Bitch
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This article is about the slang term. For other uses, see Bitch (disambiguation).
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Literally, a bitch is a female dog. Its original use as an insult was based on a comparison of a woman to a dog in heat.
A bitch is a female canine. It is also a common English profanity for a woman that typically carries denigrating or misogynistic overtones—such as resemblance to a dog. It is also used to characterize someone who is belligerent and unreasonable, or displays rudely intrusive or aggressive behavior.
Its original use as a vulgarism, documented to the fourteenth century, suggested high sexual desire in a woman, comparable to a bitch in heat. The range of meanings has expanded in modern usage. In a feminist context, it can indicate a strong or assertive woman, one who might make men feel threatened. When applied to a man, "bitch" is a derogatory term for a subordinate.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Modern use
2.1 Reappropriation
2.1.1 Pop culture
2.2 Hip hop culture
3 In reference to men
4 Idioms
4.1 Son of a bitch
4.2 Bitch slap
4.3 Riding bitch
4.4 In cards
5 Other forms
6 Self-identified bitches
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
History
The term "bitch" comes from the 1150[citation needed] word bicche, which was developed from the Old English word bicce. It also may have been derived from the Old Norse word bikkja for "female dog." The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term meaning "female dog" to around 1000 A.D.[1]
As a derogatory term for women, it has been in use since the fourteenth[2] or fifteenth century.[1] Its earliest slang meaning mainly referred to sexual behavior, according to the English language historian Geoffrey Hughes:[3]
The early applications were to a promiscuous or sensual woman, a metaphorical extension of the behavior of a bitch in heat. Herein lies the original point of the powerful insult son of a bitch, found as biche sone ca. 1330 in Arthur and Merlin ... while in a spirited exchange in the Chester Play (ca. 1400) a character demands: “Whom callest thou queine, skabde bitch?” (“Who are you calling a whore, you miserable bitch?”).
"Bitch" remained a strong insult through the nineteenth century. The entry in Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785) reads :
A she dog, or doggess; the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore, as may he gathered from the regular Billinsgate or St Giles answer--"I may be a whore, but can't be a bitch."[4]
Modern use
In modern usage the term bitch has different meanings depending largely on context and may vary from very offensive to endearing.[1] The term can refer to a person or thing that is very difficult, as in "Life's a bitch."[citation needed] It is common for insults to lose intensity as their meaning broadens ("bastard" is another example).[3] By 1974, Elton John had a pop hit (#4 in the U.S. and #14 in the U.K.) with "The Bitch Is Back", which mentions "bitch" repeatedly. It was, however, censored by some radio stations.[5]
Modern use can include self-description, often as an unfairly difficult person. For example, in the New York Times bestseller The Bitch in the House, a woman describes her marriage: "I'm fine all day at work, but as soon as I get home, I'm a horror....I'm the bitch in the house." [6] Boy George admitted "I was being a bitch" in a falling out with Elton John.[7]
Generally, the term is still considered offensive, and not accepted in formal situations. According to linguist Deborah Tannen, "Bitch is the most contemptible thing you can say about a woman. Save perhaps the four-letter C word."[8] It's common for the word to be censored on Prime time TV, often rendered as "the b-word." During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, a John McCain supporter referred to Hillary Clinton by asking, "How do we beat the bitch?" The event was reported in censored format:[9]
On CNN's "The Situation Room," Washington Post media critic and CNN "Reliable Sources" host Howard Kurtz observed that "Senator McCain did not embrace the 'b' word that this woman in the audience used." ABC reporter Kate Snow adopted the same locution. On CNN's "Out in the Open," Rick Sanchez characterized the word without using it by saying, "Last night, we showed you a clip of one of his supporters calling Hillary Clinton the b-word that rhymes with witch." A local Fox 25 news reporter made the same move when he rhymed the unspoken word with rich.
Rick Sanchez of CNN went on to comment: "...a horrible word that is used to do nothing but demean women... Obviously, the word that's used here is very offensive."[10]
Reappropriation
"Bitch" has been reappropriated to have positive meanings in some contexts.
In the context of modern feminism, "bitch" has varied reappropriated meanings that may connote a strong female (anti-stereotype of weak submissive woman), cunning (equal to males in mental guile), or else it may be used as a tongue-in cheek backhanded compliment for someone who has excelled in an achievement.[11][12][13] For example, Bitch magazine describes itself as a "feminist response to pop culture." [14]
Feminist attorney Jo Freeman (Joreen) authored the "Bitch manifesto" in 1968:[15][16]
A Bitch takes shit from no one. You may not like her, but you cannot ignore her....[Bitches] have loud voices and often use them. Bitches are not pretty....Bitches seek their identity strictly thru themselves and what they do. They are subjects, not objects...Often they do dominate other people when roles are not available to them which more creatively sublimate their energies and utilize their capabilities. More often they are accused of domineering when doing what would be considered natural by a man.
Pop culture
In a 2006 interview titled "Pop Goes the Feminist," Bitch magazine co-founder Andi Zeisler explained the naming of the magazine:[11]
When we chose the name, we were thinking, well, it would be great to reclaim the word “bitch” for strong, outspoken women, much the same way that “queer” has been reclaimed by the gay community. That was very much on our minds, the positive power of language reclamation.
Pop culture contains a number of slogans of self-identification based on "bitch". For example,
"You call me 'Bitch' like it's a bad thing."
"I go zero to bitch in 3.5 seconds."
There are several invented acronyms. Heartless Bitches International is a club with the slogan "Because we know BITCH means: Being In Total Control, Honey!" Other imagined acronyms include
"Beautiful Intelligent Talented Creative Honest"
"Beautiful Individual That Causes Hardons" [17]
"Babe In Total Control of Herself".[18]
Hip hop culture
The word bitch is sometimes used casually among hip-hop artists and followers of the culture. The term is typically used to describe a young female regardless of personality or looks. As in the culture the term "dawg" is used for males it is sometimes said as a type positive way as "bitch" is the female term. Often it is a directly negative and violent condemnation of character (referring sometimes to males as well, but especially directed at females). Queen Latifah constantly uses the phrase "Who you calling a bitch" in her Grammy-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y.".
The terms "biatch", "beyotch" or similar expression is a slang substitute for "bitch". The term has become widely used in mainstream media to avoid censorship. It is a feature of "Let Me Ride" by rapper Dr. Dre, from his album The Chronic. In this album featured artist Snoop Doggy Dogg calls MC Ren and Tim Dog with the word "biatch", and that's why many people think that the word was created by Snoop himself as well as the word "bootylicious", a word featured in the single "Dre Day" from The Chronic. Snoop Dogg also in his live tours says the word "biatch" at the end of Gin and Juice.[19]
In reference to men
spamming
