About 1400 years ago, the English language emerged for the first time in Great Britain deriving from Anglo Saxon vocabulary. 123 years ago, white women across the nation gained the right to own property for the first time. 104 years ago, white women were allowed to vote in the US for the first time. 61 years ago, the equal pay act was passed in the US, requiring for the first time that women get paid the same amount as their male counterparts. The point being, the English language is not a new concept, but women’s rights are. A long history of female oppression is rooted in the words we use, especially the dirty ones.
Bitch. (noun)
- the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals
- a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman
Cunt. (noun)
- The original English word for female genitalia
- Generic insult for someone/thing that is idiotic or generally despised
Motherfucker. (noun)
mother; a female parent. fucker; one that fucks (has sex)
- One that fucks their mother
Pussy. (noun)
- Vulva
- A weak or cowardly man
Whore. (noun)
- A prostitute
- A promiscuous, immoral, unfaithful woman
Slut. (noun)
- Someone who has many sexual partners
- An unclean or slovenly woman
What do all of these words have in common? Besides being some of the worst names that you can call someone, they rely on the assumption that women are weak, promiscuous, and/or inferior in order for them to invoke offense. Let’s compare these curse words to some curse words that supposedly put men at the butt of the joke.
Dick. (noun)
- Penis
- A mean, stupid, or annoying man
While the origins and use of the word are comparable to the word “Cunt”, it would be ignorant to pretend that the word “Dick” is anywhere near as taboo as the word “Cunt”.
Son of a Bitch. (noun)
Son. a male child Bitch; a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman
- The male child of a spiteful woman
While this phrase is typically used for men, its literal definition insults the man’s mother, not the man.
Bastard. (noun)
- A child conceived in an affair
- A disagreeable man
The implication of this word is that when used, you are accusing the “disagreeable man’s” mother of cheating on their father.
Man-whore. (noun)
- A male prostitute
- A promiscuous, immoral, unfaithful man
Assumes that being promiscuous, immoral, and unfaithful is inherently female trait and that most whores are female, therefore the distinction of the whore being a man is necessary.
As we can see, the underlying sexism rooted in curse words is targeted towards bringing women down. The implications of these words support many dominant patriarchal ideologies, for example:
- Women are emotionally weaker and more sensitive than men.
- When women express their sexuality, they are promiscuous. When men express their sexuality, they are a stud.
- Instead of blaming men, we should blame the mothers that raised them.
By no means is this article aimed at making its readers “anti-swearing”. I wholeheartedly believe that nothing quite expresses frustration like the dropping of an anger fueled cuss. So much so that I believe that we can combat this dilemma by reclaiming these words.
Bitch.
- (noun) An endearing term for a close friend: I love her she’s my bitch.
- (inf. interjection) An interjection expressing excitement, joy, or shock: Did you hear the Jonas Brothers are performing on the quad? Bitch I can’t believe it.
Cunt.
- (adj.) describing something undeniably feminine and fierce: Is my outfit cunty enough?
When paired with the verb “Serving”, presenting oneself as undeniably feminine and fierce: She was serving cunt on the dance floor.
Slut.
- (acronym) “sweet little unforgettable thing”, A woman who is comfortable in her sexuality expression: Yas you go slut!
Here are a few places that I found helpful in my research:
https://kathmandupost.com/art-culture/2020/06/23/the-underlying-sexism-in-swearing-and-slurs
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary of English usage. (2023). Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster, Inc.