Merriam-Webster Dictionary puts “bitch” in the top 10 percent of the most popular words in our language. It’s also one of the most puzzling words for those learning English--”bitch” is a noun and a verb with a multitude of meanings and uses. The first entry in the dictionary defines “bitch” as “the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals,” but hardly anyone actually uses it that way. Confusing as it may be, “bitch” is a powerful word, and its power comes from how we use it.
From the beginning, “bitch” was used as a colloquial insult referring to a salacious or spiteful woman. Already its nature is unclear, as being salacious and being spiteful are completely different. It can also be used as an adjective with these meanings (“bitchy”), or in tandem with other vulgar terms meaning “prostitute,” implying that a bitch is one and the same. Going back to its original definition (“dog”), “bitch” may also be used to label someone who is subordinate to another. However, when using “bitch” this way we often forget the other part of that definition, ”female.” Our language reinforces the concept that females are subservient and weak.
“Bitch” is a word specifically relating to a woman--that much is clear from its earliest definitions. When one uses it to denigrate a male, the male’s perceived weakness becomes tied to femininity, and thus the idea of women’s inferiority. When it is used to describe things (e.g. “The exam was a bitch”) that are difficult or irritating, it unfairly attributes these qualities to the female sex. As a verb, “bitching” means “complaining,” which is straightforward enough. But it elicits a negative reaction from the audience; no one wants to listen to someone’s bitching! Because “bitching,” much like “whining,” is regarded as trifling or negligible, its use perpetuates sexism. Similar derogatory language referencing men is used considerably less frequently; sure, one might call another a “dick,” but one rarely uses “dicky” or “dicking.”
People throw “bitch” around in casual conversation; they use it to address their friends, as an exclamation. According to guidelines set by the Federal Communications Commission, “bitch” is not obscene, indecent, or profane, and may be used freely in print and broadcast media. “F**k” and “s**t,” words used by the same people probably with equal frequency, must remain censored. There is widespread approval for being a bitch and calling others bitches, despite the fact that it degrades women, like how racial slurs deride particular racial groups. Since such slurs must be censored, “bitch” should be too. Unlike “s**t” and the rest, its invective power derives from the specificity of its earliest definition: a female dog.
Nonetheless, nowadays many women are proud of being bitches. From Tina Fey’s declaration, “Bitches get stuff done” to Ms. Spears opening “Gimme More” with, “It’s Britney, bitch,” women are embracing a label rooted in shaming them. Somehow, a powerful man is a leader, but a powerful woman is a bitch. “Owning” this designation only sustains the link; there are other titles women can claim besides Head Bitch. Women have fought their way quite far since “bitch” was first used hundreds of years ago, but even today, it’s hard to be a bitch.
