How do we feel about the c-word?

[JustineMumsnet]

Generally, as you know, we take a fairly relaxed view about swearing on MN but we do in our Talk Policy promise to remove postings that are obscene.

We've had a complaint about the c-word as posted here and are rather torn as to whether to leave it or not - it's not a personal attack so were it your average term of abuse, we'd usually let it stand. But some people hate the c-word and view it as much worse than traditional forms of abuse - beyond the pale as it were, others argue that it should be reclaimed...we're somewhere on the fence and it's not comfortable

Would be good to garner your thoughts, so we can jump off one way or t'other?

I must admit I do respect all the people who have posted on here saying "I absolutely loathe it but people should be allowed to say it if they want"

PMSL I didn't notice that - brilliant... MAMAG you are a cunt

you know I'm joking

lol

Haven't read all the thread but here is my opinion.

I don't like the word, but then again I don't like the words serviette and spasm either, but I am not calling for them to be banned.

If someone was so incensed that they were compelled to complain to MN Towers, why didn't they post a comment saying they didn't agree with the word on the thread. Seems a bit underhand to me.

Other posters down the thread called the bus driver a bastard and a wanker - what makes cunt number 1 on the league of swear words?

Please don't blanket ban it, or else it's a slippery slope to banning fuck, twat, arsehole and prick. We will then be reduced to curse words such as drat, blast, darn and will all sound like 50's petty criminals.

Have to say that I hate the word, and I'm being hypocritical in the extreme here as I have a tendency to swear like a docker when enraged, and even when not enraged tbh, but it's that word, i really hate it!!

OH MY I've suddenly realised I think I'm in love with the word DRAT.. can we have a campaign to make drat fashioanbvle again? It makes me think of dick dastardly

reclaim the cunt, I say.
and to those who say that swearing a lot is a sign of low intelligence I say
fuck that
no actually I say, have you met greeny?
very intelligent
extremely fecking sweary

lol MHO

ooips

did I put ho by accident?

ho by naame...

do you think my personal attack on you will be deleted.. I think it probably should be even though you know I'm joking. Actually where does MN sit with that?

For the record we don't think it was wrong of the offended person to report this particular post. People do this all the time - it's what the little red exclamation mark is for - and not every one is up for a online debate about everything that offends them. They were really just questioning the rules, which is perfectly valid.

Cheers,
M Towers

I'm delighted with it, please don't delete it [sheds goody two shoes image forever]

if you called me cock sucking mega ho from hell I wouldn't mind but I guess someone else might ...hmmm actually nobody else would mind in my case lol but ykwim

I agree, they have the right to complain

lolol mho

lol @ mho, do you think we could get smileys for that?

maybe there should be a new emoticon for those who cant quite summon the strenght of character for the word itself? One with beard? or just a very narrow line down the middle, for the more adventurous depilators amongst us?

LOL onebat.

I know use of that word doesnt mean that someone IS unintelligent, its just I would assme anyone with a realy sharp intellect could come up with a more original put down. Its probably the only swear word I NEVER use - the air is particularly blue when I am driving.

agree HC
Greeny is about the most intelligent person I have ever met

she swears like a cunting trooper and her vocabulary makes me weep with envy

I like your other name Franny. Is very you (and lol, yes mine leads to some quite horrific combinations). Ahundred could be Ahundredcunts lol.

Actually, must stop now. Tis vaaary puerile.

May we use cunte??

(Please don't censor us)

The journey home was a right cunt today

It rained and rained

Love the word

Coming rather late too this but I think the word was used in a reasonable way in the thread which Justine linked to.

Would prefer not to see it in thread titles though - for example, Greensleeves' thread re Sainsbury's.

Probably very two-faced of me because I like the word/expression fanny and fannying around etc. But c does have connotations, rather brutal ones as opposed to funny or amusing, which I don't like. Bit like motherf** - it has become almost acceptable and mainstream.

(am using * because dd is flitting in and out!)

I know I have probably missed the whole debate, but, it's just a word. No one really gets offended by fanny and it means exactly the same thing, no idea why some people view it as really really bad. If you ban one, you have to ban them all IMO, then it leads on to is bugger, bloody etc. swear words? Unless you called someone a C---, I'd say it's not really that big an issue.

here's the kind of thing I had in mind:

(>

OR

(-

oh no! they come out as emoticons! I'll try again

"gosh, whoever, you really are a >"