american english - Why is 'c*nt' so much more derogatory in the US than the UK?


What accounts for the strong disapproval of anyone using the word 'cunt' in the US, when the sentiment doesn't exist to the same extent in the UK?


To be clear, it's still a strong word to use in the UK, but it's much, much more common to hear it there than it is here in the US.


Is it merely due to a discrepancy in popular morals, or are there specific historical occurrences at play in the US that have left their mark? Does the strong feminist movement in the US in the 60/70ies factor in e.g.?


Does anyone know how 'acceptable' the term is in other countries with a large English speaking population (India e.g.)?


I'm new here, and I ask this genuinely, as I've lived in both England and the States and have been fascinated by the visceral reaction the word tends to evoke by large numbers Americans. Per previous discussions on meta there's a consensus for not shying away from offensive words and a faction that doesn't even recommend censoring them when used in the context of discussing the English language.


I chose to only censor it in the title, so nobody can claim to be offended if they click through, and this question will still turn up in search results for the uncensored version.



Answer



Am I right in saying that in the US the primary usage of the word is for a man to call a woman a cunt as an accusation of reprehensible moral standards, as well as it being laced with undertones of misogyny and sexism? In this context, extreme offensiveness is very much the intent.


In the UK it’s not really used that way; rather it’s just another generic insult that, while still regarded as the strongest of our swear words, is losing its impact over time. As well as occasionally being thrown at each other by antagonists in an argument, it’s quite widely used between friends (men, predominantly) – either towards each other in a playful sense, or to refer to other people of whom the speaker disapproves.


So I’d suggest that different reception of the word in the two countries is down to these different predominant uses.


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