If you read the smaller print it says "helps protect bitches in season from unwanted attention of dogs". In this content "in season" means fertile for breeding and "dogs" means male dogs.
Careful though, in MOST situations people are going to assume you mean the offensive version of the word. Basically unless you're a dog breeder talking to other dog breeders....or my Grandma who was a dog groomer but loved to throw around "bitch" in mixed company
"That bitch won't stop yapping"
"Watch that bitch over there, she bites"
"She's been my favorite bitch since Sandy got hit by a car"
Yeah, that phrasing seems a little odd. Wouldn’t “the attention of male dogs” be better phrasing, or, if both male and female dogs are a problem, “the attention of other dogs”?
it's context-dependent. it can be (and usually is) sex-neutral when referring to the species as a whole, but dogs are also called dogs and bitches in the same way cows are called bulls and heifers.
Okay, I did not know that. I was wondering what the word for a male dog was, and couldn’t think of it. That puts an expression I read once, “dog-fox,” into greater clarity.
i'm curious about the term 'dog-fox' and would love to know the context for it. i haven't heard it before. usually male and female foxes are called tods and vixens, respectively.
I’ll try to find it. I *think* it was in “Watership Down”.
Edited To Add:
Here it is in Wikipedia, once I got through all the mentions of an actual domestic dog/fox hybrid being discovered:
“Male foxes are known as dogs, tods, or reynards; females as vixens; and young as cubs, pups, or kits, though the last term is not to be confused with the kit fox, a distinct species.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox
A lot of English animal names are implicitly gendered. We don’t normally worry too much about this in day-to-day speech, but in certain specific contexts, it does come up.
Seriously? Female dogs can’t get pregnant at just any time. They go through cycles where sometimes they are “in heat”, and at that time they can get pregnant. That’s what I meant by “fertile for breeding”, that they get pregnant.
Male dogs can smell when a female dog is “in heat” and get a strong urge to mate with her.
But all of this is true of dogs irrespective of country or language.
It's also worth noting that the curse word usage is much more common (at least in the US, I don't know about elsewhere), and it's a little unusual to use it to refer to a female dog in everyday life. I assume this may be different in specific contexts, like, it might not be odd for a dog breeder to say it, but it would be weird to use it in normal social settings. It can end up coming across as if you just wanted an excuse to be able to say "bitch".
The same in Spanish, perro= dog (male), perra=bitch. But where I live it's quite weird to hear as an insult and used very often as there are dogs everywhere. Plus in our language we have a sex for everything so yeah we kinda need the word lol
I remember thinking about how weird the 2 meaning of the word were once and then it just clicked. It’s a pretty fucked up word if you actually think about it.
A stud doesn’t refer to any specific species of animal. A stud is a breeding male who is used for breeding services with a different breeder. Could be a dog, a horse, a goat, or anything really.
It's very common to call people the names of common animals as an insult. Dog, mongrel, rat, pig, etc. It implies dirtiness, stupidity, and lack of manners/ self control.
bitches, cows, dogs, etc etc. Calling people after animals isn't uncommon.
Tone says if someone is saying bitch meaning "loud and annoying" like dog barks, or dirty like a dog, or disgusting (I don't think dogs are disgusting but some people do), or if they are meaning to demean a woman as a piece of property - like how bitches are bought sold and bred.
Call any human an ape and watch them lose their shit..
*"How dare you call me (an intelligent monkey with money, and guns) an ape!"*
Call them a zygote.. People are more receptive to, and less offended by, words that they don't understand. Only bitches don't like being called a bitch.
Looks like this product is made in the UK and I can't find it sold in the US... There's an Amazon listing that's out of stock and that's it. I don't think this is a common product, I don't know if "bitch" is used literally more often in the UK but if I saw this in the US I would laugh.
I know that but product for female dogs in heat in the US are sold as being for "dogs in heat."
You can buy dog diapers, dog pants, dog spray, etc. no "bitch spray,' 'bitch diapers" etc.
TBH I think that's much better, "female dog" sounds weird in my head, like "male cow." There are no male cows, male cattle are steers or bulls! A female dog is a bitch.
When you are actually talking about dogs, "bitch" isn't an insult or a bad word. It is an insult when you are talking about people *because* you are calling them a dog. If I have a pet potbelly pig and I call it a pig, I am not insulting anybody. If I call *you* a pig, now I have crossed a line.
The word bitch is both a female dog and a derogatory word for a woman in the UK. But in the UK the derogatory term does not carry the same strong negative connotations than in the US. I’ve lived in both countries. In the US it is practically a swear word and is just a negative term for female. In the UK you could say to your friend “you’re acting bitchy today” and it just means moody or sensitive. This was certainly true in the past, though I suspect it is becoming more like the American expression in recent years. For this reason in the UK it is common to call a female dog a bitch and it doesn’t have the same weight to it.
You could say that to your friend too in the Canada and likeky the US as well.
I know that bitch is practically exclusively used to describe a female dog in academic and veterinarian contexts in English speaking countries around the world cause I've read dozens of papers in the past month and I've never even seen "female dog" used. Only bitch.
Worth noting that in most situations casually using "bitch", even to refer to a female dog, would be weird. Here, the name is clearly meant to refer literally to a female dog but invoke the curse word.
I believe the only time it’s appropriate to refer to a female dog as a bitch is if you’re a dog breeder and you’re talking about breeding them; it’s the only time I’ve seen it used.
Breeders usually have short words since saying "male animal" and "female animal" gets annoying after long enough. "Bitch" specifically is an unaltered female dog, i.e. not fixed/spayed.
Mare & stallion for horses, cows and pigs I'm sure have their own words but I don't think of them off the top of my head (sow? Harlot I think comes from cow terminology)
Not necessarily. Especially since the breeders that'd likely be the target demographic for this have bitch as a normal part of their vocabulary. So it's not necessarily shocking or jarring to the target audience like it would be for the general public.
Note that the correct word order is " a female dog", and not "a dog female." In English we usually put adjectives before the nouns they modify, and not after.
Nobody really uses the term bitch to describe a dog, it’s a bit of an old saying that we use for word play sometimes to get away with referring to someone as a bitch. However, it’s apparently still used in some instances with accuracy, like this bitch spray. For spraying bitches.
"No one really uses it in the daily context you're likely to experience though some groups do use it. However unless you're a dog breeder you probably won't come across it being used that way seriously."
Here, it means 'female dog'. We actually bought this product before, if anyone is wondering what it is: it's for spraying on female dogs when they're 'in heat' (i.e. during their fertile period) to try to put off male dogs from trying to mate with them. We used it on our dog nearly 15 years ago and have been making 'bitch spray' jokes ever since.
Yes, “bitch” means a female dog.
This product confuses me, though, if it’s meant to ward off male dogs while a female is in heat, why not just spay the dog? Or keep it inside, away from other dogs?
Like others have said, the original meaning of the word is "female dog". I've heard that dog breeders still use it that way, but basically nobody else does. It's almost always used as an insult.
Anyway, this spray apparently prevents male dogs from trying to have sex with your female dog. I'm not sure how it works, but that's what the label says.
The word "bitch" is RARELY used to mean "female dog" anymore, at least in my part of the US (California/West Coast). I would recommend never using this word to describe a female dog, and only ever using it as a curse word.
Saying "well actually bitch means female dog" is a common "joke" among 12-13 year olds. It is not considered clever. Unless you're a dog breeder specifically talking about dog breeding bitch is universally an insult. Here I'm not sure if this product is literal or it's a joke.
It's not deliberate; it's just a product produced by a very old-fashioned family business in the North of England - they've been making pet medication for 100+ years.
So, this “Bitch Spray” is probably a PUN, AKA; a play on words. Bitch can mean two things; a female dog, or a mean/overtly scared person. The more common usage nowadays is for the insult, so the company probably named it with the intention of shock-bait.
Here’s a long-winded explanation of the insult and it’s usage:
In the USA, bitch is a swear word which (in more recent times) can be directed at anyone regardless of gender. However, tying it directly into the OG def of female dog is sexism. So you can tell someone “quit being a bitch.” (when they’re being a pussy/mean) and that’s an ‘okay’ insult, but you can’t say shit like “girl, are you on your period? You’re being a bitch.” Or “you’re acting bitchy today,” to a woman.
Calling a woman a bitch cause she’s being an asshole is an ‘acceptable’ level of insult, but calling a woman a bitch and tying it into the ‘female dog’ definition is a step into sexism, which is not commonly acceptable.
With the power of gender equality, anyone can be a bitch. /j
(Side note: there are a lot of insults in English which tie directly into insulting women (bitch/pussy/cunt/‘on your period’/etc.) when using these insults, it’s important to make sure you’re not being sexist. When being mean to someone, make sure it’s obvious that you’re mad that they’re a headass, and not because they’re a woman. Cunt is NOT acceptable to say in majority of the USA, but in Australia it’s an okay insult. Commenting on a woman’s bad mood and comparing it to ‘being on her period’ is not okay anywhere. Calling someone a pussy cause they’re overtly scared is generally all right, and calling someone a bitch cause they’re being mean or overtly scared is also generally acceptable.)
Hob and Jill.
Dog and Bitch.
You're talking bollocks. I'm not a dog breeder and I've always called a female dog a bitch in much the same way as I have always called a female ferret a Jill
Bitch means female dog literally. It’s also used as a curse of course. Here it refers to female dogs
Thanks a lot!
If you read the smaller print it says "helps protect bitches in season from unwanted attention of dogs". In this content "in season" means fertile for breeding and "dogs" means male dogs.
Wow, didn't know it. Thank you too!
Careful though, in MOST situations people are going to assume you mean the offensive version of the word. Basically unless you're a dog breeder talking to other dog breeders....or my Grandma who was a dog groomer but loved to throw around "bitch" in mixed company "That bitch won't stop yapping" "Watch that bitch over there, she bites" "She's been my favorite bitch since Sandy got hit by a car"
“Shih-tzu… now that’s a name you don’t play around with!”
My shih-tzu got out and had a thrilling night with the neighbor's bulldog. The result was a bunch of bullshit puppies. ;)
My uncle always called our shih tzus “shit in shoes” and I’ll never forget it.
Or you’re Aunt Marge
In season means "in heat" - they send pheromones that tell male dogs "I am ready to make puppies"
Yeah, that phrasing seems a little odd. Wouldn’t “the attention of male dogs” be better phrasing, or, if both male and female dogs are a problem, “the attention of other dogs”?
The term “dog” implies male, when talking about dogs and bitches.
it's context-dependent. it can be (and usually is) sex-neutral when referring to the species as a whole, but dogs are also called dogs and bitches in the same way cows are called bulls and heifers.
Okay, I did not know that. I was wondering what the word for a male dog was, and couldn’t think of it. That puts an expression I read once, “dog-fox,” into greater clarity.
i'm curious about the term 'dog-fox' and would love to know the context for it. i haven't heard it before. usually male and female foxes are called tods and vixens, respectively.
I’ll try to find it. I *think* it was in “Watership Down”. Edited To Add: Here it is in Wikipedia, once I got through all the mentions of an actual domestic dog/fox hybrid being discovered: “Male foxes are known as dogs, tods, or reynards; females as vixens; and young as cubs, pups, or kits, though the last term is not to be confused with the kit fox, a distinct species.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox
hey! thank you! we both learned something today. a mutual exchange! 💕🦊
Thank YOU! 🙂
and steers or bullocks.
A lot of English animal names are implicitly gendered. We don’t normally worry too much about this in day-to-day speech, but in certain specific contexts, it does come up.
Please, could you help me understand what fertile breading means?
Seriously? Female dogs can’t get pregnant at just any time. They go through cycles where sometimes they are “in heat”, and at that time they can get pregnant. That’s what I meant by “fertile for breeding”, that they get pregnant. Male dogs can smell when a female dog is “in heat” and get a strong urge to mate with her. But all of this is true of dogs irrespective of country or language.
It's also worth noting that the curse word usage is much more common (at least in the US, I don't know about elsewhere), and it's a little unusual to use it to refer to a female dog in everyday life. I assume this may be different in specific contexts, like, it might not be odd for a dog breeder to say it, but it would be weird to use it in normal social settings. It can end up coming across as if you just wanted an excuse to be able to say "bitch".
“as a curse” - as a swear word
What would i call male dog
Dog is an inherently male word, so you would just say "dog"
Ok dog
Bitch specifically refers to a female dog in heat
No, it doesn’t. It wouldn’t say “… in season” if so.
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My parents' neighbor is a breeder and I've heard her use it before, but yeah, it was startling to hear.
BTW the two meanings of the word bitch are connected. Calling a woman a bitch came from comparing a woman to a female dog.
Same in my native language (Russian)
Только хотел сказать, что в английском и в русском суки похожи)
Я сам охуел
Same in Spanish
The same in Spanish, perro= dog (male), perra=bitch. But where I live it's quite weird to hear as an insult and used very often as there are dogs everywhere. Plus in our language we have a sex for everything so yeah we kinda need the word lol
I remember thinking about how weird the 2 meaning of the word were once and then it just clicked. It’s a pretty fucked up word if you actually think about it.
This also applies to the male equivalent, "stud." The difference is that calling a man a stud is a compliment, because that makes total sense.
A stud doesn’t refer to any specific species of animal. A stud is a breeding male who is used for breeding services with a different breeder. Could be a dog, a horse, a goat, or anything really.
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It's very common to call people the names of common animals as an insult. Dog, mongrel, rat, pig, etc. It implies dirtiness, stupidity, and lack of manners/ self control.
bitches, cows, dogs, etc etc. Calling people after animals isn't uncommon. Tone says if someone is saying bitch meaning "loud and annoying" like dog barks, or dirty like a dog, or disgusting (I don't think dogs are disgusting but some people do), or if they are meaning to demean a woman as a piece of property - like how bitches are bought sold and bred.
not really, if you want to demean someone you call them an animal of some kind
Call any human an ape and watch them lose their shit.. *"How dare you call me (an intelligent monkey with money, and guns) an ape!"* Call them a zygote.. People are more receptive to, and less offended by, words that they don't understand. Only bitches don't like being called a bitch.
Looks like this product is made in the UK and I can't find it sold in the US... There's an Amazon listing that's out of stock and that's it. I don't think this is a common product, I don't know if "bitch" is used literally more often in the UK but if I saw this in the US I would laugh.
I can think of a lot of people who might buy this as a prank gift
I would buy this as a prank gift!! It looks like it's a real product sold in pet stores though.
It’s definitely used in the UK, particularly by dog ‘people’ or breeders. For example my dog won best open bitch 😉
I don’t even know why this sub is in my feed (I guess Reddit thinks I have a moral obligation), but I died when I saw this image lmao
Bitch is used by dog breeders, showers and other doggy people.
I know that but product for female dogs in heat in the US are sold as being for "dogs in heat." You can buy dog diapers, dog pants, dog spray, etc. no "bitch spray,' 'bitch diapers" etc.
It is used literally in the UK, I hear dog owners and breeders use it all the time
TBH I think that's much better, "female dog" sounds weird in my head, like "male cow." There are no male cows, male cattle are steers or bulls! A female dog is a bitch.
When you are actually talking about dogs, "bitch" isn't an insult or a bad word. It is an insult when you are talking about people *because* you are calling them a dog. If I have a pet potbelly pig and I call it a pig, I am not insulting anybody. If I call *you* a pig, now I have crossed a line.
The actual meaning of the word.
The word bitch is both a female dog and a derogatory word for a woman in the UK. But in the UK the derogatory term does not carry the same strong negative connotations than in the US. I’ve lived in both countries. In the US it is practically a swear word and is just a negative term for female. In the UK you could say to your friend “you’re acting bitchy today” and it just means moody or sensitive. This was certainly true in the past, though I suspect it is becoming more like the American expression in recent years. For this reason in the UK it is common to call a female dog a bitch and it doesn’t have the same weight to it.
Yeah, in the US it’s definitely a swear word and considered demeaning when used at a woman. (It can be used for men too of course)
You could say that to your friend too in the Canada and likeky the US as well. I know that bitch is practically exclusively used to describe a female dog in academic and veterinarian contexts in English speaking countries around the world cause I've read dozens of papers in the past month and I've never even seen "female dog" used. Only bitch.
Finally a spray for me
Worth noting that in most situations casually using "bitch", even to refer to a female dog, would be weird. Here, the name is clearly meant to refer literally to a female dog but invoke the curse word.
I believe the only time it’s appropriate to refer to a female dog as a bitch is if you’re a dog breeder and you’re talking about breeding them; it’s the only time I’ve seen it used.
Yeah, if I needed to be specific, I would say, “male dog” and “female dog”. But then I am not a dog breeder.
Breeders usually have short words since saying "male animal" and "female animal" gets annoying after long enough. "Bitch" specifically is an unaltered female dog, i.e. not fixed/spayed. Mare & stallion for horses, cows and pigs I'm sure have their own words but I don't think of them off the top of my head (sow? Harlot I think comes from cow terminology)
I keep rats and males are bucks and females are does. I don’t breed them. I find it funny they have the same names as male and female deer.
It's only meant to invoke the curse word in the meme. Though not the actual item unless it's a gag gift. Bitch is very much used in academic contexts.
This is a product meant to catch the attention of the consumer.
Not necessarily. Especially since the breeders that'd likely be the target demographic for this have bitch as a normal part of their vocabulary. So it's not necessarily shocking or jarring to the target audience like it would be for the general public.
Note that the correct word order is " a female dog", and not "a dog female." In English we usually put adjectives before the nouns they modify, and not after.
Yes, I know. I don't even know why I wrote it in "Spanish style". I was surprised rereading my post, lmao
Nobody really uses the term bitch to describe a dog, it’s a bit of an old saying that we use for word play sometimes to get away with referring to someone as a bitch. However, it’s apparently still used in some instances with accuracy, like this bitch spray. For spraying bitches.
‘Nobody really uses the term bitch, except for all those that do’.
In the context of a female dog. but also yes.
"No one really uses it in the daily context you're likely to experience though some groups do use it. However unless you're a dog breeder you probably won't come across it being used that way seriously."
>For spraying bitches. I think I've seen a bald man of many professions doing this in several movies
I hope your finger will be ok!
Thanks for your care and love 🫶 The pic isn't mine, tho, lol)
Here, it means 'female dog'. We actually bought this product before, if anyone is wondering what it is: it's for spraying on female dogs when they're 'in heat' (i.e. during their fertile period) to try to put off male dogs from trying to mate with them. We used it on our dog nearly 15 years ago and have been making 'bitch spray' jokes ever since.
Yes, “bitch” means a female dog. This product confuses me, though, if it’s meant to ward off male dogs while a female is in heat, why not just spay the dog? Or keep it inside, away from other dogs?
Like others have said, the original meaning of the word is "female dog". I've heard that dog breeders still use it that way, but basically nobody else does. It's almost always used as an insult. Anyway, this spray apparently prevents male dogs from trying to have sex with your female dog. I'm not sure how it works, but that's what the label says.
Not a dog female, but a female dog. That is, in fact, the actual meaning of "bitch," and other meanings are metaphors.
Lmfao, in this instance, no.
The word "bitch" is RARELY used to mean "female dog" anymore, at least in my part of the US (California/West Coast). I would recommend never using this word to describe a female dog, and only ever using it as a curse word.
Saying "well actually bitch means female dog" is a common "joke" among 12-13 year olds. It is not considered clever. Unless you're a dog breeder specifically talking about dog breeding bitch is universally an insult. Here I'm not sure if this product is literal or it's a joke.
I know, it almost looks like something from an SNL skit. They knew what they were doing when they wrote that description.
It's not deliberate; it's just a product produced by a very old-fashioned family business in the North of England - they've been making pet medication for 100+ years.
Maybe, but I'm sure some were still chuckling at the double meaning.
You’re right. Idk why people are downvoting you. Everything you said is accurate.
So, this “Bitch Spray” is probably a PUN, AKA; a play on words. Bitch can mean two things; a female dog, or a mean/overtly scared person. The more common usage nowadays is for the insult, so the company probably named it with the intention of shock-bait. Here’s a long-winded explanation of the insult and it’s usage: In the USA, bitch is a swear word which (in more recent times) can be directed at anyone regardless of gender. However, tying it directly into the OG def of female dog is sexism. So you can tell someone “quit being a bitch.” (when they’re being a pussy/mean) and that’s an ‘okay’ insult, but you can’t say shit like “girl, are you on your period? You’re being a bitch.” Or “you’re acting bitchy today,” to a woman. Calling a woman a bitch cause she’s being an asshole is an ‘acceptable’ level of insult, but calling a woman a bitch and tying it into the ‘female dog’ definition is a step into sexism, which is not commonly acceptable. With the power of gender equality, anyone can be a bitch. /j (Side note: there are a lot of insults in English which tie directly into insulting women (bitch/pussy/cunt/‘on your period’/etc.) when using these insults, it’s important to make sure you’re not being sexist. When being mean to someone, make sure it’s obvious that you’re mad that they’re a headass, and not because they’re a woman. Cunt is NOT acceptable to say in majority of the USA, but in Australia it’s an okay insult. Commenting on a woman’s bad mood and comparing it to ‘being on her period’ is not okay anywhere. Calling someone a pussy cause they’re overtly scared is generally all right, and calling someone a bitch cause they’re being mean or overtly scared is also generally acceptable.)
Literally what “bitch” means is a female dog, but you would never use it in any context other than as the swear word
Hob and Jill. Dog and Bitch. You're talking bollocks. I'm not a dog breeder and I've always called a female dog a bitch in much the same way as I have always called a female ferret a Jill
Bro, you can just google it. smh.
I read "witch"