terms for genitals as insults

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it must've started long, long ago, when sexual organs and sex in general were considered by many (religious 'teachers' and devoute followers at least) to be shameful devices, even targets of the most vivid resentment.

could this ever change in our culture? would people ever be able to stop referring to each other as 'cocks' or 'cunts' because those things were no longer considered shameful or worthy of resentment, or at least the residue of this belief evaporate fully?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

jesus and his rubber twat-bomb...

― NRQ, Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

You're nuts.

― peepee (peepee), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

You're talking bollocks there

― Some Dadaismus Implied (Dada), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

don't be such a dick

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

u r such a mystery hole

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

yeah, you all know words for genitals!

― Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

I know, I know, we're just trying to prick the pomposity but I will cock an ear to whatever else steve has to say on the matter

― Some Dadaismus Implied (Dada), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

the thing is they all seem 'tailor-made' for insultation because of their promptness and cadence. and they tend to be great words as a result.

it just occurred to me how illogical it all is though...

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

Yeah I hate how the stock insults are either rips on someone's mom or the suggestion that performing a sexual act on you is not enjoyable ("oh yeah, well BLOW ME!" etc.).

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

actually compared to "your mom is no good" and "you anger me there for you should be forced into the horror of kissing my ass," refering to someone as being mere genitalia seems more logical.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

therefore, christ

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

... those seem very American insults. I don't think I've evere heard a British person say "oh yeah, well BLOW ME!" or words to that effect. Plus, as Basil Fawlty points out, "It's all bottoms with you people isn't it?"

― Some Dadaismus Implied (Dada), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:23 (twenty years ago)

good, amusing points anthony

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

i don't know, it kind of makes sense to me. Like it's not even always about the shamefulness of it being genitalia, but rather that it's the body parts that gets smelly the most quickly and being called that isn't nice? Hence you get things like arsehole and piece of shit, and stuff. it's not shameful to like, have a nob that has an end, or a hole in your buttocks, or have sessions of poo.

but you don't necessarily want to BE the wrinkly bit at the end of a penis, the hole in the buttocks and have poo being pushed through you, be the actual piece of poo etc.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

tho i think the whole 'suck my cock/kiss my arse' thing comes from the idea that this would degrade the offender, force them into a position of 'worship' or servitude, putting them in their place etc. - rather than saying 'my body is revolting'

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

hey ken, do my dishes!

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

it's the body parts that gets smelly the most quickly

not necess. true - what about feet and armpits?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

oh I know, but still, I don't want to make it sound like people who service me should be looked down on.

(x-post)

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

they're god's personal warriors, really

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

but if they're sucking your cock...

xpost

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

i guess you could be doing a handstand at the time.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

kiss my dishrag

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

dude, take over my game of grand theft auto.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:33 (twenty years ago)

say you're sorry

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

your mum's sorry.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

You could say 'lick my armpits' but this would make the insulter the weirdos. Saying 'suck my cock' is a mixture of degrading and naughty.

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

Interestingly the division between male and female genitalia used as insults seems more balanced than with general insults where it's much more common for them to be insulting to women.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

You could say 'lick my armpits' but this would make the insulter the weirdos. Saying 'suck my cock' is a mixture of degrading and naughty.

just because of the stigma regarding sex organs no? this stigma resulting from much spouting in the name of religion through the ages?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

Interestingly the division between male and female genitalia used as insults seems more balanced than with general insults where it's much more common for them to be insulting to women.

hmm, example? we know the most offensive word you can use on TV is a reference to female genitalia after all...

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

Well, lets list all the genital insults and then all the general insults and see how it divides. I can't really give an example without counting. True, I am not entirely sure if I am right. I know there's twat and cunt, but there's also a lot of male ones. In general insults it's lot harder to come up with derogatory male words, whilst there's a whole load like bitch, cow, whore etc.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

Because English nouns no longer have gender, unless the gender can be considered inherent (bitch, cow, vixen, etc...), does that make words like 'asshole' or 'fucker' neuter or male to you, alix?

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

i think that's true and it's evidence of sorts of the big residue of a culture of shame and degradation regarding LADY BITS...which ought to change but rather depressingly is unlikely to

xpost

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:01 (twenty years ago)

I'd call them neuter. No reason to call them masculine that I can see.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

this thread was partly inspired by me reading something about the forthcoming Zimbabwean election and thinking in my head (as i often do) 'oh Mugabe you cunt' but then questioning both the usage of the c word and the general nature of it, it's connotation - the word being considered so 'ugly' and the unfortunate association. and how much the persistence and popularity of it is a bad thing.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

i know, i think way too much

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

no Sven, this thread is the balls!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:07 (twenty years ago)

It's funny how in American English, 'cunt' is the nastiest thing you can call a woman, whereas in British English and, incidentally in French (con, conne), it is not reserved for females but can be used cross-gender.

I actually do think of a guy if someone refers to an 'asshole' or a 'fucker'.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

American English uses it cross-gender as well.

― Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

I tend to as well, but as a first reaction. If I think about it, there's nothing inherent in 'asshole' or 'fucker' to make them male. Well, possibly in 'fucker', but only if you're thinking of sex as something men do to women. (xpost)

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

men sometimes get called 'whores', 'tarts', 'slags' etc. by women if they sleep around a lot too - but it's not taken as seriously. so some sort of evening out has been taking place, but this merely distracts from the bigger issue of why this taboo and stigma persists. i doubt i would ever be able to stop using 'cockfarmer' or indeed 'cunt' as terms of abuse tho.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

i think even the c word is losing its power - channel 4 last friday night had both Nathan Barley and one of the Osbournes using it whereas it used to be once in a blue moon. i've also seen people walking around wearing Blair Is A Cunt and My Boss Is A Cunt t-shirts.

read somewhere that the genitalia thing for insults isn't universal - other countries prefer words for sexual acts or disparaging remarks about family members.

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

so some sort of evening out has been taking place

haha, of course an evening out involving whores, tarts and slags will be considered a good thing by some

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

read somewhere that the genitalia thing for insults isn't universal - other countries prefer words for sexual acts or disparaging remarks about family members.

another good point. but perhaps this is because genitalia is still considered too 'shameful' to even use as insults in certain places/cultures?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:16 (twenty years ago)

American English has started using 'cunt' for men but largely, I imagine in imitation of the British. When I was a kid, no-one would ever have called a boy a cunt. alix, I agree, that there's nothing inherently masculine about assholes or fucking, but I would still submit that without a pronoun to correct you, most people will hear them as referring to males.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

I wish I could remember more of my degree. It would help. Cultural differences for taboo subjects is quite interesting too.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

You could say 'lick my armpits' but this would make the insulter the weirdos. Saying 'suck my cock' is a mixture of degrading and naughty.
just because of the stigma regarding sex organs no? this stigma resulting from much spouting in the name of religion through the ages?

it's just because having your cock sucked is like, pleasurable maybe, whereas ordering someone to lick your armpits is just weird!!

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

lick my love pump

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

have you had your armpits licked before then ken?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

You wouldn't want to lick someone's armpit if they had deodorant on. That stuff tastes weird.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

armpit lickers can go taste my minge.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lieye.com/articles/moviereviews/flirt/images/flirti06.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:35 (twenty years ago)

alix, OTM re deodorant. I like these kitchen/bathroom insults. Lick my dishrag, kiss my bathroom sponge, etc...

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:35 (twenty years ago)

scrub my plughole

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:36 (twenty years ago)

plunge my filth pipe

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

Scour my pot

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

Ugh that advert where they DO lick each others armpits to thread.

Have "bodily functions" in general been used as insults, throughout the histoire, Lixi? Or did they for all intents and purposes start circa Victoriana - I doubt that but wd be interested to kno

― Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

pardon my zinger

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

for some reason i'm not so opposed to 'piss off' and 'fuck off' tho the more i think about it the more these seem just as illogical.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

Not sure about bodily functions. Not sure about any of it - it's really hard to conjure up examples. Well, for me at least.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

My favorite, Je te pisse à la raie. "I piss at your (butt) crack."

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Mash my spuds

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

Dessicate my coconut.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

no more pit lick jokes!!

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:47 (twenty years ago)

ILXors whose names are like insults!

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Thinking about 'piss off' and 'fuck off' has reminded me of that ad on cable several years ago for the Clapper, a device which, when one clapped, would turn on or off lights and other appliances. Their little tag, was 'Clap On! Clap Off!' and now I'm imagining some 'Fear and Loathing' like flat where some deranged urofile inventor has a device that turns the TV and lights on everytime he pisses on the floor or the strobe light effect of the 'Fuck On! Fuck Off! device in a seedy and odd hôtel de passe.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

In Britain a man calling a woman a cunt is still pretty much taboo.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:52 (twenty years ago)

You might be interested to know that in Finnish the most common swear word is "vittu", which translates to "cunt". It's practically the Finnish equivalent of "fuck", it can be used as a verb, adjective, or noun, and in many different ways. As Stevem suggests, "vittu's" popularity might paradoxically have to do with the fact that Finns, having a largely rural background, have been *less* Victorian about sex, bodily functions, etc. For example, there are lots of old Finnish proverbs which use "vittu" as well.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

Lick my feet! (presents them)

― BARMS, Thursday, 3 March 2005 16:55 (twenty years ago)

it can be used as a verb

I cunt believe it.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

so tuomas, what's worse than 'vittu' in finnish? what can't finns say on tv?

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

strange that 'vittu' be so popular when it is presumably two syllables

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

Like 'fucking', Steve.

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

strange that it can be a verb and a noun rather

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

There are many words that have more than one grammatical function.

― alix (alix), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

i got cunted last night.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

it just seemed odd that the most popular expletive noun would comprise two syllables, when so many of the most popular English ones seem to involve just one.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

cunted

what's the technical term for this 'mis-appropriation'?

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

I hate that the c word has more impact and shock value than all the many many terms for the penis, which are used so frequently they seem to have lost all impact - why is it so much more insulting to be called a vagina than a penis - hmmmm?

― smee (smee), Thursday, 3 March 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

Don't forget the weird gender divide wherein "cock" or "dick" means someone's a jerk, and "pussy" means they're a wimp.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 3 March 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

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