is so strongly rooted in the idea that sex lessens a person, especially a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/12 "2014-07-24T00:37:03Z")
You know what the difference is between a Whore and a Slut? A Whore sleeps with everybody. A Slut sleeps with everybody _but you._ ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/13 "2014-07-24T00:39:09Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Yeah, pretty much this. So, I guess the natural next question is, why do you ask? \*\* Have an urge to call someone a slut?\*\* I’m a dude, but I could be pretty slutty, given the right opportunity. No. I never use the word myself. I liken it to the N-word. I’m just really confused with the animus in that thread (the one linked in the OP) when you put it in juxtaposition with all the women’s movement\* threads we had on this board last year (or around that time. I’m talking about the threads that rightly resulted in no more boobs jokes in serious threads about women’s issues.). \*I’m hesitant to call it “women’s movement threads” because it sounds like I’m coming off as snarky. I hope you’ll take me at my word that I mean it in the most respectable way possible. I think a lot of good came out of those threads… ---
**Author:** ![amorali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@amorali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amorali)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/14 "2014-07-24T01:15:06Z")
Sluts do it for fun, whores do it for money or other personal gain. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/15 "2014-07-24T01:25:15Z")
When she’s a straddle your husband, on your bed? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/16 "2014-07-24T01:27:41Z")
> [@amorali](#): > > Sluts do it for fun, whores do it for money or other personal gain. So what do you call a whore who loves her job? A slutty whore?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/17 "2014-07-24T01:32:00Z")
The minute specific words were banned the board went down a very bad road. It has not managed to find it’s way back, nor will it any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/18 "2014-07-24T01:40:33Z")
if her name is Jane. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/19 "2014-07-24T01:55:42Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Why would you feel the need to call any woman a slut? It’s not polite, it’s not helpful, it’s not meaningful, it’s not particularly insightful or interesting. Ditto for whatever terms are used for men. This. It’s the sort of insult that says something a lot more negative about the person using it than about the target. It’s somewhat like calling someone who marries a person of a different skin color a “race traitor”; using such an insult condemns the insult giver, not the target. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883/20 "2014-07-24T02:23:19Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > When? In the 1950s-60s. At that time, there was not necessarily an implication of sexual promiscuity. Yes, it was very much about sexual promiscuity . . . in addition to all the others you mentioned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-okay-to-call-a-woman-a-slut/693883.md?page=2)