June 16, 2004

Term of Endearment Some interesting comments made by University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman. She may find c__t endearing, but I know some monkeys who beg to differ.

I don't know if the recruiting scandal at the University of Colorado has reached national notice (maybe among sports fans), let alone reached a worldwide audience, but I'm really interested to see your reactions to her comment.

  • I use it as a term of endearment, but not, um, for the whole package, so to speak, just my favorite part. Golly, I'm feeling randy.
  • Take your hands off Randy right now young man! This is a family site! FeigningIgnoranceOfEnglishIdiomsForACheapLarfFilter
  • Lucky Randy!!! At least he's getting a feeling!
  • It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside... But on the actual topic, since I've derailed enough threads for today, I this bint serious? Of course it can be used as a term of endearment, but to believe for a second that in this particular context it was, is to stretch credulity to almost ridiculous levels.
  • Reminding me of the Sherpa who saw ghosts -- can this be due to hypoxia?
  • No. I actually believe the sherpa. He's not covering his ass.
  • This is not funny. She is the representative of this university. Colorado does not need any more stupid pet tricks in the news (i.e. Air Force Academy rapes, Kobe Bryant, Columbine, general idiocy, etc.) The b___tch (could be "butch") needs to go pronto. And take JonBenet's ghost with her.
  • Best part of the article: But, the spokesperson said, because Hoffman is a medieval scholar, she is aware of the long history of the word. She said it was not always a negative term. I think it reasonable to assume the rapists were medieval scholars as well. Brush up on your historical understanding at the OED: If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her cunt.
  • Well the word "hussy" didn't used to be negative either. Or for that matter, "screw". Can they get a sworn affadivit from someone who actually used that word as a term of endearment?
  • She said it was not always a negative term ok, its Gropec__t, but you can guess how the street name was derived. I reckon, that if they named streets after it (albeit probably pretty dodgy ones), then you can safely say it certainly used to be less offensive. As for me, whenever I phone my dear Dad, the first thing I say is 'allo you old c__t, whats up then?' to which he says 'not much wanker, you?' There you can't get more endearing than that. but like surlyboi, trying to pretend that this wasn't an offensive utterance is stupid. Cock and Sucker are two very valid, non offensive words - but stick them together and shout them at a policeman and you'll likely get your faced kicked off. Yummy.
  • The Oxford English Dictionary Online is a subscription service. Access to the Dictionary is only available to users with valid licences. Try a search here, maybe. 1923 Manchon Le Slang 97 Cunt-hat ... chapeau de feutre. (!!!)
  • Not to get off topic but: The Oxford English Dictionary Online is a subscription service. That's what I thought, and it's damn expensive as well, but hear me out. My wife, who incidentally has been following this issue more than I have and was pretty pissed when she read the article, was on the OED the other day looking up words. "How," I asked. "You need a subscription." "I don't know," she said. So I went to OED homepage and did a search where it says OED Online Subscribers and it worked. I don't recall what word I looked up, but it may have started with an "m." Feel free to post theories as to what happened at the OED website as long as you discuss the use of the word "cunt" and the article in question.
  • Not to get off topic again, but evidently we get OED subscription service through Iowa State University. All I can say is "kick ass." That, and I hope someday female victims of abuse aren't blamed for what's happened to them. I interpret Hoffman's statements as doing this indirectly.
  • I don't know that the word is automatically vile and disgusting. It's the meaning behind it. Clearly in this case it was meant to be vile and disgusting. It isn't always an offensive name. In fact, after you get to know someone, they might actually have you call them a c-word in public, in some sort of crazy dominance game. *coughs* Not that that's ever happened.
  • Maybe we should get her email address and mail her, saying "hello cunt.. how's your cunt?" about a dozen times. She's sure to see the funny side!
  • elizabeth.hoffman@cusys.edu
  • @cuntsys.edu
  • No need for that. The court should impose a large fine . Medieval scholars will know that the word 'fine' does not necessarily imply anything bad, but can signify assent or admiration - in fact, it could be an endearment.
  • Ummm... Certainly, all this was meant in the nicest possible way...
  • An Australian English site but possibly germane.
  • i enjoy it when my sweetie calls me that. but then again, it is in, um, only certain situations. which involve nakedness.
  • (p.s. just sent my sweetie the story, he says: "Ah, how I long for medieval times!")
  • I'm not a fan of that word at all. On the other hand, I don't have a problem with "dickhead" or "dickweed" and the like, so maybe I should get over it. It is definitely not a term of endearment though, and I think that even pretending that it is in this context is a major disservice to Katie and to all women who are trying to break into non-traditional roles.
  • We need some desensitizing, it seems. Cunt! Cunt! Cunty cunty cunting cunt. Cuntish cunting cunticular cunts. Cuntaceous cunted cuntier cuntings. Also, cunt. That's all. Come on, people. Hoffman made her comments in the course of a deposition. Have you ever been deposed? You don't get to editorialize then.
  • CU president sorry for comment "...At the Herald, Hoffman said, 'I was immediately sorry I said it.' She said the lawyer 'kept pushing me. He was very nasty.'" Harumph, I says. Harumph.
  • I'm often sorry for saying things that don't make a cunt of sense as well. Some try to say my slips are freudian, but I say it's that fucking nasty pushy lawyer.
  • ..."'They were trying to get me to say the coach had violated university rules by not reporting it as sexual harassment,' she said." And didn't he violate university rules?! The university will be sued either way. What is so wrong with admitting they were wrong and canning that neanderthal? I'll bet the lawsuit payouts would be reduced significantly because at least Hoffman would then be perceived as trying to fix the problem. As it stands now, she just looks like one more weak girlie under coachie's thumb. mutter mutter stupid idiot dumbasses mutter mutter STOOPID fucking meathead jocks mutter mutter... /endrant