...... to think it is profoundly anti feminist to use the word "cunt"...

[BertrandRussell]

....to describe, for example, an abusive violent man? I find the idea that, when looking for a word to describe awful, awful behaviour, we use a word for women's genitals horribly misogynistic.

Or am I just stuck in the 70s?

I agree with you - I'm very, very uncomfortable about this, that the worst thing you can call someone is a word for a woman's genitalia. I've been amazed by how much it's used on here - I don't know anyone in real life who uses the word, yet everyone I know swears.

I wouldn't use it as a term of abuse - because I don't think being described as female pudenda is a bad thing to be. However, from a purely etymological point of view, I much prefer cunt (from Old Norse / German, meaning 'cleft') to vagina (from Latin, meaning 'sheath' - as in sword covering).

Obviously, they refer to slightly different parts - but I fail to see why the most intimate part of my body should be defined by its relationship to a penis.

I believe Germaine Greer once wrote an essay on this.

I’m interested by the n word analogy. That has a history which makes it totally unacceptable eg during slavery. Does cunt have a comparable history which takes it outside of the realms of a word for female genitalia that people have decided is bad?

That’s a genuine question because it may do for all I know, which would change my opinion.

I should say I have previously looked into this and couldn’t find a reason why the word is considered particularly offensive as compared with eg twat

No I disagree. Last time I checked the biological name for female genitalia wasn't 'cunt', as much as 'dick' is for a penis. Society is becoming desensitised to swearing as a whole, I don't believe 'cunt' has the shock value it once had. If 'cunt' was specifically used to be derogatory towards women, I might agree, but it's a generalised swear word that just happens to be slang for female genitalia. By making a big deal of it, as it was in the past, it's just making it more of the 'ultimate swear word'.

I do really like having a super-bad swear word for emergency situations. But agree that the fact it derives from a term for female genitalia (though the only place I've seen where it's actually used like this is Lady Chatterley's Lover) is not ideal.

I have noticed cnt being used a lot more in real life very recently, as in the last year or two. Eventually it will lose irs shock value and will no longer be the worst word. But people only ever use it as an insult, im not sure i have ever heard it used in every day language to describe an actual vagina, like oooh ive got an itchy cunt

Does anyone remeber that sex nd the city episode with the paintings of the cunts.
I bet you have a lovely cunt. That was years ago.

I thoroughly agree, OP, but have always been shouted down about this when I bring it up on MN.

Cunt is a word for female parts: same source as cunnilingus.

When we use dick or cock as an insult, it implies that the man is not thinking clearly, but blindly following basic instincts - ie thinking with his ...

Whereas using cunt as an insult equates nastiness with one of the things that define our femaleness.

I have no problem with the word cunt but I'm fairly sweary.

Words only have the power we give them and I dislike the rhetoric that it is somehow anti feminist to say cunt. Why exactly? Dick and cock are almost family friendly but for some reason cunt is to sacred and delicate to be uttered? Why because it's female genitalia? Why isn't male genitalia awarded the same reverence or disgust?

For reference I have never referred to my fanny as a cunt, but depending on the intention and tone of someone else there's no reason why no one else shouldn't.

I wouldn't call it my twat either but that's somehow different too...

My fave insult for most people is TWAT.

Not too offensive, but really speaks volumes.

Really dont understand why its such a shocking insult either.
I've used, though never to insult anyone, but then i never generally call people names.

I can't bring myself to be bothered by it. It's no different to calling someone a prick or a dick.

Cunt has been around since Chaucer and used to be a relatively benign word, there used to be streets called ‘Gropecunt Lane’ for example. It’s only relatively recently it’s taken such a negative and offensive connotation, not sure why.

Although I agree in general about using women’s genitals as swearwords being insulting to us, since the word cunt is so powerful, being the worst thing you could call someone, I use it so rarely that when I do, I really mean it!

Sorry if that sounds confused, makes sense in my head...

I’m always a bit conflicted with the word as it makes me wince, I’ve used it once in my life and I needed a word to express exactly how unacceptable I found the person. And yet that’s a really terrible association for a word that just means female genitalia.

@Cornettoninja ...exactly! Excellent post.

Cunt is one of my favorite swear words, particularly if it put together in creative and succulent ways, such as cuntingfuckbadger or cuntybastarddicksplash or pustulatingpeniscuntychops.

Sometimes it can be an endearment, oooo you little cuntyflubbubster or fluffycuntbubble.

I rarely hear the word cunt. I use it and my best friend use it, but to describe ourselves only. I am a proud cunt. I also have a cunt and my cunt is a beautiful thing, which is an important part of me, but not the only part of me. Language is an amazing thing and perception and place is everything.

'Language evolves. I've never used that word to describe my genitals anyway.'

Exactly. Cunt is no more 'anti feminist' than fuck is anti sex. Words evolve. Some swear words are used more viciously, like for example cunt and fuck as opposed to twat and shag.

The only time I ever come across this word is on MN which I find very sad, given it's a predominantly female forum. Never hear it in general conversation, or the streets or on TV. I don't use it myself. There is no need.

Also, not matter what your intentions are or what the context is, to say the n word in full is offensive to read.
Stick to 'the n word' in future if you must try and conflate offensive terminology at all.

YANBU, but...I do this so often. I like to think of myself as feminist, but I swear so much and I do use this word a lot more than I should do. I shouldn't use it at all tbh. A definite area of my life I need to actively work on.

Myrtle - yes I agree, but in the same way as most people feel instantly offended by the words StepAway has written in full above, many other people (inc me) feel similarly offended at seeing the c word in full - particularly in the way it's bandied about so much on MN. Yet if you say that you are told it's "just a word", "stop being precious", "get over yourself", "we'll swear if we want to", etc.

People are saying that they don't know why the word cunt should have such power. That is partly my point. We as a society have given it that power-it's no use pretending it hasn't got it. And in my opinion it has it for profoundly misogynistic reasons.

And no, sorry. I won't say 'the n word'