1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to stuff. 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: I never told your production I heart radio. Okay, so 3 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: before we get into this one right off the bat 4 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: you probably could tell from the title, but content warning. 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: We are talking about the origin of a word that 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: is often used offensively against women or towards men. Usually 7 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: you're referring to women, but the P word. So here's 8 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: your chance to switch it off if that's not something 9 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: you're into hearing, give you a pause. Okay, perfect, I 10 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: like it, Thank you. And this is a very abbreviated history. Samantha. 11 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: You were saying that what is that Netflix show has 12 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: something the history of the swear words? Nicholas k just 13 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: the one that's hosting it. It was pretty fun because 14 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: it has a lot of the comedians that come through 15 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: and talk about this and this is one of those words. 16 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: And I will say it's not one of my favorite words, 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: but yeah, the show is pretty fun. Yeah, there's definitely 18 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: deeper dives than what we're doing here on this mini. 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: But it's been on my mind because recently Donald Trump 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: told Mike Pence that he could go down in history 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: as a patriot or a which is the word we're 22 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: talking about that wasn't clear here meaning coward. And this 23 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: is after Trump's infamous access Hollywood tapery casually talked about 24 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: sexual assault and said grab him by the and of 25 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: course the whole thing with women trying to reclaim it 26 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: afterwards and cats and the debate around the feminism of 27 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: that whole thing. And yeah, I got me thinking about 28 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: the history of this word. And and it has pretty 29 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: strange word really because it it can mean cat, or 30 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: it can be a vulgar way to refer to female genitalia, 31 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: or it can mean coward, typically used as a feminine 32 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: insult against a man, as any example above, and also 33 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: in a female sexual partner sexual intercourse itself. But tracing 34 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: the history is easier said than done, as it turns out, 35 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: as is almost always these with these word episodes that 36 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: we do right. And we talked a little bit about 37 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: this with Amanda from the Word Slut book. I know, 38 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: but yeah, so no one's really sure where the word 39 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: comes from. And even in the documentary we talked about 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: their historians in there who say they don't really know 41 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: and they go through different theories. But this is probably 42 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: because it was used in speech long before it was 43 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 1: written down as in most words or sensitive words. Specifically, 44 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: some say comes from the word pussy alotomous, which means 45 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: showing a lack of courage or determination slash timid, but 46 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: most people dismiss that theory. Others claim that one of 47 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: the first recorded instances of word appeared in England towards 48 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: the end of the sixteenth century, non sexual, non offensive 49 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: slang for a woman from Philip Stubbs. After writing about 50 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: miss tendency to marry quickly, he quoted, no, no it, 51 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: because no matter these things, so long as he has 52 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: his pretty huggle, for that is the only thing he desires. 53 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: And I would like to put in here that I've 54 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: been saying the word huggle and didn't think it was 55 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: a real word, And I thought I was making it 56 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: up because this is how I asked for hugs and snuggles. 57 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: So I feel pretty cool right now. Good for you. 58 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: I like that using the word makes you feel cool. 59 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: The child that loves childish words, I'm all for it. 60 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: The Oxyfden English Dictionary also puts the words originating around 61 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: this time to mean a woman that shared qualities with 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: a cat like sweetness our friendliness, which kind of cratched 63 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: me up because I feel like most of the time 64 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: when people talk about cats, sweetness and friendliness is like 65 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: the opposite of what they say. I'm using this as 66 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: a reference to the cat mean the it's such just 67 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: like kitty terms, like kitten type of term. Maybe that's 68 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: what they mean that specific word at that point in time. 69 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: Well it's funny too, because we recently did Angela Carter's 70 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: The Bloody As we talked about Puss in boots. So 71 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: when I think of that now, I think of like 72 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: a really crass, darty old cat. Yeah. Yeah, to be 73 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: fair puss like in the cartoonist characters. His big weapon 74 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: is to take those big speaking eyes and that's his charm, 75 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: you know, and then uses it as a weapon. But 76 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: that's how I thought of it. Interesting, if I had 77 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: more time, I'd go on a deep dive about that 78 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: and how women often get like using their tries away, 79 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: and I doubt that's what's going on here. But yes, 80 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: the word puss has been used and had been at 81 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: that time to refer to cats, long before it was 82 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: applied to women. Because of this, so I think that 83 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: the word derives from an old German word for cat. 84 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: In the six we see one of the first crude 85 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: usages from a country song. It's sort of a weird 86 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: double entendre. So okay, see if you can get it 87 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: a pretty I need you to sing it, and you're 88 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: not gonna sing it? Do you do it? Catteralling is 89 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: the word. What would happen and everyone would die. I 90 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: would be like the ring but podcast version and immedia. 91 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 1: No singing to be had today. Fine, fine, A pretty 92 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: young kitty she had that could her, was gamesome and 93 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: handsome and had a rare fur, and straight up I 94 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: took it and offered to stroke it and hopes I 95 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: should make it kind. Oh lord, oh lord, indeed, I 96 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: don't like that. So one of the first known written 97 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: instances of as an insult to a man came from 98 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: the nineteen o four book God's Good Men. However, other 99 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: linguists doubt the Old German origins and instead point to 100 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: Old Norse, at least when it comes to the genitalia connotation, 101 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: which have a similar word meaning vulva or pocket. Yes, 102 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: but okay. The porn industry gets a lot of credit 103 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: for popularizing the use of as a nicer word for 104 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: female genitalia. This is problematic because historically so much porn 105 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: has been male, gay centered and degrading to women and 106 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: also cementing unrealistic body standards for women that so many 107 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: internalized since our sex ed is terrible United States and 108 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: a lot of kids learn about it from porn, Like, 109 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: the percentage is very disturbing, right. Yeah, So that's about 110 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: where we are, and the debate continues around the history 111 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: of this word, the feminism of using it, if it 112 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,119 Speaker 1: should be reclaimed, because you've got things like wapp also 113 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: pussy riot, like there are people in that space operating 114 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: to reclaim it. However, I think that we can all 115 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: agree that when a sexist sexual assaulter uses it, it's offensive, 116 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: and using it to mean coward it's also offensive because 117 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 1: essentially what you're saying is that women are cowardly and you, 118 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: heaven forbid you'd be like a woman when you use 119 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: it in that manner. Yeah, and we know the person 120 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: who we're talking about specifically does absolutely mean in that 121 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: context and that unless you're a beautiful woman, you're of 122 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: no use. Yeah. So I think it's a very as 123 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: with a lot of I guess this isn't I don't 124 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: know is this a swear word. It is a swear 125 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: word like it's definitely gonna be bleaped really yes, oh yes, 126 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: so apologies unless word which is gonna be hard enough 127 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: because when we're talking about the cat version, right, that 128 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: not necessarily, but when we're using it in context of 129 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: genitalia or in a slang term, yes, this is a 130 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: curse word. Wow. Well at that point to like how 131 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: complicated this word is because a lot of our curse 132 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: words are. I mean, even when you think about how 133 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: it can refer to a dog, like really derogatory to 134 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: a woman, and how that's being reclaimed, we're seeing that 135 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: with a lot of words play out. But it is 136 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: very complicated and it's very personal, it is. Yeah. Well 137 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: that's our brief rundown on the history of the word. 138 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: If you would like to email us, we would love 139 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Our email Stuff Medium, mom Stuff, 140 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: I Hurt meia dot com. You can also find us 141 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast or on Instagram at 142 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: Stuff I've Never Told You. Thanks as always to our 143 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: super producer, Christina. Thank you Christina, and thanks to you 144 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: for listening Stuff I Never Told You his production of 145 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcast from my iHeart Radio, 146 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart radio, app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 147 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.