Using bitch for a dog

[Dunarunner]

Probably going to be told to get a grip but AIBU to think this is a little bit odd. Have been having work done on house and also have a relatively new Labrador puppy.

On Monday a man came in to do some plastering and we had a brief chat in the kitchen about dogs. I mentioned ours is a girl and he sort of looked me in the eye and said ‘yeah, bitches are best. Less trouble.’ I was a bit but told myself he was just using the correct terminology.

But on Friday, electrician was patting the dog and said ‘I’ve got a couple of bitches too’ or something to that effect.

I’m no prude (and rather too fond of the c word in the right situation)
But couldn’t help but feel the men were enjoying being able to use the word ‘bitch’ legitimately, to a woman at home alone and was, if not creeped out, then just a touch unsettled

It's another example of how meanings of words change in the English language. As a trained linguist, I find it fascinating. The word 'kid' originally simply meant a baby goat, whereas now the meaning has been extended to refer to also mean 'child'. And the word 'gay' used to mean 'happy', whereas that meaning is lost now and it simply means someone who is attracted to their own sex.

Context is everything. In the OP's context, they were chatting about dogs, and they weren't trying to make her uncomfortable. They were also there for a legitimate reason. In the other scenario, In the context described by HerOutdoors, the man was being oppressive, and she understandably felt threatened.

"WTF! Are you seriously trying to say that OP is not attractive enough for men to be creepy to?! In my experience men don't need to be"invested" to be creepy and rude to women, what strange language to use."

No, I wasn't referring to her attractiveness, rather to the assumption that the workmen had any other motive other then simply conversing about the dog.

honestly, hardly anyone I know uses the term, none of my dog owning friends for example. I get it from the odd experienced dog owner in the park and at the vets but that’s about it. I know it predates the slang (obvs) but in my east London, urban area, the other use of the word is far more widely used seriously? so what does your milk come from? A 'girl' what?? Around here a mare doing an bit of a mare' is exactly that. I'd have been more creeped out by someone stroking my dog while going on about 'girls' to be honest. The snowflake comment may sting but honestly this takes the

Thought of you when I saw this OP - www.thecut.com/amp/2020/02/westminster-dog-show-winner-siba-is-glamorous-as-hell.html?__twitter_impression=true

Because my family had a pointer that was a bitch when I was a very young child back in the 70s,, to me the word 'bitch' meant a female dog long before I understood that it was also a pejorative term for women.

This crap is exactly why I worry for my two Male dc , a man literally cannot use the right word in the right context without being accused of being creepy.

Don’t worry shiny, getting it right all the time isn’t restricted to being male. Nowadays lots of females haven’t got a clue what the hell is going on either.....

Hopefully your males will grow up to be well balanced, polite, caring individuals who happily meet like minded partners and they will have a long and happy shared relationship, able to navigate the minefield of not upsetting anyone else

@Hmmmwhatsthat Who the hell decided that's glamorous - I'm not saying you are - poor bloody thing.

Why would anyone do that to a dog? Half it's body has no covering at all.

I was going to say that I bet all the other dogs in the park point and laugh at her, but I suspect she doesn't get a great deal of time running around just being a dog; awful.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan no I’m not a first time poster or MRA! Just a serial name changer who normally comes on here to talk about more mundane things eg slow cooker recipes, packing cubes and Hush sales . Been here since 2011 in fact. Of course I can’t prove that but there we are. Anyway- this has been interesting but I’ve got to get back to real life now (expects more snowflake comments, knock yourselves out ) bye!

This crap is exactly why I worry for my two Male dc , a man literally cannot use the right word in the right context without being accused of being creepy

Really. I t doesn't make me worry for my male DCs because I know they are not creepy.

Makes me worry for my daughters though, that so many women still minimise it when another woman mentions she has been made to feel uncomfortable.

I actually get what you're saying. if you felt uncomfortable then you felt uncomfortable and its unfair people on here are taking the piss out of you for that. I think that's probably more what the issue is then the use of the word bitch as you allude to the fact it was because you were alone that you felt this way

I understand what you mean @Dunarunner.

I had a few similar interactions with a customer at work. He'd say something that on the face of it was totally innocent but his tone and body language was off. Totally disconnected from what he was saying.

Interestingly enough, a male manager pull him on it when the customer did it to another member of staff. He never came back but I saw him in Asda a few weeks after and he was being creepy with one of the store assistants there.

It's subtle but is a power play. Those instincts in your brain are firing for a reason.

This is like getting upset over someone saying puppy instead of baby dog. It's the correct word, get a bloody grip.

@Dunarunner fair enough. Benefit of the doubt and all that.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut Do you think, after 260-odd posts, someone might have had that thought already?