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| ==Usage in popular culture== | ==Usage in popular culture== | ||
| Historically, "fag" and "faggot" have been offensive terms when addressed to American males. However in recent years, both terms have been employed by gay men in a defiant, self-consciously empowering or self-mocking way, much in the way some ]s have taken to using the word "]" among themselves. A common example of this would be usage of the term "]" to describe a woman who associates with (and may prefer as non-sexual social partners) gay men, though this use, too, was originally pejorative. When used as a ], however, it is still a term of abuse. The term is often used by young people as a ] for words such as ] (i.e. "What a jerk!" becomes "What a faggot!"). Some gay men consider this use of the term to be offensive or impolite. The term has been used to describe lesbians or other homosexual women. | Historically, "fag" and "faggot" have been offensive terms when addressed to American males. However in recent years, both terms have been employed by gay men in a defiant, self-consciously empowering or self-mocking way, much in the way some ]s have taken to using the word "]" among themselves. A common example of this would be usage of the term "]" to describe a woman who associates with (and may prefer as non-sexual social partners) gay men, though this use, too, was originally pejorative. When used as a ], however, it is still a term of abuse. The term is often used by young people as a ] for words such as ] (i.e. "What a jerk!" becomes "What a faggot!"). Some gay men consider this use of the term to be offensive or impolite. The term has been used to describe lesbians or other homosexual women. | ||
| In ], former ] Majority Leader ] referred to openly gay congressman ] as "Barney Fag" in a press interview. | In ], former ] Majority Leader ] referred to openly gay congressman ] as "Barney Fag" in a press interview. | ||
Revision as of 08:18, 21 February 2007
Faggot, faggit or fag, in modern American, Canadian and Australian English usage, is a generally pejorative term for a gay or effeminate man. Its use has spread to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
Etymology
The origins of the word in this sense are rather obscure.
It is often claimed that the derivation is associated directly with faggot meaning "bundle of sticks for burning", since homosexuals were supposedly burnt at the stake in medieval England. This, however, was never an established punishment for homosexuality in England, although, according to one source, those accused of homosexual acts were sometimes doused in fuel and used in place of sticks for the burning of supposed witches. However, this practice ended centuries before the word faggot became associated with gay people.
The word has also been used since the late sixteenth century to mean "old or unpleasant woman", and this would appear the most likely derivation. Female terms, it should be noted, are often used with reference to homosexual or effeminate men (cf. nancy, sissy, queen). The application of the term to old women may be a shortening of the term "faggot-gatherer", applied in the nineteenth century to people, especially older widows, who made a meagre living by gathering and selling firewood. It may also derive from the sense of "something awkward to be carried", an etymology that is more plausible if one considers the use of "baggage" as a pejorative term for old women.
The Yiddish word faygele, lit. "little bird", is claimed by some as the origin of the word. The difference in form between the two words makes this unlikely to be true, although it may have had a reinforcing effect.
British meanings
"Faggot"
The primary traditional meaning of the word is indeed 'a bundle of sticks for burning' . Another meaning, especially common in Wales and the Black Country, is a kind of pork meatball covered in gravy. See Faggot (food).
The word faggot is occasionally used in parts of Britain to denote a silly or foolish person, presumably as an extension of its earlier association with old women. In the pilot episode of the 1960s British comedy In Loving Memory from Yorkshire Television, undertaker Jeremiah Unsworth is killed in an accident at work. After the funeral, widow Ivy receives the condolences of her old friend Amy Jenkins, who says, "He heard the call. He answered it. And he fell in the line of duty. No man can ask for a better epitaph than that." Ivy thanks her, says good-bye, and then turns to her nephew, Billy, as soon as the door is shut and says in reference to Amy, "Silly old faggot! 'He heard the call?' 'He answered it?' The only call your Uncle Jeremiah ever heard was, 'Time, Gentlemen, please!'."
"Fag"
In British English the term fag (though not faggot) most commonly means a cigarette. A military marching song popular with the British army during the First World War featured the line "while there's a Lucifer (matchstick) to light your fag...". This is derived from the original meaning (OED 1) of "fag-end" :"the last part of a piece of cloth", which by extension became used (OED 2, 1st citation 1612) for "the last part or portion of anything". When cigarettes were invented, this was applied to the unsmoked part, and then came to mean the whole cigarette. But the various historic British uses of "fag" and "faggot" were always distinct.
"Fag" was a term used for a junior boy who acted as a servant for a senior boy at Eton College, near Eton, Berkshire, and other British public schools. This practice, known as "fagging", was ended in the 1970s. Since the homosexual meaning was not common in the UK at this time and seems to have been first attached to faggot, not fag, this is not a likely origin for the American use of the word.
The American Meaning in Britain
Originally confined to the United States, the homosexual sense of "fag" and "faggot" has been spread by American popular culture to other English-speaking countries, where it has partly displaced terms such as "queer" or the British "poof" as colloquial or abusive terms for gay men, particularly among heterosexual youth. However, the continuing use of "fag" and "faggot" with other meanings in the British isles has severely limited adoption of the American usage there.
The use of fag and faggot to mean homosexual have become understood as an Americanism in British English, primarily due to their use in films and television series imported from the United States. When Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews was heard supposedly using the word in a bad-tempered informal exchange with a straight colleague in the House of Commons lobby in November 2005, he was criticised for using homophobic abuse.
Usage in popular culture
Historically, "fag" and "faggot" have been offensive terms when addressed to American males. However in recent years, both terms have been employed by gay men in a defiant, self-consciously empowering or self-mocking way, much in the way some African Americans have taken to using the word "nigga" among themselves. A common example of this would be usage of the term "fag hag" to describe a woman who associates with (and may prefer as non-sexual social partners) gay men, though this use, too, was originally pejorative. When used as a pejorative, however, it is still a term of abuse. The term is often used by young people as a synonym for words such as jerk (i.e. "What a jerk!" becomes "What a faggot!"). Some gay men consider this use of the term to be offensive or impolite. The term has been used to describe lesbians or other homosexual women.
In 1995, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey referred to openly gay congressman Barney Frank as "Barney Fag" in a press interview.
On July 27, 2006 American Republican pundit Ann Coulter said that the former Vice President of the United States (Al Gore) was a "total fag", and that former President of the United States (Bill Clinton) was a "latent homosexual", while being inteviewed by MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Coulter caused a major controversy on the LGBT community; and GLAAD and other gay rights organizations demanded to know the reason why such an offensive usage of the word was permitted by the network.
The Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" makes notable use of the epithet 'faggot' in apparent reference to the singer Boy George, although later version of song have the offending lines excised, and in live performances Mark Knopfler will use such minced oaths as "mothertrucker" in place of "faggot".
See also
References
- Fone, Byrne (2000) Homophobia
- Morton, Mark (2005) Dirty Words: The Story of Sex Talk London: Atlantic Books: 309-323; see also: The Online Etymological Dictionary.
- Morton (2005: 319); The Online Etymological Dictionary
- Morton (2005: 319)
- The Online Etymological Dictionary
- ibid.
- "The Masters of Mean". 2002-3-1.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid35054.asp The Advocate magazine - "When hate speech becomes accepted"
External links
- How did "faggot" get to mean "male homosexual"? on The Straight Dope.
- Entries for faggot on Urban Dictionary.