A Word We Should All Get Rid Of

[Lowdark 5613]

There have beena few threads lately about words; the controversey over lyrics in a Dire Straits song and a recent conversation about the "C" word. But there's one other word I would like to see erased from our modern vocabulary. The word Whore.

 

It's an ugly word that describes only the most base and vile of people and has no place in the same sentence as the ladies, on CERB or anywhere else. We can't eliminate it from use by the masses, ignorant and uneducated about the quality of the women found in communities like this one, but we can express disapproval when someone uses it, no differently then if they had used the "C" or "N" words. And unless they're using it to describe someone in politics or shoveling nonsense for sensationalist media (looking at you US and Fox), people should realize how dirty the word is. Most of the ladies here on CERB are smart and charming and have huge hearts. CERB raised plenty of money for Haitian relief after the devastating Earthquake last year while Rush Limbaugh, with his 400 million dollar deal, refused to donate a single dollar. Some of the ladies assist charities all year long, have gone out of their way to help people in tough situations and the list could go on all day. Suffice to say, it's one word I'd like to see disappear forever.

[Kubrickfan 12836]

Agreed 100% ... especially as applied to the profession that is the usual subject of this board. The ladies here are some of the bravest human beings I know.

 

And I haven't looked up the definition, but I suspect it is something on the order of describing someone who forsakes their personal beliefs for money or power. Unfortuantely, most of us have to do this to some extent every day of our lives ... imagine running around a corporation telling people exactly how you feel. You're not going to last very long.

 

I'm a lawyer, so I get paid to adopt a point of view to advocate for my clients (thanks Lowdark for not including a lawyer example ... smile). And I don't always agree with those positions, but that's my job and that's an important role in society.

 

All that being said (and I dont want to deflect from the topic of this thread), Rush has given a ton of money, and a good portion of his fortune, to other charities and good causes over the years.

[Megan'sTouch 23875]

I disagree. The more you censor a word, the more powerful it becomes. You will never succeed at eliminating the word. We can only diffuse it. Why do you think black people, eg. rappers, call themselves niggers? Why do sex workers call themselves whores? To take the power away from the word. Why would you care if someone called you that name when you've already owned it?

 

A proud whore,

 

Megan

Posted via Mobile Device

[Grass_Hopper 18263]

Can somebody PM me what it means? I'm lost in all that English charabia, but I may have an opinion too...

[Newton 714]

Agree with Megan. Words have no meanings by themselves. People give meaning to them. Instead of letting ignorant people giving meaning to certain words such as whore, hooker n nigger, normal folks should take back that right and diffuse the vileness some people think these words inherently possess.

 

.

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I agree completely with Lowdark and I would go even further and suggest that all vulgar words, as well as foul language must be eliminated from vocabulary. I really dislike the use of those words and do NOT wish to read them or hear them, certainly not suitable for cerb.

[mrgreen760 37785]

I disagree. The more you censor a word, the more powerful it becomes. You will never succeed at eliminating the word. We can only diffuse it. Why do you think black people, eg. rappers, call themselves niggers? Why do sex workers call themselves whores? To take the power away from the word. Why would you care if someone called you that name when you've already owned it?

 

A proud whore,

 

Megan

 

 

I completely agree with Megan and Newton on this one. Words are just that...words and any form of censorship just brings attention to it.

 

Peace

MG aka John

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

I think the word whore is a term that has been used excessively in this generation and will probably phase out. Such terms like media whore and attention whore have all been used in recent years. We never heard of this 15 years ago. Think back over 30+ years ago when guys used the word c**t to describe a woman's genitalia. Now everyone calls it pussy.

 

And on another note, if someone wants to call a sex worker a whore then that's like calling a bus driver a bus driver. It's a word that's out there and is not going to go away anytime soon. I know of a lot of SPs who have embraced this word and admittedly I've used the term myself. Now would I want a client calling me this? No, just like he wouldn't want me to call him a trick or a john. It's just a matter of respect as these are all slang words. Go ahead and call someone a prostitute but it just doesn't have the same jive as saying "You're such a f**king whore."

[Miss Scarlett 25073]

Definition as Urban Dictionary Shows!

 

 

Whore:

 

 

 

A woman that sleeps with everyone but YOU!!!!!

SEE: SLUT - A woman that sleeps with everyone.

That whore wouldn't sleep with me.

 

 

 

 

If this is a true definition, then I am proud to be a whore! Haha

 

 

Problem with today's society is that they are using all kinds of terms out of context.

 

 

Like Ass, it's true definition is a donkey, but we use it to describe people as well as our backsides.

 

 

Another example of miss use is a Bitch, it's definition is an angry female dog, but people use it in slang all the time.

 

 

If everyone takes offense to what others say all the time, we would be living horrible lives.

 

 

I take this prospective: Look where it is coming from, and what way it was meant to be taken.

 

 

People have called me a "bitch" in the past, but I do not take offense.

 

 

 

Dogs are cute!

 

 

:bigclap:

[Carrie Moon 68826]

I absolutely agree with using the term whore.. in fact we joke about it often at my house.. I'm a whore.. not a slut. I'm proud to be a working woman aka whore. I understand where you're coming from in a way.. but being 'gallant' as many men try to be.. this is how it works. You shouldn't call us one. You haven't earned the privilege. It's a term of endearment amounst those of us who are proud to minimize the power of the word. In the same way we teasingly call each other ''be-atch'' sometimes. But I have to admit I'm still not there with the word '''C*nt'''.

 

A rose by any other name is still a rose.. and the same is true eventually for all negatively charged words that become less so over the years.

 

Plus it's fun to tease my fellow working girls when one declares I need to take a shower.. ''you dirty whore''.

[roamingguy 300292]

The "c" word, best way to eliminate it's use is to not use it. But you can't stop others from using it, and people that do show their true colours

Likewise, I find the word whore distasteful. Irrespective of any definition, it is, in fact most of the time used as a hateful derogatory and demeaning word used to describe ladies, whether escorts or prostitutes on a street corner...when you use hateful, derogatory and demeaning words, you dehumanize people. That leads to people thinking they can conduct themselves against ladies any way they like, and is not acceptable

My 2 cents

RG

[Capital Hunter 18263]

I agree totally again Roamingguy. Just to add that there are many other hateful derogatory and demeaning words such as the "N" for people of African origin or the "F" word for people of different sexual orientation and other slangs whose use is considered hateful derogatory and demeaning by overwhelming majority and I can't even begin to understand as why the use of "C" word or "W" word for ladies who work in entertainment industry (or sex industry depending on how you perceive it) should be a cool thing or even acceptable.

 

The use of slangs on human beings with minds and hearts is NOT right or acceptable no matter how you perceive it. When there are nice words to use on people like ladies, service providers, entertainers, friends, beloved cerb SPs why why use the "W" word. I am sorry but I just don't understand it. I may be ultra sensitive to this subject (or so I thought) but I am very happy to see that I am not alone and so many other people agree with OP, either posted in his support or nominated his thread.

[Guest s******ecan****]

I disagree. The more you censor a word' date=' the more powerful it becomes. You will never succeed at eliminating the word. We can only diffuse it. Why do you think black people, eg. rappers, call themselves niggers? Why do sex workers call themselves whores? To take the power away from the word. Why would you care if someone called you that name when you've already owned it?

 

A proud whore,

 

Megan

Posted via Mobile Device

 

 

Well said Megan, dictators, corporations, authouritarian regimes, and extremist always attempt to control language as a means of exercising power.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

No word is inherently evil. Most any word can be used as a weapon of denigration or disrespect, in certain contexts. I agree that it's incumbent upon all civilized people to try their best to keep abreast of what the current "hot-button" words are, and to avoid them in potentially inappropriate circumstances.

 

But when all is said and done, the key is intent. And it's usually (although not always) fairly straightforward to understand whether there is malicious intent behind someone's use of any word in any particular circumstance. If my intent in using any word is to denigrate or insult someone, then shame on me. If, on the other hand, I goof-up through carelessness or just blind ignorance, then that's still my mistake -- but it does not involve the same type of shame as does willful intent to demean another person.

 

Again, it's best policy to carefully keep track of the current usages in the language -- and err on the side of caution in your own vocabulary.

[Old Dog 179138]

Whore (n) Origin:

before 1100; Middle English, Old English hōre;

cognate with German Hure, Old Norse hōra;

akin to Gothic hors harlot, Latin cārus dear

Ladies and gents I love history. Some of the most fascinating things can be found there. Do you actually see what the etymology of the word means... dear! Rather fitting I think; if we look at the origins of the word we can see that it`s not demeaning, it`s actually an endearing term.

I found if a few others if you care to indulge:

The dreaded `c`word....

'''' is believed to derive from a Germanic root *kunton "female genitalia", which also gave rise to Old Norse kunta (ancestor of Norwegian and Swedish dialectical kunta and Danish dialectical kunte), Old Frisian, Middle Low German and Middle Dutchkunte, and the English doublet quaint. And, by the way, the word wasn't always considered derogatory, even though it is today. Be careful about assuming that a word's modern connotations must have governed its formation. By the way, no connection has been made between the Germanic words and Latin cunnus. The proto-Germanic root of '''' is ku- "hollow place", while the Indo-European root of Latin cunnus is (s)keu- "to cover, to conceal", the etymological meaning of cunnus being "sheath".

It has nothing to do with cunning (which is related to the verbs ken and can) and everything to do with what it means today: "female genitalia". It first shows up in a list of London street names of about 1230. That street name was, interestingly, Gropecuntelane, one of a warren of streets and alleyways all given over to the lowest forms of prostitution and bawdry. It lay between Aldermanbury and Coleman Street (where the Swiss Bank stands today) and it belonged to one "William de Edmonton". Curiously, medieval Paris had a street name with an identical meaning - Rue Grattecon. Oxford and York apparently also had similar versions of that street name.

The `p` word....

Pussy as a slang term for the female pudenda is thought to derive ultimately from Low German puse "vulva" or Old Norse puss "pocket, pouch". It didn't arise in English with a sexual meaning until the 19th century, but prior to that it had been used to refer to women in general (16th century).

Just a little education for the day... and actually quite interesting and amusing!

[Megan'sTouch 23875]

I think Lowdark's post was with good intentions but underdeveloped. Stigma sucks and we all need to work to eradicate it. But language policing is not the way to go. If we eliminate the word "whore" but people still hate sex workers, we've accomplished nothing. Let's fight the root of the problem!

[Carrie Moon 68826]

Those of you who are getting so upset at the word aren't looking at the big picture. It's in how you use it.

 

If you like beer you are going to enjoy drinking it. But if someone uses it to pour over your head you might not like it so much..

 

It's all in context my friends. As so many have pointed out it's the intention.. not the word that's important. It's all a matter of perspective.

[docottawa 541]

Honestly, what is a word except for a vehicle that we use to describe something. On paper it is just a series of letters. Vocally, it's a structured sound designed to illicit a response or an understanding. Sometimes that response comes in the form of an emotional feeling. If you're the type who is offended by a particular word then what you're really objecting to is the feeling that the word provokes. By censoring, banning, restricting the use of any particular word or phrase you're actually trying to protect yourself from having your feelings hurt, if even in a small or minor way.

 

Well, the human condition is such that we're subject to a myriad of complex feelings throughout our lives. In fact, our feelings are often what shape and define our characters. Trying to ban a particular feeling is like trying to deny who we are.

 

I'm uncomfortable with the whole idea of banning, censoring, blocking words or thoughts of any kind. We all know where censorship leads.

[roamingguy 300292]

Those of you who are getting so upset at the word aren't looking at the big picture. It's in how you use it.

 

 

Carrie

Couldn't agree more, but in most cases it seems the "c" word and use of the word whore is used in an hateful, demeaning and derogatory context against ladies. Case in point I got a pm (which I reported btw) which in part refers to the ladies as ".......the whore's on this site" His pm very hateful. In most cases, IMHO what is the right way to use the "c" word or whore...it usually is used to demean, and dehumanize ladies.

RG

[MiaBella 10988]

I absolutely love every side of this argument.

The whole idea - what is a word with/without it's meaning.

 

The initial and original meaning of a word has NOTHING to do with it's literal meaning.

If I call my girlfriend a "Bitch" it's usually a term I use with my closest of friends. One that I've been through things with. Lol I've been known to call my Besty my "Top Bitch". The word Whore was always just a statement of what I am, and what I do.

 

And yet, if I don't know you, or you have a negative tone in your voice, the word Whore is NOT gonna fly.

 

What is a word without the feeling or intent behind it?

 

Nothing.

[jafo105 39057]

Personaly I make it a point never to use any of the words mentioned in this thread. I also have a few other words that I consider insulting and offensive towards women in general.

 

Are these words acceptable when used in the amorous throws of passion?

 

 

Cheers,

Jafo105

[Carrie Moon 68826]

Carrie

Couldn't agree more, but in most cases it seems the "c" word and use of the word whore is used in an hateful, demeaning and derogatory context against ladies. Case in point I got a pm (which I reported btw) which in part refers to the ladies as ".......the whore's on this site" His pm very hateful. In most cases, IMHO what is the right way to use the "c" word or whore...it usually is used to demean, and dehumanize ladies.

RG

 

This is reminding me of the monty python sketch of the ''silly bunt'' . I just did a search and couldn't find it :(

 

they are amazing at putting levity into it. I recall in Britain that to call someone a 'silly c*nt' wasn't a hateful thing but rather a cute thing.

 

You are quite right than when a man calls a woman a whore he's usually doing it in a derogatory way unless it's in role-play scenario that's been pre-approved. Note.. not one I play unless I'm calling the client that in role-play :)

 

Good on you for reporting him. We don't need jerks (funny we don't seem to have the same naughty words for guys as we do for girls eh?) like that on here.

 

 

Are these words acceptable when used in the amorous throws of passion?

 

 

I have found that after dating a few french men since moving to Ottawa that I prefer the naughty french words in the throws :p They sound cute instead of offensive.

[VedaSloan 119179]

Words are just words.

 

I mean, if you really want to get all post-modern, nothing exists unless you have words to describe it. There are always going to be people who co-opt words for their own agendas--be they positive or not. Therefore, it's all about context.

 

And I am a fucking awesome whore.

[Labrador 248]

I find we are all trying to be too politically correct! Time for people not to take themselves so serious.

[Carrie Moon 68826]

 

Old Dog:

Ahhhh the all too sagacious lunar Carrie... kudos!

 

I had to look sagacious up! you're too funny.. did you get a word of the day calendar?