It's interesting to me to read the comments you've had to this, particularly as a slash writer.
I would agree that the words probably have traditionally had a more female slant, but I personally would use it with male and female friends (say if I was joking around with them and saying, "you are such a slut!" etc). And I've certainly heard the terms applied to men.
When I use the words in slash, it isn't in any way to "feminise" the characters. I would use it as a general insult. "Bitch" would be more likely to be used in a feminising way, I would think. But I think British English may be different to, say, American English. For example, terms like "cunt" are VERY female focussed in American English, but in the UK, 9 out of 10 times a person would be referring to a man when they used that word. Over here, an insult tends to be just that - an insult, without a whole lot of greater meaning behind it.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-05-21 11:30 pm (UTC)I would agree that the words probably have traditionally had a more female slant, but I personally would use it with male and female friends (say if I was joking around with them and saying, "you are such a slut!" etc). And I've certainly heard the terms applied to men.
When I use the words in slash, it isn't in any way to "feminise" the characters. I would use it as a general insult. "Bitch" would be more likely to be used in a feminising way, I would think. But I think British English may be different to, say, American English. For example, terms like "cunt" are VERY female focussed in American English, but in the UK, 9 out of 10 times a person would be referring to a man when they used that word. Over here, an insult tends to be just that - an insult, without a whole lot of greater meaning behind it.
Anyway, that's a ramble and a half! Sorry!