You write: “It can also be used as a sexual reference, ie ‘I would love to lick your c#’ although I really dont know anyone that would like to hear that kind of language”

I actually prefer the word c**t to its clinical sister term vagina, and enjoy hearing my lover use it expressively. When it comes to moments of physical intimacy, I likewise prefer the male C-word to penis. The distinction I make is this: a penis is what a man urinates with, and the other–i.e., that which I would call by a C-word–what he effs with. There is a difference; to my mind, one of turgidness. These words have their place, their own way of calling the imagination and alighting the senses. I am glad of it.

My vague theory relates the usage change to WWII, and people’s propensity for naming inanimate objects.  I’ve read that many jeeps, tanks, airplanes, trucks, etc were named for wives, sweethearts, film stars, and so on. That was an age when it wasn’t unusual for women to be called ugly names when they were perceived to be uncooperative. 

Have you ever seen someone banging on a motor with a tool and cursing? I think an enormous population of men came home from the war with the habit of calling something thought to be dysfunctional, uncooperative,  inconvenient, or worthless, “oh you c#”.  I also think that the climate  was perhaps more accepting rough language in common speech from the returning troops. I further imagine that if anyone protested, a wide-eyed disingenuous “it has nothing to do with women” was somehow accepted. It was still rough language and not for polite company, but was more prevalent.

Then (still my imaginings, here) when the modern punk movement happened, the celebration of transgressive and offensive speech became part of pop culture and use of the word as a curse became more widely used.

I still, in all my thinking about this, can not fathom how this very female word can be explained as “not about women”. I understand very well how words and usage change over time, but believing that excuse is asking a lot.

The above is, I repeat, a vague theory. The theory has formed because I keep looking for answers and no one seems to know. It’s not that long ago;, and I hope someone with the education and resources to figure it out might point me in the right direction. I would be very grateful.

Thanks for listening and trying to find information.

I’m aware the word is said (in the UK) to have two different meanings. What I don’t understand is how a person, using it in the first instance …. “being a c#” can explain it as having nothing to do with women. It seems to be yet another way to belittle someone or something by comparing them to something very female.

How is that line of thinking justified, do you know?

The word has two very different meanings and it depends a great deal in the context the word is.

You can refer to someone “being a c#” means that they are just about as bad a word as you can fathom.

It can also be used as a sexual reference, ie “I would love to lick your c#” although I really dont know anyone that would like to hear that kind of language.

Its a very cringeworthy word and is really only used by those that are either extremely annoyed or someone that has no taste whatsoever.

How can the word have two such different meanings?