British insult for a woman

Katana

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Greetings!

My English MC encounters a nasty woman, and he calls her a twat under his breath. A google search indicates this is something one would probably use to insult a man. I don't want to use the c*** word, so I'm wondering if twat would work, or if there is a better (mildly offensive) name to call her. Thank you.
 

ClareGreen

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My English MC encounters a nasty woman, and he calls her a twat under his breath. A google search indicates this is something one would probably use to insult a man. I don't want to use the c*** word, so I'm wondering if twat would work, or if there is a better (mildly offensive) name to call her. Thank you.

Two questions:

1) What has she done to offend him?

2) Where in England is he from?
 

Katana

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You'll also need to consider (if you haven't already) how your male MC's choice of words will shape him for the reader.

Two questions:

1) What has she done to offend him?

2) Where in England is he from?

Hmm, I'll try to give more info, but this will be tough to describe. He's upper class from Southern England, and I'm trying to keep him polite. He's taken aback by a particularly rude, abrupt woman. His saying something a little off-colour takes others by surprise and they burst out laughing because it's so not in keeping with his character.

The woman is rude and dismissive of him, much the way one might be rude and dismissive of a sales clerk.
 

crunchyblanket

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Hmm, I'll try to give more info, but this will be tough to describe. He's upper class from Southern England, and I'm trying to keep him polite. He's taken aback by a particularly rude, abrupt woman. His saying something a little off-colour takes others by surprise and they burst out laughing because it's so not in keeping with his character.

The woman is rude and dismissive of him, much the way one might be rude and dismissive of a sales clerk.

'Twat' would fit the bill here - I was going to suggest 'slag' but that's pretty particular to the working class :D

I'd go with 'stupid tart' myself - 'tart' is sort of a slightly more polite way of saying 'slag', i.e a woman of 'loose morality'.
 

wilchris

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"Bitch" or given that she's dismissive of him and he's upper class, maybe, "arrogant bitch.," or even "jumped up bitch."
 
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Parametric

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Hmm, I'll try to give more info, but this will be tough to describe. He's upper class from Southern England, and I'm trying to keep him polite.

Consider "cow", which is a mild insult for a woman and nowhere near as offensive as "bitch" - to my ear, at least. :)
 

Torgo

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Consider "cow", which is a mild insult for a woman and nowhere near as offensive as "bitch" - to my ear, at least. :)

Yep. 'Silly cow' or indeed 'moo' or (for an older woman) 'old bag(gage)' gives you rude and insulting without being vulgar or particularly vicious.

'Bitch' has quite a lot more venom behind it. 'Twat' is vulgar/sweary enough that I couldn't use it in a novel for 7 year olds, really, but probably could use it on Doctor Who. (In the UK it's far less anatomical than the US version.)
 

mirandashell

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I would also go with 'cow'. It's mild and could be funny if it's not something your character would use usually.

'Bitch' is a little too strong and 'twat' is more of a lower class thing.
 

Once!

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There's also the question of how he'd want to insult her...

Twat generally means "idiot" - someone who has done something stupid - can be used for either a woman or (more usually) a man. Unusual to use that for a woman.

Slut is usually someone promiscuous. In the same vein you could have tart, slag (particularly in London) or slapper.

Bitch has several meanings: a woman who can't be trusted, a woman who tells stories about someone (ie to bitch about someone), a woman (or sometimes a man) who is owned (ie.. "she/he is my bitch")

Bint (Arabic for "woman") is a particularly northern derogatory term.

Cow ... can mean stupid (silly cow) or bitch-like.

Harridan, fishwife, slattern, trollop if you are writing historical fiction or want to sound as if you are reading from a thesaurus.
 

ClareGreen

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Quick note: 'Bint' usually goes with 'daft' or 'silly'. It's one for stupid, brainless, or otherwise impractical, and implies that the daft bint in question is wasting whatever time you might take to listen to her.
 

Rufus Coppertop

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My three favourite contenders would be strumpet, hussy or pinchbrick.
 

shaldna

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Greetings!

My English MC encounters a nasty woman, and he calls her a twat under his breath. A google search indicates this is something one would probably use to insult a man. I don't want to use the c*** word, so I'm wondering if twat would work, or if there is a better (mildly offensive) name to call her. Thank you.

Twat is slang for female genetalia. Most often used as an insult against men.

I;m Irish, so we'd most likely have just said cunt.


Hmm, I'll try to give more info, but this will be tough to describe. He's upper class from Southern England, and I'm trying to keep him polite. He's taken aback by a particularly rude, abrupt woman. His saying something a little off-colour takes others by surprise and they burst out laughing because it's so not in keeping with his character.

The woman is rude and dismissive of him, much the way one might be rude and dismissive of a sales clerk.

Upper class southern English might use something slightly archaic like harridan, or fishwife. Possibly bitch. I feel they would be unlikely to use twat.

I love the word harridan.

Someone else suggested trollop - this is a term for a sexually promiscuous person, and so might not be appropriate for what you are looking for.
 

Mr Flibble

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Twat generally means "idiot" - someone who has done something stupid - can be used for either a woman or (more usually) a man. Unusual to use that for a woman.

Not sure about that -- it's pretty interchangeable between men and women around here (Sussex). But yes, idiot is what it is used for, though it was originally referring to female genitalia.


Bint (Arabic for "woman") is a particularly northern derogatory term.
And always reminds me inescapably of Monty Python (Moistened bint...)


It does depend on how you intend to insult this woman.

Slapper (promiscuous/prostitute) is one I've heard the local posh boys use, as is "chavvy bitch" (low class lady-dog, basically). You could tack on a "stupid" in front easy enough, if you wanted.
 

mirandashell

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You have to be careful with the c-bomb though. Where I live it's deeply offensive. Anyone who says it to me gets a smack in the mouth. And I'm not one for hitting people that often. It really is offensive here. In certain circles it will get you stabbed.
 

Los Pollos Hermanos

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I used to live in Kent (the "foot" which sticks out south of London), about twenty miles from the city centre. Although not posh ;) we were quite fond of:
* Cow (mild).
* Bitch (stronger).
* Tart (not always meaning a lady of loose morals - can be generally derogatory or even, depending on how it's said, affectionate amongst friends).
* Slapper (usually meaning lady of loose morals, but we would often say things like "Oi, slapper" when trying to get a female friend's attention).
* Bint - We used to love that one!
* Scrubber (like slapper, but there would also be the connotation that she's common and has to scrub her own front step clean, rather than have a servant do it).

Based on the character, I'd go for "scrubber" or "tart" - if said with enough venom either can come across as rather unpleasant.
I currently favour "bitch", personally - although that might be Jesse Pinkman's bad influence!