Topic summary
Sexual slur
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Sexual slang.
Pejorative usage
Sexual slurs are common across many cultures and historical periods. The most common slurs directed against men historically include accusations of being a passive homosexual (Aristophanes notably enjoyed using such allusions) or of being effeminate; for example, in the Hittite military oath, oath-breakers are threatened with being made into women (a promise of either actual castration, or of divine revenge on the traitors' manhood). The pejorative term prick for a contemptible person is also usually used for men.