|
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.
|