Bitch: a sexist insult or a sex-specific insult?

It derived from the word for female dog. The use of the word Bitch to describe a female dog started in 1000 AD. The use as an insult to a woman started in 1400. We've watered down how offensive we find it over time. To Bitch came into use some time later, possibly around the 1930's. To me, it's just the act of making a verb out of a noun. It has the same connotations, and to me, is still making that comparrison to a female, being oppressed by society, who will animalise females as part of it's misogyny.

It also means dog, but the meaning of the word when used about a human doesn't appear to relate to dogs at all.

bitch

?noun
1.
a female dog.
2.
a female of canines generally.
3.
Slang .
a.
a malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman.
b.
a lewd woman.

?verb (used without object)
5.
Slang . to complain; gripe: They bitched about the service, then about the bill.

?verb (used with object)
6.
Slang . to spoil; bungle (sometimes followed by up ): He bitched the job completely. you really bitched up this math problem.

In practise, no. But if you look at how the word is derived, it's the basic definition.

To bitch is not in any way to act like a female dog, though is it?

OTheHuge, it was kind of something that just sprung to mind. Yes, I'll agree that gender politics amongst the gay community are complicated. BUT the thing that bothers me is the traditional gay stereotypes. (Something that bothers me on BOTH sides) It's only recently we've started seeing more masculine representations of gay males in the media. In fact, I'll be honest, I used to be very confused re: the stereotypes... I used to think most gay men were effeminate, as per the ones we used to see in Are You Being Served.

I think with the gay community, they're more sympathetic to the feminist issues... They've been oppressed for centuries... Still are, in many ways. So, I think, in a way, they've adapted "bitch" and other female related comments, almost as a way of saying "We've been oppressed by society too..." If anyone can put me right on this, PLEASE feel free, but it's how I've interpeted it.

To me, you can't steer away from the true meaning of bitch, as to mean female dog. To bitch = to act like a female dog. So, to me, used by the gay community or not, for the MOST part, it's VERY gender specific, and therefore sexist.

DontCallMe Gender politics among gay men is ver ver complicated and I don't pretend to understand it. (this is assuming your reply was to my post ) But when I think of my gay friends saying 'oh, he's such a bitch sometimes' I'm not sure that necessarily carries a sexist payload as such - it could just be used more in the sense one woman might use it about another, to mean 'spiteful, two-faced, malicious'. IOW, at least among some groups of gay men, 'you are acting like a female' isn't ipso facto an insult.

If a man is doing something where I think the correct word for it is "bitching" why shouldn't I say that?

Maybe I am unusual in how I use it.

But then, isn't that effeminating the man? And by effeminating him, you're, however subconsciously, saying "you're acting like a female, and that's a bad thing"?

The thing with insults is that they're so context-specific. One woman calling another woman 'bitch' would tend to mean 'you are mean, malicious or unpleasant' whereas if a man calls a woman a 'bitch' then it typically has a payload of sexist put-down as well. Unless he's gay and referring to another man, in which case it's different again.

So my tuppence worth: it's usually a pretty rude thing to call someone but is sex-specific or sexist depending on the context.

Hmm, your example is something I don't hear often, Trillian.

I have told men "don't be such a bitch", but I think I use it in a more specific way when talking about a man.

Man being a bitch = bitching (talking nastily about people, usually behind their back)
Woman being a bitch = the definition above OR generally being nasty = same as man being a bastard

"To bitch" as a verb is definitly not sex-specific.

Sexist. Even if you call a man a "son of a bitch", you're still placing the onus of the insult on the woman (the man's mother).

There are very few (if any) male specific insults. But bitch is applied to women, or men deemed to have "effeminate" qualities, usually more camp males. I've never heard "bitch" applied to a straight male, or a very masculine man.

Bitch = female dog. So, sex specific. But in it's use, it's degrading someone for being a woman, or having effeminate qualities.

Also, it's "animalising" (I may have made that word up) women. Again. It's comparing us to dogs, again. Man's best friend. So many female targeted insults have this link. "Cow", "Mare", "Catty". Add to this, the use of sex related uses of animalisation. "Doggy style", used because the woman is on all fours... like our four legged friend... and taken from behind, like a dog. OK, the enjoyment is down to the individual, but it's only called doggy style because of the position the woman is in. Add to that, "hog roast"... I'll leave you to work that one out.

By being compared to animals, both through insults and in the bedroom, us women are still being made inferior to men. We're being compared to animals, and not kicking up enough of a fuss about it.

Oh right okay

Sorry, I didn't mean to attribute the funny bit to you, I knew I'd worded that badly. I just meant it is often used like that to be 'funny'.

Where did I say it was funny,
I agree it is sexist, a word like bitch is so commonplace in society

It is sexist, I'd say. I don't think the two mean the same, and agree with MillyR.

Haughty, when someone calls men a female-orientated insult, it's a way of putting them down because it's such an insult to be a woman. Cos women's status is so lowly & othered. Like big girl's blouse or stop being such a girl or indeed, bitches. But it's ok because it's funny .

A vote for sexist.

Don't forget the "bitch on heat" connotations too. (Wrongly applied usually - when used as an insult it implies a woman is desperate to have sex with a man, when in fact it's the time when a female dog becomes irresistible to any un-neutered male dogs in her vicinity)

I call men bitches sometimes

the phrase 'whinging like a bitch' is common where I'm from suppose thats quite sexist

What's the difference between a sexist insult and a sex-specific insult?