Sleepyjack

I was watching this documentary yesterday about the British National Party (who seem quite racist), and they had a bit of hidden footage. Given the belligerant nature of such a party there was a lot of swearing and other (racial) slurs on the footage.

Interestingly enough, all the fucks remained in the footage, but cunt was censored out. The show was on around 8:30-9:30 and normally Adult features in Australia are shown after 9:30pm. Anyway, i found it interesting that cunt was rated more offensive than fuck.

Myself, i don't really like to say cunt really, especially in front of girls and other professional type people (workplace).

Anyway, would this make cunt the most offensive word? (in the Western World)? - other than blasphmeous type slurs "Jesus Christ"
although, then i suppose which company it's in.

Also, how does such a word get this way?

Glava

I think cunt was censored while the other "bad words" weren't because it's more offensive to women than men, while the others are more gender-neutral. Anyway, you're lucky that you get to hear any profanity on TV at all. The FCC censorship Nazis would get their panties in unimaginable twists if this happened in the US.

Latch

I see "cunt" as more offensive than "fuck". I'm not sure why.. I guess it's just how it is.

Also, the severity blasphemous swear words definitely depends on the company, because people that don't believe in God/Christ/etc wouldn't have a problem saying the words hehe.

hulk

Hell, cunt used to be a compliment. I'm guessing it's lost all it's good connotations that fuck has now.

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Bentley Little

Every woman I know HATES the word cunt. It just has that extra nastiness to it and don't ever call a woman that. Call her a fucking ass, a fucking bitch, a fucking twat, wait no, don't call her a fucking twat.

I guess anything that has to do with pussy is super profane. Don't ask me why though. I love pussy.

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ratbastid

Don't go looking for rational behavior behind our scatalogical vocabulary, cause as far as I can tell there is none. We make up stuff after the fact to justify the existence of certain words ("Fornication Under Consent of the King", anyone?), but basically it's all just stimulus and response. Somebody comes up with something and decides it's offensive and starts saying it in an ugly way that implies people should be offended by it, even if they don't know what it means.

As for myself, I use the word fuck. I don't use the word cunt. Fuck is a very handy all-purpose word. It's like the swiss army knife of swearing. Cunt only has one purpose, and that's to direct it at a person. Which I generally don't do anyway.

Latch

Calling your best mate a wicked cunt is fine. Calling some girl a fucking cunt it probably bad

We had a mate in first year of uni who we called 'cunt' no matter where we were. Got some weird looks at the local Safeway.

I'm friends with a few girls who don't mind/will use the word cunt. I work with one who uses it fairly often... Needless to say, they're not the stereotypical 'princesses'.. more on the side of Tomboys.. but still.... surprised me at first.

Trisk

I agree with rabastid. Fuck just has so many uses. I use it a decent amount. But I never say cunt. I really don't know what it is I don't like about that word...

It sounds more vulgar than fuck if you ask me.
Plus...isn't it another word for vagina? It seems kind of weird to go around calling people a vagina.

cameroncrazy822

Research Project:

Call a girl a "fuck" and then call her a "cunt", which one gets your face slapped?

OFKU0

I feel they go hand in hand and compliment each other rather nicely. Where's George Carlin when you need him.

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Cynthetiq

I dunno... they didn't have SHAG for Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me, but they did here in USA.

just culture and words.

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maleficent

It's not so much the word as the meaning behind the word -- it's meant as an insult -- it's meant to be hurtful to someone. If someone tried hard enough, the word "coffee cup" could be the ultimate insult, and would be banned from television everywhere.

Slut used to be a horrific word, you'd never ever call a woman a slut, until (and I'm showing my age again) Dan Akroyd regularly used the phrase "Jane, You Ignorant slut" directed at Jane Curtain during the news skits on Saturday Night Live (back when it was funny)

It's a word - - you wouldn't call your momma a Cunt, because you are supposed to respect your momma. It's generally directed at someone you are beyond furious with. It's just a word.

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maleficent

There's been a book out for a while, that I keep meaning to read, but honestly, I'm not sure I want to be seen in public with it based on the title.

Cunt, A Declaration of Independence

The book goes into the history of the word, and how it was once a term of respect and it was only later on, that it because an insult, by those evil mysoginistic males.


While I am a pretty strong feminist, some ideas in this book, even for me, from reviews I've read, are a little over the top for me.

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unoaman

In case any of the guys are wondering, I am living testament that you don't want to use "cunt" when refering to anyone of the female gender.

Years ago, towards the end of a two day trip to places I don't even want to go to anymore, I directed that word in the general direction of a lady. Well, as the song goes "shes no lady, shes my wife"...BIG MISTAKE. Somewhere in the vicinity of 20 years later she was able to only scream when hearing that word, rather that throw things...like me. I have no recollection of saying it, but according to her, and a witness, I did. Hell it was hard for me even to type it...

ShaniFaye

I cant say the word, I cant type the word, hell I can barely stand to see it....to me its the worst insult that can be given....

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sherpahigh

Before my trip to Australia I was ignorant to the full spectrum of which the word Cunt could be used. Well that's not entierly true since I had a summer job with two travelling Australians and got to hear the word quite frequently.

In my experience the word is mostly used in combination with Fuck, the old F-C combo. Usually directed at some inanimate object or the situation in general.

Also, it's just not the same without the aussie accent with it.

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World's King

Cunt is my favorite word. I use it whenever I can.

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maleficent

But you probably say it with a great deal of charm... Not everyone is as adorable as you are...
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There's really no word for men that is just as offensive.

Last time I was in the office I was trying to describe someone who I just really really don't like becazuse I think he's untrustworthy and completely unprofessional... best I could come up with was he was a fuckin' prick -- (now i work with all men, most of which are ex military (all of our servers and printers have some sort of nasty name) It wasn't my use of the word fuck that got them - it was the use of the word Prick - -

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apeman

cunt and motherfucker are the two most offensive words, followed shortly by fuck, shit etc.

according to last time the BBC had research done anyway ... in UK

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skinnymofo

shit and fuck are two of the greatest words in the english language, i for one, feel its a travesty that these 2 words are considered vulgar.
Now, cunt theres an interesting word, for me that word is the last in a Repertoire of profanity when im upset, usually this is when say, i hit my thumb with a hammer type instances or how just a recently my computer has been freaking out and ill yell cunt out in frustration, usually with fuck before it.
Lately ive just taken to saying coont instead, its a far less dangerous word when around women but still conveys to me atleast, the same amount of anger at something or someone.

OFKU0

I have to wonder if the Vagina Monologues would have been more, less, or of the same successes if it were called the Cunt Monologues.

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analog

I love bad words. Having said that, I think I can count the number of times I've ever used the word cunt. It's a very small number, and it had very purposeful use.

Elitegibson

How about donkey-raping shit-eater?

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unoaman

I don't know Maleficent...may not be as bad, but personally I'm not too fond of being called a "cocksucker".

onodrim

As a woman, the word cunt doesn't really bother me either. To me it's the same as pussy, or any other term for vagina. I don't know that I use it often, but it honestly doesn't offend me. Although, like the women that Latch mentioned, I can be quite the tomboy, so maybe that has something to do with it. *shrug*

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maleficent

I wouldn't even know how to use that word in a sentence...

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lurkette

For some reason, "cunt" used as an anatomical term ('her cunt') is not really offensive to me, but calling someone a cunt is. *shrugs* Don't know why. I think it's an ugly word either way, but if, say, ratbastid told me I have a nice cunt, I'd probably have no problem with it other than being puzzled by his uncharacteristic choice of vocabulary; but if he called me a cunt, he'd be sleeping on the couch.

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mystmarimatt

I have a few (girl) friends who read it, and loved it, and while they are feminists, they aren't extremely so, so I bet nothing in it is too extreme. I need to get around to reading it as well.

good ol' cartman, hehe.

Personally, i like fucktard, the mixture of fuck, and retard. it's quite versatile, and most people hearing it for the first time laugh, scratch their heads and ask "what??"

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Nafter

I use cunt quite a lot, but its more between mates like you cunt, like you bastard in a jokey way. You cunt is a good way to pick a fight if you say it with any kind of power behind it, and used against men and women equally, i think it has more power behind it callin a women it though. I hardly ever use it in a bad way, i dont usually insult people it aint my way.
If your with mates it seems to be differnet and insulting each other/swearing jus seems to be a part of the language i use.
I think "fuck" is overused to the point where its a lot weaker insult than words like cunt. I throw it into sentences all over the places if talkin w/ mates, jus feels natural. Cunt seems to be reserverd as a strong insult.

As a aside, BNP is pretty racist, around here people call it the nazi party heh. There motto seems to be "send em back to where they came from".

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goddfather40

My Seven Dirty Words Power Rankings:

1. Cunt
2. Motherfucker
3. Fuck
4. Cocksucker
5. Shit
6. Tits
7. Piss

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orphen

i think it's because of cunt's sexist's content. fuck is explicit like shit. you say it because you're pissed. you say it as an expression of anger. cunt is anger/discrimination toward a certain person. i mean, you even say "son of a bitch" out loud if you are pissed not at a specific person but when you say "cunt" you pretty much have to target a person and probalby a girl. another part of it is probably the feminist movement. it's the obvious antithesis of feminist ideal. in their mind, it degrades woman to their mere sexuality; implying a woman is not a person but instead her sex thus objectifying her. and we all know, to objectify a woman, in a feminist's eye is perhaps the worst insult. i think that expalins why the word has gained such a negative connotation throughout the years. i'm pretty young myself, so i would know (19) how the word was used before, but i never say it just because i never found a situation/chance...

***on the side note this reminds me of:: "she's a little runt isn't she" brian
"BRIAN" Lois
"what? i said runt"

Carno

Around my buddies, there isn't any curse word that goes unused. All of them get their turn.

Around women, I try not to curse at all.

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CoachAlan

You play right in to my point. "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut" was a movie ABOUT dirty words. And even the most foulmouthed kids on basic cable shied away from saying "cunt."

"Fuck is the worst word that you can say."? I don't think so.

How about "Fuck is the worst word Matt and Trey can bring themselves to say, because cunt is over a line that even they won't cross."

Of course, that doesn't match the music very well.

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Bentley Little

I don't agree lurkette. Just my opinion. But if I said to some lady that I liked her cunt, I don't think I would get a nice reaction.

Personally, I love the word cunt. Specifically because people are so damn offended by it. It is a word. But somehow somewhere, it got to be the most offensive word out there. To see people's reactions are great but I think most people overact. They act more towards the word, than they do the fact that someone is calling them a name. Sure if someone were to call me a cocksucker or ass-smacker, I wouldn't give a shit what "words" they used, rather, the fact that they are trying to start something.

Also, I have noticed that cunt isn't really that big of a deal in Aussie-land? Any ideas why?

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flamingdog

It's interesting how nobody asks the same question of "cock" or "dick". If "cunt" is offensive, why aren't they too?

In my opinion, "cunt" not only has a negative denotation (in terms of how it received and delivered, less than what it actually refers to - my woman is quite happy to use it in dirty talk for instance), it's also an ugly word. Especially said in a northern English accent. It's guttural, more of a grunt than a word. It's jarring and harsh, and said right, can actually pull you up if dropped into the middle of a sentence.

And used against you with intent, it's actually a word I find devastating. One time, a guy I would consider one of my best friends called me a "cunt" and he meant it. For him, using that word wasn't a big deal, so I was able to get over the fact, but it really genuinely hurt me.

Its power is probably more societal than what it refers to. But interestingly, it seems a common thing. Where some swears are more or less offensive depending upon which continent you are, "cunt" seems to cross all boundaries as the ultimate offensive word.

Esco

The c-word isn't in my vocabulary ... for obvious reasons. Being a male ... there's just some things, if you value your life and soft body parts, that are better left never said.

As a side note, I remember wrestling around with an ex-girlfriend and I accidently bumped her in the nice spot. She doubled over yelling, "You hit me in the ____!"

I was so shocked and didn't know how to respond.

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Carno

I guess I'm with Bentley Little, I like to say it just for the shock factor

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Sleepyjack

Yeah, perhaps if everyone started saying it, then it'd loose its edge. However, when swearing, the attitude and everything else (body languge/gesture) are what makes it more profound


I don't know if that's the case. Quite often my friends will say it, but always in a joking context, never really too serious or insulting about it. Most people (guys) i know are apprehensive to say it in front of girls, if at all

MrFlux

Meh. Everyone here uses it. Even my girlfriend...

It's just another swear word.

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The Phenomenon

As far as I know the word 'fuck' comes from the chinese for planting or seeding or something like that. That Fornication under consent of the king stuff is crazy