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.
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