Thoughts on the word cunt

[AWhoopsieDaisy]

Call it my autistic charm, this is the first I'm hearing that cunt is a bad word.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Trying to cater for marshmallow children on an adult website is a fool's game. You can't do it, and you shouldn't do it.

If it's anon comment, I'd delete it - who cares what they think? If they've got the courage of their convictions and posted in their account name, I'd be more inclined to leave the comment.

It's a bit of a low act, though, to one-bomb the story and crow about it - that just makes them a tool.

I've got an English reader lamenting the fact that only Brits use the term "twat" for female genitalia. Apparently she's got a magnificent one, and thinks on the whole, they should be celebrated .

 

[Priscilla_June]

Obviously not someone from Australia.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I find cunt to be a lovely word. My first ever grad level English course, I was still an undergrad, bored of what was offered to us or had taken it already, and we had to do a report on the etymology of a derisive word. I chose cunt, and for some flippin' reason had to go first. Tomato red, I said that word roughly 42 times in about a ten minute span. I don't say it as much now, but I think it an awful lot.

42 times! Thus answering the question of Life, Death, and the Universe. This is the same gusto I apply to the word - it's true magnificence. Why pussy foot around? But as always, context matters (sometimes).

 

[Cagivagurl]

Hi all,

I just got a comment that berated my use of the word cunt and because of it rated my story a 1. While I don’t normally care what people comment, I found it strange that someone would give a story a 1 star because they didn’t like that I incorporated the word cunt.

What do you think about using cunt in your stories?

I hate the word... It disgusts me...
I stop reading the moment I s it...

Cagivagurl

 

[ronde]

I think the impact of "cunt" depends upon the setting of the story and specifically time and location. Cunt predates every other name for the female genitalia, the first recorded usage being in the name "Gropecunt Lane", a street in London's "red light district" in about 1230. It's much older than that though, being derived from either the Proto-German "kunti" or the Old Norse "kunta". The word didn't become known as a offensive term until the middle 1900's and then primarily in the US.

I use it when writing about the early days of the British Isles because I think it lends an feeling of authenticity.

By the way, "pussy" wasn't used in a sexual context until the 16th century and was then a term of endearment for women.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I use it, and love it. Synonymous with pussy as far as I’m concerned… though pussy sounds and reads a bit more vulgar, to me. I’ve never had any complaints with the use of the word cunt in my writing… then again given my typical stomping grounds, one insulting or overly dirty word is the least of my readers’ concerns.

Admittedly it’s not among my vocabulary out in the real world because as many have mentioned, it’s more of an insult here in the States. If I call you a cunt I’m not being nice or playful. Not that it makes much sense to me, because a lot of women here call one another and themselves bitches, hoes and thots… but hey, what do I know?

 

[Trionyx]

FWIW, the most common LE tags include 'pussy,' 'pussy eating' and 'pussy licking' but not 'cunt.'

In the US the word cunt generates a fairly visceral reaction in a lot of people and I could see why the commenter was upset.

One of the challenges when writing a piece featuring nearly continuous sexual activity is describing things without being too repetitive. If someone is rubbing a clit and slides fingers 'into her pussy,' it can simply be stated they slid their fingers 'into her.' It is reasonably obvious where the fingers went and you've avoided the word pussy. And remember, the terms 'pussy' and 'cunt' are most commonly associated with the external genitals and one can use 'vagina' or synonyms when describing where the fingers went.

It has been mentioned above that using cute little synonyms can be distracting, and I agree, but when used in the right circumstances, they can give the writer reasonable alternatives. From the department of shameless self-promotion, I suggest you might want to check out
https://www.literotica.com/s/how-to-fuck-without-saying-fuck

 

[MetaBob]

I like how "The Hound" character of Sandor Clegane in the "Game Of Thrones" series used it ... for men.

Edit: Added video

I have never used it myself, spoken or written, and it would take a lot for me to change. Maybe a woman telling me that it turned her on.

I would not object it being used by a female character in a story, particularly one written by a female author, including as an edgy term of endearment.

I have similar rules for the n-word.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I like how "The Hound" character of Sandor Clegane in the "Game Of Thrones" series used it ... for men. I have never used it myself, spoken or written, and it would take a lot for me to change. Maybe a woman telling me that it turned her on.

I would not object it being used by a female character in a story, particularly one written by a female author, including as an edgy term of endearment.

I have similar rules for the n-word.

That’s how I typically use it… a slightly spicier synonym for feminine genitals. I’ve fallen far from my earlier artsy style of erotica, I avoided using any lewd sounding words at all quite poetically.

Sandor was vastly one of my favorites in the series… and his use of cunt was masterful. Everybody and anybody was a cunt. I loved it!

 

[SimonDoom]

That’s how I typically use it… a slightly spicier synonym for feminine genitals. I’ve fallen far from my earlier artsy style of erotica, I avoided using any lewd sounding words at all quite poetically.

Sanford was vastly one of my favorites in the series… and his use of cunt was masterful. Everybody and anybody was a cunt. I loved it!

The C word was liberally used in GOT. My most memorable recollection of its use was when Olenna Tyrell, facing imminent death at the hands of Jaime Lannister, said of Joffrey, Jaime's bastard son, "He really was a cunt, wasn't he?"

I like the use of the word to refer to genitals, but I've never liked it as an insult precisely because of its association with female anatomy and the suggestion that there's something wrong with that. Calling a man an "asshole," "dick," or "prick" has always seemed more appropriate to me.

 

[DeLaFaye]

If I call you a cunt I’m not being nice or playful.

If I'm calling anyone a cunt, anywhere, it's a loving term of endearment. But they're also extremely well aware of that fact beforehand. I often would say to an ex, "oh, you cunt!" instead of "oh, you bitch!" and they thought it was hilarious. I also can't remember the last time I called someone a derogatory name and meant it that way.

 

[Djmac1031]

The C word was liberally used in GOT. My most memorable recollection of its use was when Olenna Tyrell, facing imminent death at the hands of Jaime Lannister, said of Joffrey, Jaime's bastard son, "He really was a cunt, wasn't he?"

I like the use of the word to refer to genitals, but I've never liked it as an insult precisely because of its association with female anatomy and the suggestion that there's something wrong with that. Calling a man an "asshole," "dick," or "prick" has always seemed more appropriate to me.

Like many other words, fuck and cunt can have multiple meanings.

We all know "fuck" generally means intercourse. And yet we also know if we tell someone "fuck you" we're not actually inviting them to have sex, are we?

I see "cunt" the same way. Generally yes, it's a slang term for female genitalia.

But if I call someone a "cunt," I'm not meaning to demean a woman or her anatomy. In that context I'm insulting the recipient and the word now has a different connotation.

But that's me, and again i understand other's see it differently.

 

[Bramblethorn]

That’s how I typically use it… a slightly spicier synonym for feminine genitals. I’ve fallen far from my earlier artsy style of erotica, I avoided using any lewd sounding words at all quite poetically.

Sanford was vastly one of my favorites in the series… and his use of cunt was masterful. Everybody and anybody was a cunt. I loved it!

Speaking of Sanford, time for me to drag out one of my favourite pieces of government correspondence: Edgar Wright's discussion with the British Board of Film Classification on prospective use of "cunt" in an upcoming movie for which he was hoping to get a 15+ rating. https://www.firstshowing.net/2013/this-is-how-it-should-work-the-worlds-end-letter-from-the-censor/

The BBFC's Guidelines at '15' state 'The strongest terms (for example, 'cunt') may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable'.

As a general rule, it is highly unusual for the BBFC to permit more than three or four uses of very strong language at '15' in a feature length work. In terms of context, it is more likely that we would pass throwaway, matter-of-fact, or comic uses than uses that are aggressive, personally directed, or accompanied by complicating factors such as violence, threat, racism, or a power imbalance (for example, male to female uses are more of a problem than the other way around). In an extreme case, even a single aggressive use can push a film to '18' (for example, if a man were hitting a woman and calling her a cunt, or a man of one race hitting a person of a different race and using very strong language in combination with racist terms). Similarly, putting several uses together in a very short space of time may breach the 'repeated' section of our Guidelines and cause problems at '15'. It is generally better if uses are spread out somewhat.

As you say, we passed a single use in SHAUN OF THE DEAD because the use in question was throwaway, unthreatening, and essentially a term of endearment amongst friends ("Can I get any of you cunts a drink?"). In the case of HOT FUZZ we actually permitted two uses, one spoken and one written. First of all, we see the word 'cunt' on the list of prohibited terms on the swearbox in the police station and then we hear "What a cunt" when a man tells his friend about a man who sold drugs to kids. In the first case, the use was written (which reduces its impact) and of course lacked any aggression. In the second case, the use was not aggressive and was not personally directed but instead uttered about a person who is not present at the time.

So, the answer to your question is that it is possible to receive a '15' with three or four uses, provided they are not aggressive or threatening or complicated by any kind of power imbalance. However, it's best not to concentrate them together into a short outburst and we'd certainly caution against more than three or four uses.

I hope that's helpful to you.

Pretty much accurate for Australia too: it can be anything from an affectionate greeting to fighting words depending on context. From what I recall, Germaine Greer's "The Female Eunuch", one of the more famous feminist works of the 20th century, made no bones about "cunt". Greer was an Australian expat in the UK.

US sensibilities are a bit different on this, and unfortunately some US readers seem to feel every author on Lit should conform to US expectations. :-/

 

[ElectricBlue]

What's pleasing to me, reading this thread, is the number of women writers who use the word cunt, thereby claiming back the power of the word where it belongs, with women.

My older sister is a feminist who came out in the seventies, worked the political fronts in the eighties during Thatcher's Britain, and has remained active since then - her philosophy was to reclaim the word for women, which is why I use it. Dutiful brother, and all that.
EDIT: per Bramble's post - my sister was not dissimilar to Germaine Greer.

Having said that, a beta reader some time ago gave me a quota for each story, and I've sorta kinda adhered to that ever since, by starting out with milder word usages early on in a story, then escalating in intensity as the heat rises.

 

[Djmac1031]

Having said that, a beta reader some time ago gave me a quota for each story, and I've sorta kinda adhered to that ever since, by starting out with milder word usages early on in a story, then escalating in intensity as the heat rises.

I kinda do the same. I don't use "cunt" often, but when I do, I try and save it for those moments when things are truly hot and heavy.

Although I'm sure I could find instances where I've used it early on if i went back and looked lol.

 

[DeLaFaye]

But if I call someone a "cunt," I'm not meaning to demean a woman or her anatomy. In that context I'm insulting the recipient and the word now has a different connotation.

While I agree intent is generally king, etymology and societal norms play a much bigger part with this one than most. You might not mean to be demeaning, but given the meaning of this one, and where the word and its insulting nature are derived from, (I'm assuming) your intent will mean very little to most. Unless of course you're also going to take the time to explain that while you're calling that person a cunt, you in no way intend to demean those who have a pussy or would identify as such by using said word.

Idk, feels like a mouthful to me. But I also cannot remember the last time I've called anyone a derogatory name besides like, Bumbum head.

 

[Djmac1031]

While I agree intent is generally king, etymology and societal norms play a much bigger part with this one than most. You might not mean to be demeaning, but given the meaning of this one, and where the word and its insulting nature are derived from, (I'm assuming) your intent will mean very little to most. Unless of course you're also going to take the time to explain that while you're calling that person a cunt, you in no way intend to demean those who have a pussy or would identify as such by using said word.

Idk, feels like a mouthful to me. But I also cannot remember the last time I've called anyone a derogatory name besides like, Bumbum head.

It's not like I use it often or anything. I am well aware of people's sensibilities when it comes to that word and I try and be mindful of that of course.

Just saying I don't truly understand the objection to it that much.

 

[DeLaFaye]

It's not like I use it often or anything. I am well aware of people's sensibilities when it comes to that word and I try and be mindful of that of course.

Just saying I don't truly understand the objection to it that much.

I get that. It definitely depends on how you say it. Honestly, I would think that to be enough to clear up intent. But, people

 

[bala7400]

I mainly switched between the two because using pussy all the time got repetitive. I also use different words for penis. As both the writer and the reader I find repeated words annoying.

I also used different words for vagina like pussy or cunt and for penis too.

 

[RejectReality]

The opposite, actually. My wife absolutely despised the word dick. The whole word filter on her forum was every variant either of us could think of or anybody had ever used. That's why it's used so infrequently in my work, even to this day. I still only use it when it's dialogue or first person narrative where it's appropriate for the character.

Has anyone ever said "cock" is offensive, but "dick" is perfectly okay?

I've certainly never heard anyone bring it up.

Haven't read the whole thread, but cunt is also far more common across the pond with a far less negative ( sexual ) context I believe. Doesn't help much with a majority U.S. audience though.

That's another word that's reserved for dialogue or first person narrative in my work.

You'll also get people complaining about capitalizing God. I'd have to dig up the comments, but I had a few early on where readers considered that pushing a religious agenda on them. Not much pushback when it's a singular interjection or the first word of a sentence, but type "Oh my God!" and a few people crawl out of the woodwork.

If you're getting a lot of pushback, it may be worth suppressing it as a common occurrence in your work, so long as it doesn't bother you. I switched away from capitalizing God for that reason. It doesn't offend my sensibilities either way, so I went with the path of least resistance, even though the pushback was limited. I've yet to see anyone complain about not capitalizing it.

If you feel that cunt is the appropriate word for the story, use it. Don't bend for a few whiners if it goes against your natural inclination.

 

[Seadog777]

It's a only a word.

It only has "power" to hurt, if you LET IT hurt you.

I use the word all the time.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

What do you think about using cunt in your stories?

Best word ever!

You can call someone a dick (or even a tool) and no one bats an eye, even though it's the make equivalent of cunt. Drop a cunt in there and everyone will react, either by laughing, snickering or being shocked or horrified. There are but a handful of folks on this planet that don't flinch at the word cunt.

If you hadn't used the word cunt in your story that snowflake would almost certainly not have even bothered to give you feedback at all. But you dropped cunt and made a connection. Even a negative connection is better than no connection. You made them feel something. It's a very powerful word in that way.

All power to the cunt.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It's a only a word.

It only has "power" to hurt, if you LET IT hurt you.

I use the word all the time.

Absolute truth.

 

[Seadog777]

Absolute truth.

I speak a lot of it.