The 'c' word

[Terfing]

As in, the 4-letter word that refers to female genitalia.

I have started a thread in 'Site Stuff' asking them to ban the use of this word on Mumsnet. Personally, i find the word hugely offensive. It is shocking that one of the worst insults in the English language involves comparing someone to female genitalia. Even worse, I've seen it many times on the feminism boards.

What are other people's thoughts on this?

I found a couple of coney/ cunny explanations. I'm not convinced that either of them aren't recently made up.

From Urban Dictionary
Coney

An alternate, furrier, version of the wordcunny, meaning vagina. This word is a pun - "coney" inBritish Englishmeans "rabbit", but sounds like "cunny", and so it makes an excellent word for furry snatch.

"Get over hereandpetmy sweet littleconey"

bluestarowl.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/cunt-the-reason-for-the-season/

I'd ban bitch (other than when referring to female dogs) first. I don't think I've ever seen that used in a positive, reclaiming manner. And disablist terms - no redeeming features.

But I'd rather not ban any words on MN. If any swear word is used in a post which breaks talk guidelines (eg used in a personal attack) then it should be reported and deleted. This is how 'banned' terms (cis, TERF) are dealt with - they can be used in a post if they're not applied to people who reject them and if they're not being used in an inflammatory manner.

Personally I've got some sort of inhibition about swearing in writing, but that doesn't quite extend to c&p ... this from Floral nearly caused a tea accident:

'A well placed 'cunt' can stop the traffic.'

I find bitch worse than cunt. Cunt gets used so much on here and I often think there is a touch of bravado about it - a sort of hey, look at me- I'm so empowered I can talk like this about my body or Hey, I'm so empowered I don't comply with female socialisation. (Just makes me think, how nice for you dear) The issue I have is that I don't think it adds anything to the validity of the point being made.

"Bitch" on the other hand seems to be used quite naturally without any of the self- awareness /self- conciousness of cunt. For many posters , even some on FWR, "bitch" is treated as the mot juste for certain circumstances.

“is not my experience that it is commonly used in Scotland the way some posters try to suggest.“

Are you in a mc bubble? Because I hear it with incredible regularity in my wc/farming community.

I'm from a farming background.

DH Lawrence liked the word, used in a nice way.
I use it rarely and only with adults I know well who would use it themselves.
If I had to consign some words to room 101 then bitch (except for female dogs) and pussy would be high on the list for the reasons stated.
And also because I feel a flicker of annoyance when I use the word bitch in a professional context and see a client mentally flinching. "Bitch pup" is a perfectly respectable correct term. I'm not calling them girl puppies just because the word bitch is used as a hateful gendered insult.

I don't know why some posters are so determined to insist all of Scotland , whether rural or urban, exists in some sort of Irvine Welsh bubble language wise.

Speaking as a woman (the cunty sort) it's a word I don't generally use but have no wish to see banned, though I'd certainly discourage its use around small children.

When someone uses it misogynistically I make a mental note... But banned? On FWR? Are you serious?

Plenty of usage is misogynistic, quite a few new ones since Dale Spender's day, eg 'pearl clutching', 'big girl's blouse'... not that I'd dream of using those either.

"Bitch" in the context of animals is simply the canine version of ewe, mare, sow, hen. There is no reason not to use it. There is no reason to use it for a girl or woman.

Plenty of usage is misogynistic, quite a few new ones since Dale Spender's day, eg 'pearl clutching', 'big girl's blouse'... not that I'd dream of using those either

I would and do report any one who directly calls another poster a cunt or a bitch. I would also report anyone who uses "pearl-
clutching". It is lazy and stupid, intended to belittle posters and shut down discussion.

"Bitch" in the context of animals is simply the canine version of ewe, mare, sow, hen. There is no reason not to use it. There is no reason to use it for a girl or woman.

Yes ... and the same goes for some of the other female animal names which are used in more or less derogatory (and dehumanising?) ways ... 'cow' can go on the list too please.
Trying to think if there are any male animal names which carry the equivalent negative vibes... hmm... more likely to imply virility.

I hate the word. My surname is Hunt so I was called it far too many times from a fairly young age by people who thought they were hilarious. 'Is your Dad's name Mike?' Brilliant.

Trying to think if there are any male animal names which carry the equivalent negative vibes... hmm... more likely to imply virility.

Cock?

Maybe peacock? It’s an odd term to use as it generally implies being effeminate even though peacocks’ displays are very ‘masculine’. I’ve heard it used to describe Hercule Poirot.

Yes ... and the same goes for some of the other female animal names which are used in more or less derogatory (and dehumanising?) ways ... 'cow' can go on the list too please

And sow for that matter. Even the apparently innocuous MN expression "daft mare" - what is inherently daft about a mare? (Not that I've heard it in real life)

"Ewe lamb" is the only postive female anthropomorphism I can think of.

I hate the word. My surname is Hunt so I was called it far too many times from a fairly young age by people who thought they were hilarious. 'Is your Dad's name Mike?' Brilliant.

Bet you got loads of phone calls from Bart Simpson.

"Strutting peacock" for a vain, over dressed man but it's hardly common usage.

So we get rid of 'pig' for men?

You should see what DP's colleagues in the fishing industry post and text to him 😶 To which he often replies with a kiss 😁

I hear it enough to say it's not used abusively very often but I'm not saying they're at in Ballanory (which would actually be awesome)

And I do agree that making it the "worst" insult, the context, the history is somewhat problematic, but personally I need to pick my battles and I've enough to worry about when it comes to language

And sow for that matter. Even the apparently innocuous MN expression "daft mare" - what is inherently daft about a mare?

Yes - my post was in the context of your list.

I dont think ive ever seen the term male chauvinist pig on here

Pigs are cute and intelligent

Everyone knows that it's one of the worst words in the English language

No they don't. That's YOUR opinion, not everyone's.

So we get rid of 'pig' for men?

That's a sex-neutral animal word ... 'boar' probably never got used because of confusion with boor and boar.

Yes. Pigs are clean, intelligent, much maligned and very badly treated animals.

I don't call or approve of violent criminals or rapists being called "animals". Animals behave according to their nature over which they have no control and cannot be blamed- mankind has reason. It is insulting to animals. (And yes I am being serious)