Just wondering.
Señor Piña, the “General Questions” is for questions that have a factual answer. Your question seems like it will generate only opinions. For that you want to post in “In My Humble Opinion.”
Words have connotations beyond their literal objective translations. Most slang/swear words are like that. “To screw” means something a little different than “to fuck”. “Poop” isn’t considered a bad word in most circles but most people don’t want their two-year old to say that he has to go take a shit. The sound of the words themselves may even play a part. “Cunt” has a much harsher sound than “pussy” and just sounds more vile. Cunt has also taken on the role as the ultimate degrading term for a female so it carries that baggage as well. There isn’t always an exact reason why one word is considered more vile than a similar meaning one no matter what the language. Most languages have the equivalent of swear words. They tend to follow certain themes such as bodily waste and words for sex even when they aren’t used exactly in that context (e.g. the various uses of shit and fuck for instance)/
Moved to IMHO, since no factual answer possible.
samclem
Speaking as one who has one, I hate “pussy” and rather like “cunt”. It’s jaunty. The equivalent of “cock”. I know what I’d rather be called (or what I’d rather “it” was called). Never saw the problem with cunt. Whereas I don’t want to be a pussy.
That and “pussy” is also another slang term for a cat. Cunt has no other meaning, as far as I know.
So when I was a kid, I was used to hearing “pussy” meaning “cat”, so it wasn’t as much of a shock as hearing the word “cunt”.
I predict great things for you, young jedi.
IMHO, cunt isn’t any more offensive than pussy. At least not to me. I recognize that I might be in the minority, but I’ve noticed that “cunt” is a word that women in their 20s get really het up about. I’m in my 30s, as are most of my girlfriend, and we all sort of giggle and use “cunt” like a joke.
Like “Oh my - did you hear that snippy woman in Holt’s? What a cunt.” gigglegigglesnickersnicker.
I’m not ruling out the possibility that we’re freaks.
I was going to add, I noticed guys throwing “cunt” around when they’re attempting to be really offensive and really upset women - that strikes me as farcical and always makes me giggle.
I’m 40 and find it possibly the most offensive word in the English language. I understand that in other parts of the world it does not have the connotations that it does for me.
Its the only single word that will get you walked out the door at my place of employment. You can call someone a goat felching motherfucker and keep your job. Call and woman a cunt and you’ll clear your desk.
I think this is a big reason. “Pussy” benefits from the fact that it is also a childish term for a certain cute, furry pet. “Cunt,” along with such great Anglo-Saxon words as fuck, piss, and shit, is a dedicated unitask swear word.
'Round these parts, it’s the common pronunciation of couldn’t. Hearing “cun’t” so often kinda makes cunt lose its shock value.
Even though I get your point, I’ve got to say that “fuck” is about as opposite a unitasker as you could possibly get.
From The Boondock Saints:
Rocco: What the fucking fuck?! How did you two fucking fucks fuck this fucking… fuck!"
Connor: Well, it certainly illustrates the diversity of the word.
I think it’s the hard C and T sounds. This is the same thing that makes “Cock” more offensive than “Dick”
Ditto. I hear 14-year-old wiggers dropping F-bombs all the time, so that one has lost some of its shock value. To my ears, the c-word is the ugliest in American English.
Nobody’s yet mentioned this important fact:
“Cunt” can refer to a woman, which is always a degrading and dehumanizing insult – basically implying that she has no value beyond her vagina.
“Pussy” is only used to describe the vagina itself. When describing a person, it has an entirely different (and non-sexual) meaning, and does not single out anyone’s gender.
James Lipton: What’s your least favorite word?
Bruce Willis: Cunt. I think it’s the most demeaning word in the English language. It’s an ugly word.
James Lipton: What’s your favorite curse word?
Bruce Willis: Pussy. It’s the direct opposite of the previous word. Pussy! Pussy! Pussy!
In British English, cunt isn’t gender specific. If anything, men are more likely to be called one.
“Cunt” has a harsher sound, speaking audially. Fricative I think? (hoping a linguist can come by and help me out)
“Pussy” just sounds a little smoother. Although either one can be used in a derogatory manner (which sounds bad w/ either), or an erotic matter. And that’s really what makes all the difference.
A post of mine from about a year ago.