General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Australia's Opposition Leader Just Called A C**t In Parliament [View all]Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)and it's no longer valid to excuse the usage because it isn't offensive within my own cultural framework. If most of the people speaking my language recognize the term as offensive, what's liberal or progressive about defending its usage?
Some have tried to deflect the argument by bringing up the slang term for cigarette in other English-speaking areas, but they're missing a critical difference. Before it became a slur for gay, that term was used to describe small sticks. Thus the slang use of it for a cigarette makes sense in an etymological sense.
There isn't an innocuous history associated with c***. It's been held as obscene since at least the 18th century.
For anyone who wants to read up on it, I recommend "Expletive Deleted" by the Australian linguist Ruth Wajnryb.