# Why is "eat a dick" considered to be such an insult? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474 "2023-05-23T17:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/1 "2023-05-23T17:52:19Z")
I’ve heard and seen it used many times and never stopped to wonder why it’s considered so insulting or disdainful? ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/2 "2023-05-23T17:57:03Z")
It’s not something I’ve heard often, but maybe I should get out more. I’d guess the insult comes from the suggestion that the insultee is a gay man and taking a submissive role in sexual relations. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/3 "2023-05-23T18:00:28Z")
I’ve heard it as “eat a bowl of dicks”, which doesn’t sound as much like sexual innuendo. I think it’s a popular saying just because it sounds hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/4 "2023-05-23T18:00:56Z")
I have a t-shirt that suggests such a thing. [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A13usaonutL._CLa%7C2140%2C2000%7C81SPKPkr%2B9L.png%7C0%2C0%2C2140%2C2000%2B0.0%2C0.0%2C2140.0%2C2000.0_AC_UX679_.png) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A13usaonutL._CLa%7C2140%2C2000%7C81SPKPkr%2B9L.png%7C0%2C0%2C2140%2C2000%2B0.0%2C0.0%2C2140.0%2C2000.0_AC_UX679_.png) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/5 "2023-05-23T18:02:23Z")
“Provide degrading sexual gratification to someone upon my command”. I don’t find it hard to see why that’s offensive. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/6 "2023-05-23T18:03:27Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I’ve heard it as “eat a bowl of dicks” I typically hear “eat a bag of dicks.” Same premise, I assume. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/7 "2023-05-23T18:03:31Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > “Provide degrading sexual gratification to someone upon my command”. I don’t find it hard to see why that’s offensive. I really never thought about it sexually. Just that eating (like food-eating) a dick was bad. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/8 "2023-05-23T18:04:58Z")
That’s the “to go” option. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/9 "2023-05-23T18:05:40Z")
Yeah, I agree that the singular “eat a dick” is offensive and homophobic. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that in the wild, though. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/10 "2023-05-23T18:05:58Z")
Well, performing fellatio isn’t _intrinsically_ degrading, I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/11 "2023-05-23T18:07:33Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I’ve heard it as “eat a bowl of dicks”, which doesn’t sound as much like sexual innuendo. I think the completely explicit “suck my dick” is the most offensive way of saying it. The others are on a spectrum of sounding slight less in-your-face and perhaps more amusing with the imagery of a disembodied bowl of dicks, but I don’t find it credible that there’s no sexual aspect when mouths and dicks are involved. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/12 "2023-05-23T18:14:40Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I typically hear “eat a bag of dicks.” Same premise, I assume. Yep, definitely “bag of dicks” around here (Chicago), and I know it from at least the mid-2000s, possibly late 90s. I assume it’s your bog standard homophobic insult. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/13 "2023-05-23T18:15:20Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I don’t find it credible that there’s no sexual aspect when mouths and dicks are involved. So do you feel there’s some (not so subtle) misogyny/homophobia lurking behind the statement? That makes sense. I just never stopped to really examine it before for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/14 "2023-05-23T18:16:32Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Well, performing fellatio isn’t _intrinsically_ degrading, I hope. Of course not. The fact that it is so intimate when consensual makes it extremely degrading if your are being commanded/forced to do it. > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > So do you feel there’s some (not so subtle) misogyny/homophobia lurking behind the statement? Along with the coercion aspect, it certainly fits into the pattern of “things that women and gay men do” being used as insults. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/15 "2023-05-23T18:18:29Z")
All I can really say here is God Bless America! > **[Official Bag of Dicks Pranks And Gag Gifts from BagOfDicks.com](https://bagofdicks.com/)** > > BagOfDicks.com™ is the official home of the original Bag Of Dicks pranks and gag gifts. Featuring the Basic Bag Of Dicks, the Singing Bag Of Dicks, the Evil Bag of Dicks, the Mini-Bag-Of-Dicks and so much more. There's only one BagOfDicks.com™, the... ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/16 "2023-05-23T18:58:41Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Yeah, I agree that the singular “eat a dick” is offensive and homophobic Being the reasonably proud owner of a reasonable dick ([obviously, IMHO](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes)) I think it is mildly offensive, but not homophobic. The phrase can be used against all genders. “Eat a bag/bowl of dicks” is just an extrapolation from the singular. For what it is worth, despite my liking for my own penis - and very adventurous taste in food - I think penis as a food source would be disappointing. There’s not a lot of muscle and quite a lot of veins/arteries that drive the hydrodynamics of an erection. Give me a good gluteus maximus any day. Pan fried. Fava beans. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/17 "2023-05-23T19:02:56Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I think it is mildly offensive, but not homophobic. > > The phrase can be used against all genders. I don’t know if there is supposed to be causal connection between those two statements, but “can be used against all genders” does not imply that something is not potentially both homophobic and misogynistic. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/18 "2023-05-23T19:06:06Z")
The causal connection is implied, but yes, sure, I can agree with you. I’ve never heard either the singular or plural versions of the phrase used in a homophobic or misogynistic manner, but I am willing to concede that this happens. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/19 "2023-05-23T19:27:59Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I think it’s a popular saying just because it sounds hilarious. Yeah, it’s a mistake to assume that insults and/or profanity have to make logical sense. [Whose mother were the snakes on the plane fucking?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLaX8UvVUQw) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474/20 "2023-05-23T19:39:48Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I’ve never heard either the singular or plural versions of the phrase used in a homophobic or misogynistic manner, but I am willing to concede that this happens. I’m struggling to see how it can’t be. I mean, growing up, as boys insulting other boys we might say “go suck a dick!” or “suck my dick.” The implication is that this is teh gay and therefore undesirable and insulting, attacking your “manhood” or whatever bullshit we thought was important back then. “Go eat a pussy” – same type of action on the opposite sex – wouldn’t work as an insult, because we’re supposed to like doing that. “Eat a bag of dicks” or “eat a dick” is the same type of Neanderthal thinking. It’s “gross” and “insulting” because “real men” don’t want anything to do with dicks in their mouths. I suppose it’s possible over time that this has lost some of its power with greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ persons. Kind of how calling something “gay” apparently isn’t as seemingly homophobic as it once was. (Though I question how true that is.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-eat-a-dick-considered-to-be-such-an-insult/984474.md?page=2)