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USAGE Re: [CONLANG] Bunty.

From:And Rosta <and.rosta@...>
Date:Friday, June 20, 2008, 19:04
Michael Poxon, On 21/06/2008 18:50:
> "Bint" is British English slang (very insulting) for a woman. I > regularly use it to a female friend of mine, though in that case, since > we are such good friends, it is taken as playful. Not a word to be used > lightly with people you don't know, though!
Mildly disrespectful rather than very insulting, I'd say. Comparable to _fiddle_ versus _violin_. It's a synonym of _woman_, and similar to _wench_ (in being a synonym of _woman_ with different sociolinguistic value), and unlike innumerably many other derogatory words for women that add some further element of meaning (sexual laxity, garrulity, irascibility, etc.). Actually though, I might be wrong, for upon further introspection I conclude that it means 'foreign (nonanglo) woman'; I would never talk about a 'Yorkshire bint' or a 'Texas bint', but I would call my missus an 'Eyetie bint'. However, neither Dennis the repressed serf nor the OED agree with me on this. --And.

Replies

Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>
ROGER MILLS <rfmilly@...>
Michael Poxon <mike@...>