Words and cultural differences

[pocaracas]

Actually, this is about the word Cunt, but feel free to put up more examples.

It seems Americans get offended... very offended... when that word is thrown at them.
Not so much if one uses pussy. Both mean vagina when on their own, but when it's a qualifier they have different meanings.
Pussy means someone who is afraid, or scared.
But Cunt, I don't know.
The British seem to use cunt as an everyday insult. Something similar to idiot.
Idiot is a word that Americans use a lot and don't seem to get as upset over it as cunt.

Why?
What is the meaning of cunt to Americans?

[ignoramus]

Probably also what it means to everyone else. Not nice at all to say it to a woman that's for sure. I could never do it. It's too demeaning.

Would you use the "N" word in anger? Same deal.

[pocaracas]

Probably also what it means to everyone else. Not nice at all to say it to a woman that's for sure. I could never do it. It's too demeaning.

Would you use the "N" word in anger? Same deal.

As a non-native, I'm not bound by the same preconceptions...

Also, in Portuguese, the N word is the politically correct way to refer to African people and their descendants.

[LastPoet]

Probably also what it means to everyone else. Not nice at all to say it to a woman that's for sure. I could never do it. It's too demeaning.

Would you use the "N" word in anger? Same deal.

As a non-native, I'm not bound by the same preconceptions...

Also, in Portuguese, the N word is the politically correct way to refer to African people and their descendants.

No, they prefer to be called "pretos"(black) instead of negro (in portuguese its a pc word). It all depends on the demeanor used.

[LastPoet]

Imagine you asked someone up north how much they sell the nêspera here its a fruit.

[pocaracas]

As a non-native, I'm not bound by the same preconceptions...

Also, in Portuguese, the N word is the politically correct way to refer to African people and their descendants.

No, they prefer to be called "pretos"(black) instead of negro (in portuguese its a pc word). It all depends on the demeanor used.

Maybe some prefer that... but the pc word is negro.

I'm not from the north, so I don't know what other meaning they have for nêspera...

[LastPoet]

No, they prefer to be called "pretos"(black) instead of negro (in portuguese its a pc word). It all depends on the demeanor used.

Maybe some prefer that... but the pc word is negro.

I'm not from the north, so I don't know what other meaning they have for nêspera...

You go up there and in a market the woman there how much does she sell the "nêspera". It means pussy, vagina up there. I am not from there, but I know this rectangle top to bottom. They call the fruit by another name, drawing a blank on the name they use.

Its like " filho da puta". In some parts its banter, in others is a deadly offense. The demeanor is important.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I once spent far more time than I should have explaining to a USian poster that 'Paki' isn't simply short for 'Pakistani', but a derogatory, racist term, not much different than calling a person of African descent a 'nigger'.

But back to the OP:

'Cunt' is offensive, no matter how it is used.  Yes, the use of it is VERY common, still not something you'd say in polite company. In the UK, Australia or New Zealand, calling someone a cunt is much more likely to escalate the situation than calling them an idiot.

Boru

[chimp3]

Pussy and cunt are synonymous with vagina. I think cunts are beautiful. No reason to use ithe word as an insult. But, I am not easily offended either. I don't want to take away anybody's favorite toys

[Angrboda]

'Cunt' is offensive, no matter how it is used.  Yes, the use of it is VERY common, still not something you'd say in polite company. In the UK, Australia or New Zealand, calling someone a cunt is much more likely to escalate the situation than calling them an idiot.

Boru

I don't know. In some sense it's like the N word in that its offensiveness depends on context and intent. A woman can call another woman a cunt, or moreso, call a man a cunt, without it necessarily having the same salacious and offensive content. Indeed, I understand that the word is used as another term for mate in Australia. In particular, too, I think it comes across as more offensive when it is intentionally used to offend than when it is not. Say if a female pal of mine were to make a brain fart, I might respond along the lines of, "You silly cunt," and not be perceived as being offensive at all. It's similar to 'bint' in that respect. So I think it depends.