Pussy

''Pussy'' is a used as a noun, an adjective, and—in rare instances—a verb in the English language. It has several meanings, as slang, as euphemism, and as vulgarity. The most common as a noun, it means "cat", as well as "coward or weakling". In slang usage, it can mean "the human vulva or vagina" and less commonly, as a form of synecdoche, meaning " sexual intercourse with a woman". Because of its multiple senses including both innocent and vulgar connotations, ''pussy'' is often the subject of double entendre.

The etymology of the word is not clear. Several different senses of the word have different histories or origins. The earliest records of ''pussy'' are in the 19th century, meaning something fluffy.

Etymology

The noun ''pussy'' meaning "cat" comes from the Modern English word ''puss'', a conventional name or term of address for a pet cat. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (OED) says that cognates are common to several Germanic languages, including Dutch ''poes'' and Middle Low German ''pūse'', which are also used to call a cat. The word ''puss'' is attested in English as early as 1533. Earlier etymology is uncertain, but similar words exist in other European languages, including Lithuanian ''puižė'' and Irish ''puisín'', both traditional calls to attract a cat.

The words ''puss'' and derived forms ''pussy'' and ''pusscat'' were extended to refer to girls or women by the seventeenth century. This sense of ''pussy'' was used to refer specifically to genitalia by the eighteenth century, and from there further extended to refer to sexual intercourse involving a woman by the twentieth century.

Noah Webster, in his original 1828 ''American Dictionary of the English Language'', defined ''pussy'' as: "inflated, swelled; hence, fat, short and thick; and as persons of this make labor in respiration, the word is used for short breathed". He gave ''pursy'' as a "corrupt orthography" or misspelling of ''pussy''. In 1913, however, ''Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary'' reversed the original, suggesting that ''pussy'' was a "colloquial or low" variant of ''pursy''. That word, in turn, was defined as "fat and short-breathed", with etymology from Old French ''pousser'' "to push". In the Northern English variant of British English, the dialect form ''pursy'', now rare or obsolete, means "fat" or "short-winded".

The ''Webster's Third International Dictionary'' points out similarities between ''pussy'' in the sense of "vulva" and Low German or Scandinavian words meaning "pocket" or "purse", including Old Norse ''pūss'' and Old English ''pusa''.

The medieval French word ''pucelle'', meaning "maiden" or "virgin", is not related to the English word. It is attested in Old French from the ninth century, and likely derives from Latin. The precise Latin source is disputed, with either ''puella'' "girl" or ''pulla'' "pullet, young female chicken" suggested as earlier sources.

As a homograph, ''pussy'' also has the meaning "containing pus"; with this meaning, the word is pronounced , while the other forms are all pronounced .

Meanings of the verb relate to the common noun senses, including "to act like a cat", "to act like a coward", or "to have sex with a woman". Adjective meanings are likewise related to the noun.

Uses

Cat and similar

Both in English and in German ''puss'' was used as a "call-name" for cats, but in English ''pussy'' was used as a synonym for the word ''cat'' in other uses as well. In addition to cats, the word was also used for rabbits and hares. In the 19th century, the meaning was extended to anything soft and furry. ''Pussy willow'', for example, is a name applied to various species in the genus ''Salix'' with furry catkins. In thieves' cant the word ''pussy'' means a "fur coat".

The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' gives as the first meaning of the noun: "Chiefly colloqial A girl or woman exhibiting characteristics associated with a cat, esp ciallysweetness or amiability. Freq entlyused as a pet name or as a term of endearment." The examples it cites from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries are not sexual. Another example, not cited by the OED, is one of the main characters of E. Nesbit's ''Five Children and It'' - Jane, nicknamed Pussy by her siblings.

The verb ''pussyfoot'', meaning to walk softly or to speak in an evasive or cautious manner, may come from the adjective ''pussy-footed'' "having a cat-like foot", or directly from the noun ''pussyfoot''. This word, first attested in the late nineteenth century, is related to both the "cat" and the "woman" meanings of ''pussy''.

Female genitalia

In contemporary English, use of the word ''pussy'' to refer to women themselves is considered derogatory and demeaning, treating people as sexual objects. As a reference to genitals or to sexual intercourse, the word is considered vulgar slang. Studies find the word is used more commonly in conversations among men than in groups of women or mixed-gender groups, though subjects report using ''pussy'' more often than other slang terms for female genitals. There are women seeking to reclaim the word to symbolise sexual pleasure, power, and trust in their bodies (e.g. around childbirth).

Donald Trump's use of the word to describe celebrity interactions with women ("grab them by the pussy", known as the ''Access Hollywood'' tape) provoked strong reactions by media figures and politicians across the political spectrum; an image of a snarling cat with the slogan "pussy grabs back" became a "rallying cry for female rage against Trump". Pink " pussyhats" (knitted caps with cat-like ears) were a notable feature of the worldwide protests held the day after Trump's inauguration as President of the United States. The name attempts to reclaim the derogatory term and was never intended to be an anatomical representation.

Words referring to cats are used as vulgar slang for female genitals in some other European languages as well. Examples include German ''Muschi'' (literally "house cat"), French ''chatte'' ("female cat", also used to refer to sexual intercourse), and Dutch ''poes'' ("puss"). The Portuguese term ''rata'' (literally "female rat") and Norwegian ''mus'' ("mouse") are also animal terms used as vulgar slang for women's genitals.

Weakness

The word ''pussy'' is also used in a derogatory sense to mean cowardly, weak, or easily fatigued. The ''Collins Dictionary'' says: taboo, slang, mainly US) an ineffectual or timid person." It may refer to a male who is not considered sufficiently masculine, as in: "The coach calls us pussies."

Men who are dominated by women (particularly by their partners or spouses and at one time referred to as "hen-pecked"; see pecking order) can be referred to as ''pussy-whipped'' (or simply ''whipped'' in slightly more polite society or media). This may be used simply to denigrate a man who is contented in a relationship. The hyphenated phrase is parsed as "whipped by pussy", a manipulative relationship dynamic wherein a female deliberately or subconsciously withholds sexual intercourse to coerce the male into surrendering power in other aspects of the relationship. The male's weakness is his desire for access to female genitalia, and his willingness to weaken his position in the relationship to obtain that access, combining two uses of the word pussy.

Word-play between meanings

Pussy is one of a large number of English words that has both erotic and non-erotic meanings. Such ''double entendres'' have long been used in the creation of sexual humor. This double meaning of "pussy" has been used for over a hundred years by performers, including the late-19th-century vaudeville act the Barrison Sisters, who performed the notorious routine "Do You Want To See My Pussy?" in which they raised their skirts to reveal live kittens.

In the British comedy ''Are You Being Served?'' the character Mrs. Slocombe often expressed concern for the welfare of her pussy. The ''double entendre'' made every reference to her cat seem to be a salacious and therefore humorous reference to her vulva.

In the 2002 film '' 8 Mile'', a rapper insults his rivals by including the line, "How can six dicks be pussies?" The line relies on double meanings of both ''dick'' (either "contemptible person" or "male genitalia") and ''pussy'' ("weak" or "female genitalia"). Such word play presents a challenge for translators of the film.

Pussy Riot is a Russian radical feminist punk rock collective that stages illegal events in Moscow protesting President Vladimir Putin and the status of women in Russian society. Band member "Kot" says that she knows how the word is used in English, and that it is also used in Russian as term of endearment for little girls. These various meanings create a tension with the word "riot", which the group likes.

In 2017 Planned Parenthood released a series of short videos on YouTube about female sexual health, with the overall title "How to take care of your pussy". Instead of the word "pussy" being shown or spoken, a cat appears instead. The visuals consist mainly of cats, playing on the popularity of cat videos, with a voiceover by Sasheer Zamata. '' Refinery29'' called it "a pretty genius metaphor" and ''Metro'' said: "If there are two things left in this world that are inherently wonderful, it’s cats and vaginas. Don’t argue. It’s true. ..It makes sense, then, that Planned Parenthood has decided to combine the two to create a truly splendid video series." The series has been shortlisted for a Shorty Award.

See also

* '' Cunt'', another old vulgarism for the vulva

References

External links

Don't be so beastly!
by Justine Hankins. ''The Guardian'', June 14, 2003.
*

{{Sexual slang

Sexual slang
English words
Cats
Puns
Etymologies
English profanity
Vulva
Pejorative terms for people