C**t as a derogative term.

[Billie18]

Makes my blood boil every time I hear it uses as a derogative term.

Reread the thread @MissBarbary I’m not a lone voice pursuing doggedly pursuing a point
You’re being somewhat mendacious in how you are representing the thread
You have clearly asserted how you feel about cunt as a word,as have I
And some posters do agree with me,and conversely some agree with you. If you’re going to offer a summation, do make it accurate

I hate something that is so beautiful being used as an insult, especially by women

I don't know how many times I've read the supposedly witty (reality- hackneyed and overused) comment on MN , including FWR
"I'd have called him a cunt but he lacks the depth and warmth"

It's cringe- making

Yes @MissBarbary please read the posts that led up to that comment.
It might also help to read the next part of the post you quoted. Pps are seeking anecdotal data but ignoring and invalidating any experience in misalignment with their own opinion.

You can't answer or consider any question adequately with such poor research methods (even if it is very informal).

What is the worst word in Scotland, for those that see cunt as mild?

I'm really interested to know that.

One person said in their area twat was considered v bad- another vagina word.

What else is there?

@NiceGerbil

What is the worst word in Scotland, for those that see cunt as mild?

I'm really interested to know that.

One person said in their area twat was considered v bad- another vagina word.

What else is there?

It’s not that cunt is always mild btw, it’s also used offensively.

So actually calling someone a cunt is pretty offensive... worse than twat, but twat is also swearing - it’s sort of a sliding scale for female genitalia swear words, cunt used as an actual insult is really bad, twat is bad, fud/fanny are rude but you’d almost get away with them in most places.

So yeah... cunt is probably the worst, but only in that specific context, used not as an insult it’s swearing, but not unacceptable depending where you are, who you’re with a bit like saying fuck to emphasise something is.

@OldLang

Yes *@MissBarbary* please read the posts that led up to that comment. It might also help to read the next part of the post you quoted. Pps are seeking anecdotal data but ignoring and invalidating any experience in misalignment with their own opinion.

You can't answer or consider any question adequately with such poor research methods (even if it is very informal).

Er excuse me I've posted questions as to why this is treated as the worst insult and have considered it, even if I haven't come a conclusion. Take your lecture elsewhere.

Interestingly I do use cunt sparingly to discuss someone/someones who I have a serious dislike for but their all male. I also dont view the word as about a vagina but rather cunt is its own entity.

@MissBarbary

And yet, you still aren't interested in the answers people are giving the the question that has been asked. Wonder why that is?
Excuse you? No problem, done!

@NiceGerbil
In terms of directing it towards someone, I would agree that cunt is widely regarded as one of the worst ones. I wouldn't do that because there's every possibility it would cause deep offence. Couldn't speak accurately as to the reasons other people don't mind it though. Having said that I'd much rather be called a cunt (which is usually to do with personality/behaviour) than other words I've been called e.g. n*er, pki, con - relating to being mixed race). How someone perceives your behaviour/personality can be subjective so I take much less offence when someone has an issue with than than I do when someone has an issue with my race or heritage.

Those words have to have a star in while cunt doesn't. Which shows a difference.

The OP also was talking about it being used as a derogatory term rather than any different use.

When I was a school schoolgirl me and me friends used to say hello you old (tart?slag? ) Can't remember. I wouldn't do that now! But it's very different to someone else you're a slag, you're a cunt. Or saying so and so is a slag/ cunt.

OP wants to talk about the former and I think that's ok to talk about.

It's interesting that a pp said where they live twat is really rude.

How is the word cunt 'it's own entity'?

Is it the same with cock, dick, wanker?

@elfycat

It's just a word. They're all just words.

You can call someone a pebble and put so much vile hatred behind it that it's nasty and abusive. You call call someone a string of the most hated words in the English Language and mean it with affection.

Mind you I told DD1 she could use the work fuck in her school creative writing as long as it was in context like a teenage character using it as emphasis (she'd come to ask me if it was a real word so I got my dictionary out and we looked up a few words and why we might or might not use them). At the time she was 8yo and tragically she didn't us it.

That reminds me of the scary mum in one of the Adrian Mole books who'd crossed out the word Pooh in all her childrens' Winnie the Pooh books and replaced each one with the word Shit.

Because honesty

I'd like it to be reclaimed by women, as gay people have reclaimed queer. It doesnt bother me personally. I'm female and I feel that this means I can use it, if that makes sense.

I think it's hard for women to 'reclaim' words that we never used to start with iykwin.

Also while we're in the society we're in it won't work. See slutwalk etc. I get what they were trying to do but it in the end marching with your boobs out doesn't feel like a massive fuck you to the patriarchy. Quite the opposite.

That is true of the marches definitely.
I'm not sure regarding reclaiming. I dont think gay people used the word 'queer' either.

That I don't know.

I just can't imagine going around saying yay I'm such a cunt, tbh. It refers to a vagina while writer is about sexuality.

I can see yeah I'm queer get over it has power.
Saying yeah I'm a cunt get over it doesn't have the same vibe for me!

It is different in that sense, yes. I guess I personally feel there is something to be said for me as a woman using it, I'm making it clear that I'm not offended by it, and a man calling me it doesnt scare or upset me.

A musical interlude . . .

The C-word as insult - plus free, bonus! Reclaiming of a word traditionally used to insult women:

"Cameron, I Would Call You A Ct - Muddy Summers and the Dirty Field Whores"

Quiz time!

What phrase, considered too foul by some to be spoken out loud, is referenced by the euphemism "Some cunt from Preston"?

========

As an aside, "tart" is a blandly inoffensive or affectionate term where I come from but I have discovered that it does not travel well to other parts of the UK.

@NiceGerbil

Telling isn't it. One reason was, for anyone reading this far in the thread, they know we're discussing the use of the word cunt. The others haven't been mentioned till now.

Also, in my opinion, there's no alternative use for those words. They're only ever deeply offensive slurs which signify hatred. They're only ever used by the dominant oppressor (aside from the reclamation of the n word, which I'm personally not comfortable saying but also have no judgement for those who do).
On the other hand, women have expressed a desire or interest in reclaiming a word which signifies things used against us in our oppression (body parts, genitalia, childbearing, being the seen as a recipient of sex because the vagina doesn't change as noticeably as a penis does etc).

I think it's often used in a way which prompts a shock response, again because women 'should' be delicate, pure, virtuous (all bullshit ofc but misogyny doesn't need to be logical)

Like you said, cunt is different, there are women who are happy to use it in different contexts. A key factor is the difference in boundaries.

Sure there are plenty of points there to disagree with but it's just my own musings.

Yes I can see where you're coming from, I really can.

For me though it goes back to how difficult it is for stuff that is related to women is to change, compared to other rights movements.

It's just so normalised. And yes I know this is about a word but for me it links back across other things.

E.g. hate crime legislation. Whether people think this is good law or not. The fact is that women and girls are not protected, sex is not included.

So if you beat up a black person or a gay person and use racist or homophobic slurs while doing it, that crime (abh or similar) has an element of hate crime attached which I think (?) can mean harsher punishment.

If you beat up a woman while calling her a bitch and a white and a cunt, then the abh only applies. Women are not recognised in law as a group who get verbal or physical abuse because of who they are.

The words that relate to us or our anatomy are not verboten. Even though we are globally and historically an oppressed group.

The words that are used against us are used in fairly mainstream nasty porn as well. Which seems to lean heavily to (het porn obv) sexually dominating the woman. Many mn posters report being called all sorts during sex when they gave no indication they would like that.

I know I'm veering around a bit, it's late

Questions for me are things like

Why are male genitals in general (in this area) seen as milder than female? Dick, cock, nob are quite mild. Cunt, less so.

Why are insults to men often comparing them to women, saying they can't get sex with a woman, or actually insulting a woman close to them? (Eg pussy, wanker, bastard).

And all the phrases that are around being penetrated? Misogynistic/ homophobic?
Fucked, buggered, screwed. 'bending over' for xyz.

I think in general men do and have led the language on the swearing front and it's all very interesting.

The fact that calling someone a cunt is in many areas the worst thing. (With the only person saying it wasn't saying twat was worse, same difference!). Is worth talking about.

Women's biology and functions have been unmentionable, dirty etc for ages and ages. Mainstream religions around menstruation. Victorian treatment of prostitutes (and not the men who had sex with them) in Victorian times. I know and remember loads of women who wouldn't refer directly. 'downstairs' etc. And the current thing that there is no nice friendly word like Willy for girls. Why not? Because they all become obscene very fast. Cunt, pussy, fanny, snatch... ? There's none that are in common use around the UK and are as inoffensive as Willy. There's a reason for that.

My phone also keeps capitalising Willy and I don't know why patriarchal phone wanting to give it respect maybe 🤣🤣🤣

Whore not white, sorry.

Phone

nicegerbil I think because willy is a name?
I hear you.
Minefield. I agree about the hate crime thing. Would we lobby for that? Perhaps we should. The Yorkshire ripper situation the prostitutes were vilified too (far more recent than Victorian times). It's a worthwhile discussion about the insults. Dick is something I call people in jest. So is cunt. I wonder if my theory is people using it all the time=it loses its potency. But that is just one aspect of it. It's a very depressing discussion is this, but one that needs having.

Yes I think with the Yorkshire ripper it pushed a change in media reporting. Originally it was just 'prostitute murdered'.

Many had children etc and there were complaints and that was the change to name of woman murdered etc and she worked as a prostitute a smaller point if it was relevant

These attitudes and reporting are important. With the ripper the police weren't fussed until he killed a woman who didn't work as aprostitute. Making these women people in the minds of police and the public. There is still work to be done there.

On the words. Delivery is important. Saying (in my area) 'he's just a bit of a twat' is quite dismissive. You can't be bothered to even get worked up enough for a serious swear

In my work if I said to the team so and so is a right cunt. There would be shock. We're a very sweaty team (including a Scot!) But that would be a blimey she really hates him moment.

Sweary

nicegerbil have you seen 'This is personal'? Its a dramatisation about the Yorkshire Ripper. It emphasises all the points you've made and is an entertaining watch as well as very well done. It is on youtube as far as I know.
I tend to say 'prostituted woman' instead of 'prostitute '. I think it is important.
Cunt.. yes, can be used casually but somehow still has this shock value.

@MissBarbary

I hate something that is so beautiful being used as an insult, especially by women

I don't know how many times I've read the supposedly witty (reality- hackneyed and overused) comment on MN , including FWR
"I'd have called him a cunt but he lacks the depth and warmth"

It's cringe- making

Do you find my comment (which you highlighted) 'cringe making' as well @MissBarbary ?