Wordslut

A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

The word “bitch” conjures many images for many people but is most often meant to describe an unpleasant woman. Even before its usage to mean a female canine, bitch didnt refer to gender at allit originated as a gender-neutral word meaning genitalia. A perfectly innocuous word devolving into a female insult is the case for tons more terms, including hussy, which simply meant housewife, or slut, which meant untidy and was also used to describe men. These words are just a few among historys many English slurs hurled at women.

Amanda Montell, feminist linguist and staff features editor at online beauty and health magazine Byrdie.com, deconstructs languagefrom insults and cursing to grammar and pronunciation patternsto reveal the ways it has been used for centuries to keep women form gaining equality. Ever wonder why so many people are annoyed when women use the word like as a filler? Or why certain gender neutral terms stick and others dont? Or even how linguists have historically discussed womens speech patterns?Wordslutis no stuffy academic study; Montells irresistible humor shines through, making linguistics not only approachable but both downright hilarious and profound.