AIBU in being surprised c**t is used as an insult on MN

[Caitlin17]

Firstly apologies if anyone thinks I'm being twee using asterisks but it's not a word I would use in either of its meanings, but I am surprised that it is used(exclusively?) as an insult here.

This site is largely populated by women many of a feminist and /or liberal persuasion. I'd have expected there to be some(a few?)who would seek to reclaim the word in its biological sense.

Is it beyond redemption in that sense?

We don't need to 'reclaim' cunt when we have fanjo (or yoni).

YABU.

But why use it as an insult?

because that's its common meaning now?

and because 'cunting Sainsbury's' is an excellent thread title.

To me 'cunt' is just a really good, aggressive insult.

It's fuck all to do with vagina in my head so I use it in the hope of reclaiming it as a good insult.

It's also quite affectionate, on here anyway.

As there are a significant number of women on the site (as in RL) who don't know:
a) the difference between their vulva and vagina
b) that they don't wee out of their vagina
c) whether to teach their DD to call it a foofoo or a front bottom
I think that we are a very, very long way off reclaiming cunt as a biological label - even if we wanted to.

Plenty of great words are used as insults; cock; penis; knob; wanker. All lovely things, used as insults. Sometimes the words just sound good. Cunt has a hard consonant so it works well.

yanbu

I hate the word, it is aggressive and offensive and not a word that should be written or said

Why do you find the word 'cunt' as a term for the vulva uniquely problematic? Do all slang terms like 'fanny' etc offend you? I am not being snide, I genuinely don't understand why.

Cunt also isn't unique in that it utilises a slang term for the vulva in a pejorative sense (prat, faff, fanny, twat, berk) and if anything there's an even greater array of words derived from male genitalia to insult someone with (cock, nob, dickhead, bawbag, scrote, bellend).

Because it's a satisfying expletive that succinctly conveys a certain level of annoyance. Not sure it needs reclaiming, biologically or otherwise. I certainly wouldn't advocate turning up at the GP complaining of cunt ailments - I doubt it's the done thing

Any other words you want to do away with Bumpie?

Fanny is a term for vulva/vagina that isn't - particularly - pejorative. Cunt and twat on the other hand are beyond redemption. The worst thing you can call a man is a female bit.
YANBU. women should have more sense.

to me it's just 'your a cunt , your a dick'

It sounds worse because it isn't said as much yet but that is only because people have discovered as an offensine swear word recently (last 15 years)

Within the next 15 years
'how you doing cuntychops' will be a term of enderment'

Obviously we move in different circles phoolani being called a cunt far from being the worst thing to be called, is a mark of affection or are playfulness.

Twat I'd think of as one step off from twit.

Composhat. What is the worse thing, in your circle?

Faff? Never heard of that meaning anything other than faffing around.

It's a very aggressive word and not one I'd use no matter how angry I was. Although I don't use any of the male equivalents suggested by Composhat either.

Sorry I didn't express myself very well phoolani.

It is fairly routine for people men to affectionately refer to each other as 'you silly cunt' or self apply the term 'I'm a daft cunt, I've left my keys at home.'

It certainly wouldn't always be considered as uniquely offensive or exclusively used as an insult. It certainly wouldn't cause a sharp intake of breath.

Certainly, context is key, I agree, composhat. But if somebody was insulting you - really going for it - what would the worst thing be?

phoolani I agree. It's not a word my circle of friends would use (except briefly it was a bit of a running joke because of a Gaelic language programme called something like chuntais" pronounced cunt ass).

At a very drunken book club one male member called a female member a cunt. I was shocked.

Erm I dunno..a nonce?

I have no time for people who set the word 'cunt' apart as something unspeakably awful.

Stop being so childish. It's no worse than 'cock' or 'dick'.

Composhat, Then you're absolutely right; we move in very different circles. I thought nonce was something that children use these days when they're not allowed to swear properly.

I have no time for people who don't understand that words have meaning beyond the literal. Words and the way we use them have real power.

Kids call each other 'nonce'? Really?

Well maybe take time to wonder why 'cunt' is considered so offensive when other words used to describe genitals aren't.

I would never call my foo a cunt.

A cunt is only a word I use when I'm drunk, often to people who are in facts cunts.