To not see why 'cunt' is a worse insult than many others?

[HeathcliffMoorland]

I never hear anyone outraged at someone being called a cock/dick/scrotum...

If there's something I'm missing and someone can tell me why I'm BU, I will happily change my ways.

I think it's just the venom of the word. It's very pleasing to say in the right way!

Because it is. It means "the worst thing you can call someone"

Depending on your pov, it is either because a vagina is just about the yukkiest part of any human body, the lowest of the low, and far worse than the friendly, funny, proudly flaunted 'willy', and so the best thing to call someone you really despise
OR
Totally unaceptable to use as an insult because of the misogyny in the first pov.

I agree with you Heathcliff.

It's a word I use regularly amongst my peers, and without apology. I DO have to be a bit careful though, as I'm a Sec. School teacher!!!

It's just a collection of 4 letters, it's society that has made it into a "bad" word. The sooner it, and many other taboo words become mainstream the better, IMO.

But surely if that's misogynistic and therefore unacceptable, 'cock' is misandric and therefore unacceptable?

It just sounds horrible. The 'u' sounds so aggressive.

What Blu said.

It is the best word for a bad thing. I am proud to own one. It's just about the most powerful word in the English language.

I love it and use it in extreme circumstances. I don't associate it with it's old meaning. Just as a very rude word which makes an impact.

I've often wondered why "twat" isn't as bad when they mean the same thing

Good point, Fairies.

Language is constantly evolving and taking on new meaning.

Think of the words bugger and bastard.

I wouldn't let anyone into my house who thought it was acceptable to use that word.

It's vile and a man who would use that word in front of women is the worst sort of man.

I think it's ludicrous to give any word such power. It's just a word.

What blu said.

It's the fact that the worst thing you can call someone is the word for a woman's genitals - it says something about the level of misogeny in our society that this is the case.

Cock/dick are often used almost affectionately - as if male genitals are nice, friendly, "normal" things. Whereas women's are dark, dirty, disgusting - the worst thing you can call someone.

We don't 'give' words power though- it's what they signify which is powerful.

I hate it. I have used it once in my life (when chasing after a guy who hit my car and drove off) and thats it. I hate the word, no one is allowed to say it in my house, or my company. I dont know why I hate it so much, but its a very harsh horrible word.

And I am a relatively heavy swearer - lots of fuck, bugger, shit, bollocks. But I cannot say the C-word.

erh No dick means stupid

Should see the Vagina Monologs - very liberating to hear women shouting cunt in unison

'It's vile and a man who would use that word in front of women is the worst sort of man.'

Worse than a woman who would use the word 'cock/dick/scrotum' in front of a man? Why?

I probably have quite a conflicted view on this word. I use it occasionally and feel proud that a word for my vagina has such power.

But when a man calls a woman a cunt, I feel like punching him

charming thread for a sunday afternoon

yes it is much worse than cock, dick etc.

It is a taboo word, as are most swear words. It is about respect and the most disrespectful thing you can do is to break the taboo over female genitals. It is much more disrespectful than male genitals.

But why, claig?

I don't think my bits deserve more or less respect than DH's, for example.

because women are more highly valued than men, including by men themselves. It is similar to the reason why punching a man in the face is much less grave than pinching a woman in the face. It is about respect and value.

People who think it is liberating to break these natural taboos are wrong. The end result of doing that is to lessen respect, which will lead to a much worse, more brutal society.