C--t

[TheHuckster]

As far as bad words go, there are a few I say sparingly, and when I do, you know I'm pissed in a way that goes beyond mere annoyance. However, there are three words I have yet to say in my life, at least when I'm not quoting someone else, and that is n----r, f----t, and c--t.

The first two seem to be mostly words that society has agreed are hate-filled and should be expelled from anyone's vocabulary. The third, one, however, seems to vary, and I don't know if it's varied because of culture differences (i.e. it's not as bad to say in the UK as it is in the USA) or because over time it has lost its jarring meaning.

I've been taught that this word is pretty much as offensive as the other two, and there are no situations where such a word would be appropriate to use. However, especially in recent years, it seems to have lost a lot of its offensive jab. That's not to say it's not offensive. It certainly is, and when people use it, it's considered far stronger than "bitch" for example, but it seems there is a certain threshold for which someone may be considered justified to use the word. Such a threshold doesn't seem to exist for f----t and even more certainly not for n----r.

I'm not talking so much about the double standard issues with these words, or the sexist, racist, or otherwise bigoted labels that come with these words, but just society's reaction to the use of them. The reason I ask is because it's used on occasion in Customers Suck, yet if someone used the others, I'd think they'd (justifiably) be given a "moderation adjustment," at least if the poster is using the words to describe an SC and not if they're merely quoting the SC.

What are your thoughts? Did my mother teach me wrong?

[HYHYBT]

What I'd like to know is why a crude word for female genitals is sometimes considered so much worse than the nearest male equivalents... and if, perhaps, if the word *is* becoming more acceptable, that has anything to do with women gradually (all too gradually) being seen less as lesser.

[Ginger Tea]

Where I once worked cunt was bounded about alot in a male dominated work force, blokes were called cunt's and women if being mean and or derogitory were bitches, rarely if ever cunt's.
One of the guy's replied enough times that other people took up the mantle (and it was in wide use outside of just this workplace) "Cunt's have their uses" you could not go an hour with out hearing the phrase from one department or another even if you didn't hear the first person call the other one one.

Although wiki can be defaced a heck of alot, I did giggle to read that during the time of Jack the Ripper, there was in the whitechapple area one "Grope Cunt Lane", now I don't really do entemology (that is history of words and their meanings right?) but I do wonder now which came first, the lane and it's possible use within the red gas light area, or if the slang was well known and someone just felt like naming the lane like that for shits and giggles.

I either by avoiding the word or accidentally saying it at work have developed a Pirate name and a rough idea for a porno.
By not saying it:
I had a running joke years ago about fancying japanese girls with pink hair, one co worker who later became a supervisor (not really relevant) said "What if she has pink hair down there."
To which I replied "Madam, are you refering to pubic hair?" and the batty still spoke with broken english Philipeno supervisor told me off, not disiplned telling off, just scolded
How in the ever loving fuck is pubic a swear word or dirty, my beard is made up of pubic hair, ie hair that grows during and after pubity, not just the bush and ball sack hair.
I thought well if Pubic hair is offencive to you I could call it something far worse, thus "Cunt Beard the Pirate" was born and when I was telling my brother about it over the phone, that and how captain Dickhead could not figure out the name even with the most basic clues (he even thought cunt wasn't a rude word, so I just told him to call his mother one) he (my brother that is not Dickhead) told me about a recent episode of QI and the pubic wig called a Merkin, a word I stole for later use, so Cunt Beard the Pirate is kinda like batman and has a rich alter ego "Lord Anthony Merkin".
All because one woman took offence to the word pubic hair, but I do get to send text's like "People don't like it when I wave my pubic hair at them." and in reality what I had done was pull out one of my then long beard hairs and show it's length to a co worker and not dropping trou and thrusting my crotch in their face.

By saying it.
I try not to say that word as an insult as "hey they have their uses" although it's more or less replaced with Nash and Tera screaming "It's not a pocket!" apparantly I let one slip when talking with one of the women in the front office, the area where you shouldn't cuss in general as they took customer phone calls and the 2nd in command boss lady was there in ear shot too.
The woman I said it to (but not about) confused me when she said something along the lines of "could you not say see you next tuesday."
And I in all honesty was wondering why she was bringing up the porno in American Werewolf in London for (that was actually Wednesday and a Landis running joke), once I got what she meant I told her what I thought she was on about and months later on told her she has inspired me to make a werewolf porno.

Faggot in the UK (tbh I looked at F____T and had to think for a while what it was) is not used as a derogitory term (or not widespread) nor is Fag as that as has already been meantioned here and at CS means cigarettes and Faggot's are a meat ball product that I don't ever recall eating.

I myself will only say Nigger when singing along to a song that uses the word, eg 99 problems or (tr)Nigger by Saul Williams, it's more explosive than the Fbomb, yet the opposite Honkey is almost endearing and if I was called a cracker I would be a form of buiscuit.
Alot of other racial slurs never made foot holds over here Spade and Sambo to name two that I posted about previously, rewatching the late 70's early 80's flicks like Kentucky fried movie Loose shoes and Amazon women on the moon, I am surprised they didn't have a blaxploitation character called Sam Bowe (or Beau)

[Greenday]

That's a word I'm always hesitant to use. It basically became the worst curse word to use. Much worse than fuck. To this day the only people I say it around are with those from the UK because it seems like just another way to call someone a git.

I had a co-worker in Afghanistan who used to say it all the time. My bowling coach does too. And they both always used it in the same way: describing a small amount of space. A "c***-hair" short. Are women's pubes thinner than men's pubes? I wouldn't know, seeing as all my female partners have shaved. But for some reason, using that adjective that way always makes me uncomfortable. Why can't they just say "Just a little bit" like a normal person?

[Ginger Tea]

What I'd like to know is why a crude word for female genitals is sometimes considered so much worse than the nearest male equivalents... and if, perhaps, if the word *is* becoming more acceptable, that has anything to do with women gradually (all too gradually) being seen less as lesser.

The same can be said about anyone NOT male white straight from your country (hogs of war voice actors iir this one was Rik Mail (sp) (the young ones/bottom/drop dead fred guy) said in a french accent (for the french themed team) "Back to your own country" and had an emphisis on the first part, that's a nice tree to have I guess.)

As above Nigger/Honkey or Cracker
Bitch Bastard
Cunt dick
etc

There are very few insults that you could say to a straight white male, nothing really as strong as those we can and do dish out, nothing that is save for lible/slander of being accused of rape or paedophilla.
Although I did use to call one co worker (only on a few occasions mind) a paedophile only cos he had no idea what it mean to take offence

[BlaqueKatt]

What I'd like to know is why a crude word for female genitals is sometimes considered so much worse than the nearest male equivalents... and if, perhaps, if the word *is* becoming more acceptable, that has anything to do with women gradually (all too gradually) being seen less as lesser.

Nope, we're reclaiming it.

[wolfie]

As far as bad words go, there are a few I say sparingly, and when I do, you know I'm pissed in a way that goes beyond mere annoyance. However, there are three words I have yet to say in my life, at least when I'm not quoting someone else, and that is n----r, f----t, and c--t.

And what exactly is wrong with saying "nooner" (i.e. getting some action with your SO during lunch time), "ferret", or "cart"?

[TheHuckster]

And what exactly is wrong with saying "nooner" (i.e. getting some action with your SO during lunch time), "ferret", or "cart"?

Try calling a raccoon a ferret. They do find it extremely offensive.

[RedRoseSpiral]

Cunt is Not a Bad-word

This puts it better than what I can.

[Ginger Tea]

I'm pretty sure I worked with someone or over heard the phrase "Cunting disaster." used in replacement of fucking, but neither in the sexual term, all though it fails in alot of find/replace options.

Although not really thread related I dislike the American twot compared to the British twat, it gives me the visual of Berty Wooster (as played by Hugh Laurie) refering to one of his oxbridge / etonian classmates unfavourable but in an upperclass accent.
"Smithers was an absolute twot Wooster a twot I say"

That and twat is more versatile the ball was twatted out of the stadium
one vowel off from twit, hell looking back, I think I used that word more to describe a bigger twit than a vagina any day.
Also it was used as an assault term quite alot in my stint oop norf, when somene says "I'll twat you." they are not women offering to do the equivelant of a tea bag to you.

[BlaqueKatt]

Cunt is Not a Bad-word

This puts it better than what I can.

I was looking for that!

[RedRoseSpiral]

I was looking for that!

I'm glad I could be of assistance.

[Rapscallion]

A guy at work jokingly called me a cunt once.

"So you think many men seek after me and many women think I need to be pampered? Thanks!"

Rapscallion

[Panacea]

What I'd like to know is why a crude word for female genitals is sometimes considered so much worse than the nearest male equivalents... and if, perhaps, if the word *is* becoming more acceptable, that has anything to do with women gradually (all too gradually) being seen less as lesser.

It all boils down to this.

Calling a woman a cunt reduces her to something that has no better use than a hole to be fucked. Pardon my language . . . that's a big earthy even for me, but hopefully it does get the point across.

Calling a man a dick, OTOH, you're still referring to a body part that speaks to virility so it can actually be a left handed compliment in some circumstances.

I don't know of any place I can openly call someone or refer to someone as a cunt without majorly embarrassing myself. Online is a different matter: only a handful of people here know my real name.

Dick, OTOH, is so openly used in public media (TV, movies) it's become mainstream. It's got about the same punch as bitch.

That being said, open and frequent use of those words doesn't exactly set one up as a high class individual.

[BlaqueKatt]

Calling a man a dick, OTOH, you're still referring to a body part that speaks to virility so it can actually be a left handed compliment in some circumstances.

Which would be why I use the term "fuck-stick" if I'm ever angry enough to call someone a vulgar name, which is exceedingly rare.