The C Word

Following on from the F word thread, I thought I'd initiate a discussion about the C word

Why?

Not a bit bothered by it.
Had to help my daughter practice use it for a play she was in a few years ago ? we said out loud around the house in the car and wherever we could until we were desensitized. It was a good play she played her part well with no stumbling over the word!

The C word is only ever used derisively or aggressively, and given that the C is part of the female anatomy that is often violated by men I would have thought that all women, feminists or not, would have been offended at its more widespread use in general language. I'm a feminist through and through and frankly I can't abide other self-proclaimed feminists who use this word in public simply to shock and give the impression they can and want to, compete with men - we have vaginas and when we use that word there's no hostile connotation, but to call someone a C implies the strong belief that the vagina is a worthless place and one that others have the right to denigrate. We would we as women want to downgrade ourselves by assuming our very valuable genitals can be used in general language in such an insulting way? And Chaucer used it - so what? Women were burnt at the stake then for being witches!

The C word is vile and makes me feel sick if I hear anyone say it.

I really don’t like the C word, mainly because it’s an insult, but means a woman’s genitals. Why should a woman’s genitals be considered negative? What grates on me more though, is the modern tendency to refer to the Vulva as the Vagina!

Oh great.
We have a word other than medical for the female lower bit
Any one ideas for the male lower bits

'Lady Garden' - ha ha ha ha ha. I thought the daftest euphemism I'd ever heard was years ago from my daughter's Geordie nursery teacher - she called it her 'fairy'. I pointed out that my daughter thought you found fairies at the bottom of the garden. Oh the room for confusion.
Maybe - following this thread - I'll call my FANNY (it is a FANNY so stop FANNYING AROUND) my 'Christmas' from now on.
He he he he ha ha ha ha ha ha.

I can't stand hearing the word. Usually used with such vehemence towards a person, it's horrible. Lady garden, bush, words I don't use but not quite so offended as with the 'c' word.

Ps the C word that fills me with dread is the one that ends in ‘mas’ ?

Mama, my mother used to use the same phrase when either of my sisters were off for an evening with one or other of their friends. I used to say the same to my GD, who we brought up and received the response “but grandad in your day is was more risky" accompanied with a cheeky smile and giggle.

There’s nothing wrong with the word per se as DHLawrence uses it to good effect in Lady C as have other writers. It’s when it’s used as an insult that it sounds so ugly and it is strange that words for genitals are used as insults (male and female)as are words for copulation but I guess it originates from times past when the sex act and it’s associated parts were considered to be dirty/ wrong etc etc

Gagajo said
easily offended (hence the Christmas references)
so I was trying (for once!) to avoid causing offense.

I always take the view that if any one wants to take offence they will..... I never give it... it is for the recipient to take it...

now should that be offence or offense? come on, this is an invented human language, we put letters and words and make sounds,,, all invented.... what could possibly be offensive about any word? it is the intention behind it..

my dh hates "stupid" come on.... see what I mean?
mind you, I do cringe at the f word, and now you have all taught me the c word! lol next?

It's not a word I would use , but as a historian there is another one that starts with a c that I cant bear
Swearing of any sort wasn't done in my family, although in private I can swear with the best of them

Me again! Just been looking on Google, etc - yes, there was a street called Gropec**t Lane - evidentially several towns had such named streets in the Middle Ages. Chaucer used the c word very often! What made me laugh was a sign for “Tickle Cock Bridge” - the mind boggles! This post will probably get censored.

Somebody once told me there used to be C**t Street in London where all the prostitutes hung out! Has anyone else heard that? I know c**t is a very old fashioned word but I still hate it and find it much more offensive than the F word.

For those who misunderstood, who would use the word Christmas to allude to their "Lady garden"? But to get back to the topic, I agree that it shouldn't be used as the worst swear word but it has such a satisfying hard and explosive sound, I sometimes can't resist.

Teetime I saw the Vagina Monologues several years ago.....I found myself laughing out loud one minute, and sobbing the next!

should be TerriBull in bold but I mispelt it!

* Terribull* 'Keep your hand on your ha'penny', was the advice given to my Grandma, by her Mum, when she was 'courting' back in the 1920's, I think lots of euphemisms were used then weren't they? I think it was also the lyric to a music hall song of the same era. I now wished that I'd written down all the little snippets of life she told me about when I was a teenager- but I was too preoccupied with other things at the time- mainly boys which could explain why she told me about the saying!

I loathe the ‘c’ word and have only ever heard it used as a derogatory term.

When used (locally) in a heavy Scouse accent it sounds aggressive - the emphasis on the hard C and "un" sound. When said by in an Eastend, Australian or Irish accent it sounds totally different.

I went to see the Vagina Monologues some years ago and it very wittily uses all these words and attempts to trace the origins of the but also uses anecdotes and funny stories. I saw Marlene from Only Fools etc etc in it.

It was a word that once upon a time you'd never hear, now it seems, once the "f" has reduced in the level of shock it once had, the c word has stepped in to replace it. It's certainly not uncommon to see it over on MN, some like to describe people they don't like in that way as a sort of a challenge, I detect nevertheless a desire to shock lurks there, that's my perception.

Having said that I can't stand euphemisms, I'm with the rest of you on "lady garden". I worked with an older woman quite a few years ago who had a really annoying expression which went something like this "I tell my girls to keep their hands over their penny with boyfriends". I knew exactly what she meant but I found the expression so nauseating I felt compelled to feign ignorance and asked her to explain exactly what she meant. Why do people have dress their misplaced embarrassment up with baby like nonsense talk.

The C word s the only swear word that is banned in this house. I loathe it and I’m with MawB on calling our vaginal area a lady garden, use the right terms or if feeling faint, refer to nether regions.
I’ve only ever heard C used aggressively and in a way that is intended to cause offence to women. That’s much less noticeable with eg dickhead

I’m with nanaK and others on this one - I know all the swear words but would never use the C word or indeed the T word. In fact I’m known for correcting people who use it, saying ‘Its pronounced TWIT actually!’