pejorative terms for men and women

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

I must have accidentally deleted Larry Horn's comments (citing feminist
theory) to the effect that there are many potentially perjorative terms for
women-as-women (not only CUNT and TWAT, COW and BITCH and HORSE, but also SKIRT,
BROAD, DAME, DIKE, etc.) but none for men (except PRICK, which, as Larry points
out, is not really parallel to to CUNT and TWAT in its meaning and use; FAGGOT
is another special case).

I'm not sure that he mentioned it, but it is also the case that even the word
WOMAN itself can be used pejoratively (e.g., as a term of address), whereas
MAN generally has positive connotations.

On the other hand, there are such terms as LOUT and PALOOKA that (like BROAD
and DAME) seem to carry generally pejorative connotations but can only be used
about men. Likewise LECHER and RAKE (though they parellel WHORE and SLUT).

My students usually agree that ASSHOLE can only be used about men, though
perhaps that is changing. (I think ASSHOLE has been discussed earlier on ADS-L?)
I'd add SCUMBAG to this list (though when I say it, Ann Coulter does come
vaguely to mind).


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