the new taboo
Arnold Zwicky
zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
Sat May 24 02:27:12 UTC 2003
sam clements:
>I think the word "cunt," used to describe a woman, is still pretty
>taboo in the US. Evidently, from a discussion over at the
>StraightDope
>http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185861&highli
>ght=cunt, the word has started to be used in England in reference to
>a male. The UK posters suggest that it is no worse than calling a
>guy a wanker, at least in some circles.
Monty Python's "man who couldn't say the letter C" sketch (he says B
instead, as in Beble Bollege, Oxford) ends with the bloke saying,
under his breath, "silly bunt". to another man, i think, but i'm
unable to find it in my sources right now.
certainly i heard this usage in the UK thirty years ago. it's the
sort of thing a yank like me would notice.
arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list