5 ms·

> It's a name which is associated with a certain level of contempt when applied by a man to a woman. I am not a native speaker, so I might be wrong on this. Bu

by Udik 8y ago

> It's a name which is associated with a certain level of contempt when applied by a man to a woman. I am not a native speaker, so I might be wrong on this. But I believed that "bitch" is the female version of "dick", isn't it? For example in Italian both are rendered with the same word, only flexed by gender.

Aloha 8y ago
Yeah, more or less. I'd agree.
eric_h 8y ago
In essence those words are used pejoratively in comparable situations. The word “bitch” however literally means “female dog” and is, in fact, used in a non-derogatory way in dog breeding circles. Context is everything, but calling a female coworker a “bitch” is not acceptable in a professional environment.
- Udik 8y ago
  And what about calling a male colleague a "dick"? And of course I agree that it's unprofessional and generally not acceptable; however I disagree that it should be in itself enough to fire somebody. Of course a repeated behaviour of this kind is not acceptable and can be grounds for dismissal.
berberous 8y ago
While it depends on context, "bitch" (and the c-word) can be much more taboo words to use than dick/asshole. Like with the n-word, they have historically been used far more frequently in very hateful contexts -- i.e. men saying truly fucked up and mysoginistic things to women, in the same way that racist or homophobic epithets get used. Dick/asshole are much more neutral words from that perspective, rarely used in such hateful contexts -- for example, while I'd recommend you never do either as an employee, if you want to blow up at your female coworker for her bad behavior I think you'd be much better off just calling her a dick or asshole.
- komali2 8y ago
  >blow up at a coworker Is this happening? Are people experiencing this? Why is this allowed to happen?
DoreenMichele 8y ago
No, it's really not. Dick tends to be used to suggest selfish indifference. Bitch is much more often used to suggest malice aforethought, basically. So it is generally a stronger insult. Though usage varies tremendously and is heavily context dependent. In some cases, women use the word bitch in describing themselves to mean they have backbone and are willing to stand up for themselves in the face of a toxic, misogynistic culture.

by Udik 8y ago

Aloha 8y ago

Yeah, more or less. I'd agree.

eric_h 8y ago

In essence those words are used pejoratively in comparable situations. The word “bitch” however literally means “female dog” and is, in fact, used in a non-derogatory way in dog breeding circles. Context is everything, but calling a female coworker a “bitch” is not acceptable in a professional environment.

Udik 8y ago
And what about calling a male colleague a "dick"? And of course I agree that it's unprofessional and generally not acceptable; however I disagree that it should be in itself enough to fire somebody. Of course a repeated behaviour of this kind is not acceptable and can be grounds for dismissal.

berberous 8y ago

While it depends on context, "bitch" (and the c-word) can be much more taboo words to use than dick/asshole. Like with the n-word, they have historically been used far more frequently in very hateful contexts -- i.e. men saying truly fucked up and mysoginistic things to women, in the same way that racist or homophobic epithets get used. Dick/asshole are much more neutral words from that perspective, rarely used in such hateful contexts -- for example, while I'd recommend you never do either as an employee, if you want to blow up at your female coworker for her bad behavior I think you'd be much better off just calling her a dick or asshole.

komali2 8y ago
>blow up at a coworker Is this happening? Are people experiencing this? Why is this allowed to happen?

DoreenMichele 8y ago

No, it's really not. Dick tends to be used to suggest selfish indifference. Bitch is much more often used to suggest malice aforethought, basically. So it is generally a stronger insult. Though usage varies tremendously and is heavily context dependent. In some cases, women use the word bitch in describing themselves to mean they have backbone and are willing to stand up for themselves in the face of a toxic, misogynistic culture.