The other C word
Yes, the “see you next Tuesday” word. It’s one to which I take great exception, and I’m far from a prude – heaven forfend 
!
Of all the intended insults that people use, this one upsets me most. I’m not sure why, exactly obviously it’s a solidly harsh sounding word, but it’s most likely that my aversion is based on a feminist tendency coupled with a strong sense of using the right word for any situation or curse. It’s important, surely, and really not that difficult. It’s like when people use the word “stupid” when something really quite different is meant, such as “foolish” or “inconsiderate” or even just “silly”. It surely does not require a great leap of intellect to use the right word?
Image via Wikipedia
OK, so some people may be lacking or it’s plain ignorance and laziness preventing them from using a more appropriately descriptive “insult”. Let’s face it, how often is the C word accurately used, not as an slur but instead for its true meaning? Sexually – during, before, after, whenever – and in porn films maybe, or when someone is referring very specifically to a woman’s genitalia.
Taboo or not taboo – is that the question?
I doubt most men consider the C word to be any kind of insult against women specifically, it’s simply one of the most offensive words available. And that’s what annoys me – that a woman’s cunt can be so widely considered tp be offensive. Surely that’s what it boils down to. Never mind that all too often the word is preceded with “stupid” – bless their dim little intellects.
The Wikipedia page seems to be wonderfully thorough on usage, history and all kinds of references. One quote has me wondering though; if a politician was overheard saying the C word, what effect might that have on his career? Would it be the same as if he or she used the worse of ethnic slurs, or laughed off and those offended considered silly and old-fashioned?
Personally I think women should reclaim the word – take away the insult that is most often intended. It is an old word and what if instead of being an insult, it simply meant what it is.
And why am I wondering about this now? My 10 year old son asked me what it meant, having heard his dad use it to curse someone who’d pissed him off in one of his road rages. And yes, the word stupid was included.
About BabsBabs runs The Blogmistress to help people use WordPress for their websites and/or blogs. Here on Birds however she lets loose on just about any subject other than WordPress! Follow her on twitter
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16 Responses to The other C word
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Personally I’m in the minority here. I don’t find it offensive, mainly because being a c*nt is not a particularly pleasant thing (in the same way that being a cock is not pleasant, I mean, you don’t want to be either do you?). I’ve been an offender as some of you can testify, but some of that is to do with the fact that women just aren’t meant to say that word. But hey, swearing is like drugs, you need a harder version if you go that route, so to achieve a vile effect I’ll use it.
Glad I'm not the only one! On (I like to think appropriate) occasions I can be exceptionally foul-mouthed and that is the only swear word I will not use. I can't really rationalise it. We use other words for genitalia (of both genders) as insults. Pr*ck, d*ickhead, tw*t and so on. I don't know why I find the c word more offensive than the t word (which has exactly the same meaning and which I often use).
It's a word frequently used on another forum I visit, and I am becoming more de-sensitised to seeing it and hearing it. But you won't hear me say it or see me write it, even 'tho I will use other words, as swear words, with identical meanings.
Odd, innit?
Twitter: evenbreak
I bet you were really proud of your ex, Babs, knowing he would use such a word as a swear word. We parents have a responsibility to teach our children by example what is acceptable and what is not. And this is not.
I do use the word myself, with my lover, but only in a sexual sense. I would never use it to offend or let off steam.
I wonder if the reason why the word C*NT is so universally despised is because it sounds so awful when spoken. I mean, it rhymes with “blunt,” “shunt,” “hunt,” “punt,” “runt,” etc all of which are rather uncomfortable, unpleasant words, never mind their points of origin.
Personally, I like to create new naughty words that have meaning for me but won't necessarily offend others, and that have a certain musical ring to them.
Like, for example, BALDOCK … a very nice small town in Hertfordshire, but saying the word always makes me feel as if I have just sworn…
…and TROLLOCKS, which I say frequently when intensely irritated. It's the same as “bollocks, only this time there are three of them.
What do you think, Babs? Shall we create a new variant to replace the c-word that has a more romantic sound?
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Well that's an idea, Suze – what the heck… I did use such to clean up my language when the kids came along and have got used to it to the point that people are quite shocked now when I do swear…
Though what I want is for people to not use the word as an insult – that is just wrong.
Twitter: babssaul
As I knew you most likely would, Morag
And I'm pleased at how I've not reacted to the ex – partly as I know he'll just get cross with my boy for “telling” and partly because there is just no point. All explained to boychild so he understands my opinion and can then make up his own mind.
Twitter: babssaul
On an emotional level I agree it's wrong. But on a rational level I'm not sure why it's any more wrong than calling someone a stupid tw*t, or a p*ssy? But to me it does feel worse somehow.
Twitter: evenbreak
It is odd, Jane – I can be shockingly foul-mouthed, but will never use the C word. If others choose to use it, that's their business, but how I then react is mine, and it does colour my opinion of them, I must admit.
This being human lark…
Twitter: babssaul
I shall share a little story here with you Babs, some of our fellow bloggers have heard this tale before.
Once upon a time when I worked in the City, it was deemed essential that we took the day off of work and had diversity training. The day of training was really awkward and many of us had big teams (mine was 35 people all with 100+ people on their caseloads) and resented by many, we had work to do!
The company bigwig also had to attend the training. So we sat around the perimeter of the room and listened to the trainer talk about her Hobbit feet and other things, including the promise of 'role play' in the afternoon. You can imagine how overjoyed we were, glass room, boiling hot summer, company bigwigs, role play.
The afternoon, we were instructed to stand next to each other and we were going to chant. We were going to take a word back… yes, you have guessed which word we were going to take back… c*nt. Holding hands, with the bosses, in the glass room, in the heat chanting c*nt, c*nt, c*nt,, c*nt.
It felt real weird the next morning having a fellow chanter sign off on my project, in fact none of u could look each other in the eye for weeks….
“It surely does not require a great leap of intellect to use the right word?” This is a variation on what we were told at school; that swearing is the sign of a limited vocabulary. This misses the point, for many, swearing is not about expressing an idea, it's about expressing an emotion or releasing some feelings, swearing can be cathartic. The catharsis comes from the sound of the word and its tombre, the emotion that goes into saying the word and the knowledge that others don't like the word.
While people feel strongly about it, others will use it when they feel strongly about something else.
An unusual form of diversity training! Did you find it effective in any way?
Twitter: evenbreak
I have such a powerful memory attached to the word now Jane, I can't help but smirk every time I said it. It has lost it's power to offend me.
Swearing has a definite value. It can be used to great comedic value, it can express a point in a much more forceful way and it can release tension. I love swearing. But I do cringe at just that one word (there is no other word I cringe at). I really don't think it has anything to do with the sexist connotations behind it, because I'm quite happy to use other words for female (and male) genitals as swear words with no reflection on either gender. Just social conditioning, I suppose. Time I grew out of it, maybe!
Twitter: evenbreak
Or, as Stephen Fry recently said, anyone who thinks swearing is a sign of a limited intellect is a fucking idiot!
I am lost for words. I think some folk get get used to expressing themselves this way as I can't imagine that it is due to a limited vocabulary!