Use of the C**t word

[Kintsugi16]

I wasn’t sure the word cunt was allowed in the title. Anyway.

I see this word being used more and more on forums and in general conversation. It was once shocking but is now becoming more acceptable.

Do posters, many who identify has feminists, not have a problem using a word for female genitalia as a derogatory term?

I hate it. I am probably super sensitive but I once heard a bloke say it casually to a three year old girl when I was on a bus. It upset me for the rest of the day.
I know I'm being old fashioned to feel shocked when posters on this site refer to their toddlers as dicks or twats. I'm sure they love them very much but why would you use a derogatory term for genitalia?

It's one of my favourite words and I use it a lot. But then I am exceptionally sweary.

I say it properly though, and I'm told it sounds less rude because I sound posh.

Love it. Have called someone it before; they deserved it.

@LakieLady

It's one of my favourite words and I use it a lot. But then I am exceptionally sweary.

I say it properly though, and I'm told it sounds less rude because I sound posh.

Oh, thank you so much - reading your post did make me chuckle!

So, you sound posh - do you have an appropriate "Lady" title too?

It's not a word I use, and I do go a bit pearl clutchy when I hear it. I just find it a harsh word, and personally if anyone used it to refer to me or part of my body I would be furious.

I worked in a bar years ago and one of the customers was a foul old man, he would just yell "GUINNESS SPLITARSE" when he wanted a pint.

I'm not sure which I dislike more if I'm honest.

I never never use it and don't know anybody who does Thankfully

Agreed.

@amusedbush

I live in Glasgow. The word is basically used like punctuation here.

@amusedbush I’m dying! Yep, another Scot and while I don’t use the word myself, some of my mother’s side of the family use it in practically every sentence as an insult, compliment, exclamation, etc. I don’t care if people say it though.

It doesn't bother me at all.
There are far worse words (disability and racist slurs, for example).
That said, I don't use it often as I know a lot of people do find it offensive and it's hardly for polite company!

I try not to use words for female genitalia as insults. I use male ones sometimes.

I despise the use of ‘pussy’ as weak and always pull people up on it.

@NewYearNewTwatName

no, no problem using it.

I once filled the whole of active with Cunt in all the titles.

Yes it was silly of me and quite childish really, but it was after a heated debate on the word cunt.

Superb. Wish I’d seen it :)

Germaine Greer has an excellent essay called “Women, love your cunt.” I refuse to accept it as “the worst word in the world” and use it quite a lot.

It’s just a word. A bloody brilliant word, but still just a word. No one died because someone said the word (though I do hope it is my last word thinking about it) so stop making such a thing about four letters.

I strongly dislike “fucktard” and do occasionally ask people not to use it around me. I’ll call a cunt a cunt any day of the week but slurs based on intellectual capacity do offend me.

It is literally just a word !
I live in Glasgow so I hear it casually a lot and in different ways. For example has any cunt got a light ? Aye he’s a good cunt. Who you talking to ya cunt. I am not particularly offended by it !

@Happinessisawarmcervix

I strongly dislike “fucktard” and do occasionally ask people not to use it around me. I’ll call a cunt a cunt any day of the week but slurs based on intellectual capacity do offend me.

Yep. I pulled up a colleague for using (the former name of the scope charity) as an insult. Those kinds of words really are offensive. The C-word may be vulgar but it's not offensive to me.

As above I'm Scottish so part of the local dialect here! Don't consider it particularly offensive

Oops! Deleted for mentioning the S-word with insufficient asterisks. Apologies all round.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments

Absolutely true that other words used as insults refer to genitalia, which is interesting.
Is it dated to view genitalia in this negative way? As abhorrent.

I’m not particularly offended by it but it seems from this thread that it’s a love it or hate it type word.

Not wanting to get anyone into trouble but what's the S word that gets deleted. Scared to ask since cunt gets a free pass. Put in asterisks. If it's in anyway racist don't bother telling me at all. This is like a crossword clue I can't get.

@Sarcobaleno

Not wanting to get anyone into trouble but what's the S word that gets deleted. Scared to ask since cunt gets a free pass. Put in asterisks. If it's in anyway racist don't bother telling me at all. This is like a crossword clue I can't get.

It's not racist it's a disability-related word. Google "former name for scope" and it comes up at the top of the search.

Thanks kitesflying. Justifiably deleted then.

@Sarcobaleno

Thanks kitesflying. Justifiably deleted then.

I'm sure it's auto-banned along with some other similar words. Rightly so, they are vile.

@IAcceptCookies

Thankfully the English language is an equal opportunity insulter and there are plenty of equivalent insults involving male genitalia which are usually interchangeable

Not sure I agree with that; I've never heard a female be called dickhead, prick, bellend etc. Actually, I've mostly he

Thinking about it though, the only insult words I can remember being directed at females are the animal-derived ones - "bitch", "cow" and so on. I've only heard cunt or twat being directed at men.

@BatmanBaby

I never understand why it's considered worse than words for male genitalia...

Me neither. This has always baffled me. It winds me up when someone chastises me for using it because I honestly do not understand the issue. And I consider myself a feminist (not the fun kind)

There's misogyny lying behind it, and that has come across more in recent years, especially in the online abuse. I'm very sweary but rarely use it, and really hate hearing it used in any context by men - I wish women could reclaim it as a non-swear-word.