Bias in language ?

[ted]

Termagant, virago, harridan, shrew, fishwife, hag, crone, witch, grimalkin .... why are there so many English words for an unpleasant woman and hardly any masculine equivalents ? Curmudgeon, I suppose, but that's comparatively mild. Is this the same in other languages I wonder ?

[outin]

Termagant, virago, harridan, shrew, fishwife, hag, crone, witch, grimalkin .... why are there so many English words for an unpleasant woman and hardly any masculine equivalents ? Curmudgeon, I suppose, but that's comparatively mild. Is this the same in other languages I wonder ?

I believe it is in most others as well, although in recent decades we have seen an expansion of such words to describe the specimens male sex as well.

And the explanation is pretty simple: Only until recently has it been possible for a female to use such expressions about the opposite sex without being beaten (or worse). While the males didn't need to worry much about repercussions...

[ted]

I believe it is in most others as well, although in recent decades we have seen an expansion of such words to describe the specimens male sex as well.

Yes, good point, perhaps "rat" and "ratbag" are in a sense masculine equivalents of "shrew". There are many obscenities and colloquialisms, of course, but I haven't heard the other words applied to men, at least not in this country.

Only until recently has it been possible for a female to use such expressions about the opposite sex without being beaten (or worse). While the males didn't need to worry much about repercussions...

Yes, that might well explain it.

[swagmaster420x]

Also the creepy evil witch stereotype.

[josh93248]

I'd say jerk, creep and pig are generally only applied to men, that said I see the point of the opening post and agree that it is unfortunate. But it's almost impossible to roll back the evolution of language. Perhaps time will erode stereotypical female insults, bat perhaps not.