I have to admit that it's not a word I use...but I believe I was somewhat traumatised when, at ten years-old, I employed it in retort to a friend during an argument - in front of her mother.
I honestly had no idea at the time that it registered 10 on the NO-NO-ometer. I was verbally flayed alive by her mama's ensuing castigation.

I'm frequently taken aback when women use it on Twitter - perhaps I've got an authentic "hang-up".

While I sort of get Ms Scutt’s argument that the sportsman was only held accountable for one half of the insult, ‘black c*t’, it hardly stands up as a feminist argument. After all, women routinely use the term ‘pr*k’ as an ultimate insult towards a man.

As for the Michigan House kerfuffle, well, waddya expect from a Republican?

Far from being unmentionable, if anything, the V-word is in danger of being overused. We’ve had the ‘Vagina Monologues’ and Naomi Wolf has now penned ‘Vagina: A New Biography’ (I kid you not). I’m also told there’s a new condition called ‘vagina panic’, about women feeling their ‘down there’ place does not measure up to the waxed-out, airbrushed version of their porn sisters. And the V-word is popping up a lot in all those gen-Y chic-comedies.

You're such a misogynist Killarney, 93% of users 'Liked' this article. I feel so intimidated I just cant give my opinion, but rest assured I'm part of a silent minority that is being silenced by the likes of you.

An interesting discussion. I certainly hope the prudish old grandmother who moderates this forum is taking note: nobody has yet complained that they find the language in the article or the subsequent posts 'profane'. A lot of them have used 'profanity' themselves.

Apparently the only person in the entire universe who thinks such language 'profane' is the old bag herself. I think it's about time she was put out to pasture and replaced with somebody more in touch with the modern world and its inhabitants.

Cheers,

Tony

Jocelynne was embarrassed about a personal problem and went to her GP.

GP: What's the matter Jocelynne?

Jocelynne: I'm so embarrassed Doctor, everytime I bend over a whistling sound comes from my quim

GP: Well Jocelynne, take off your clothes and bend over.

Jocelynne takes off her clothes and everytime she bends over a whistling noise comes from her pussy.

GP: Jocelynne, I'm stumped; I'll ring a specialist mate.

GP to specialist: have a listen to this and tell me what you think it is.

Specialist, after listening to Jocelynne bend over and whistle from her twat: sounds to me like some cuunt whistling.

cohenite,
in the context of the article that's hilarious : )
I think it hi-lights the fact that these days men use the term in a similar fashion as "bastard"; generally affectionately. I think Jocelynne has to accept that men are irredeemably vulgar rather than misogynists. According to the OED the word's rather pedestrian, its first known use being a street name (I wouldn't mind living on that street). And then of course it's canonical and very liberally used by Chaucer, though Shakespeare abstained. James Joyce uses it metaphorically as "The grey sunken cuunt of the world", and maybe Jocelynne takes exception to that, but let's face it, aesthetically it's less than a masterpiece and lends itself to such squalid imagery. It's also often been likened to a trap men fall into--not just a woman's clutches, but the very demon of sexuality that makes one "cuunt-struck" (first used 1876). Of course in our 'enlightened' times anything goes and we are assured it's de riguer to 'explore one's sexuality' to the full and pursue the ultimate orgasm--as if there ever could be an ultimate orgasm, or it's worth pursuing. The orgasm is indeed symbolic of the endless pursuit of that which we desire generally. Jouissance lies behind the marvellous success of consumerism. "I sicken with desire, pine for unseen, unknown cuunts" (Henry Miller). Now this perhaps looks like misogyny? But another uncomfortable truth for Jocelynne is men do indeed lust over cuunts, and not necessarily the women they're attached to; just as women are enamoured of chocolate without considering the slave labour that goes into its production. Admittedly this is rather insensitive of men, but again it's not misogyny.