Do you consider the word "broad" sexist?

[bluestateguy]

My father, who is 61, uses the word often, as it was a commonly used word in his day. Even my mother, who is 62, has let that word slip out of her mouth on occasion.

What say you?

[old mark]

1. Broadly speaking , no. It was a descriptive word used mainly by people in the '40's

and '50's. I don't hear it used much today at all.

mark

[Captain Hilts]

15. It was a compliment. A woman who was fun, a tough gamer. Somewhat masculine, not fragile. nt

[LostInAnomie]

2. I sure someone on here will.

I don't though.

[Book Lover]

3. Depends on if a sexist dipshit is saying it, or if it's being used

colloquially by someone from the elder generation. Kind of like how my 82-year-old father will describe a black person as "colored." If it's meant to be an insult, it's an insult. But I don't think it is vulgar per se.

[Captain Hilts]

16. Context is everything. nt

[Skittles]

4. no

I think it sounds tough

[KG]

11. Skittles is one tough broad

yes INDEED! :P

[Captain Hilts]

17. So are LisaM, Captain Hilts, TZ...

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. I only know one broad.

.
The term "broad", when referring to a woman, is almost always
demeaning and dismissive. Just take a look at the men who
use that word comfortably and you can see that.
.
I went looking for its origin. It's late and I'm tired and
I don't feel good so I'm not real sharp right now -- made
obvious by the fact that I Googled for "entomology" instead
of "etymology". Cool bugs, so it was kind of an "ooh shiny"
moment where I immediately forgot what I was doing for far
longer than I might ordinarily be comfortable with. I'm fine
with it tonight.
.
Finally got to the right place. Definitions and origins and
such, but all pretty bare-bones disappointing. ALL of the
definitions were "referencing a woman, usu. offensive". There
was a very funny line repeated in several definitions: A broad
is a woman who can throw a mean punch.
.
The noun originated in reference to "broader" playing cards
(bridge and poker decks having different dimensions). It came
to mean "woman of loose morals" -- more specifically a woman who
was someone's "meal ticket", i.e. a prostitute. Don't ask me
how THAT jump was made........ 'cause I'll just shout, "MAGIC!!",
and walk away smugly.
.
In a positive sense, it eventually came to mean a very capable,
strong, street-and-world-wise woman who wouldn't take a lot of
crap off anyone.
.
The one broad I know? Kali, on this site. A sweet-natured
woman with a heart TWICE as big as Texas who is also one of the
most capable and world-wise human beings that I know. She can
definitely "git-r-done" (no matter WHAT the "-r-" is) without
having to say idiotic things like "git-r-done".
.
I describe her to my friends as (among many other things) a
tough rancher broad. I'm not sure there is anyone I respect
or admire more.
.
"Broad" demeaning? Hell, yeah... in the vast majority of
usages. But I KNOW of at least one usage where its meaning
is that of a badge of honor.
.
.
.
.
Kali is exceptionally sweet-natured and gentle at her core,
and would probably deny this (most vehemently to herself) BUT....
I bet she can throw a mean punch, too.
.
.
.
Takin' chances. Goin' over there to assume a protective stance
in the oorner now.
.
.

[ismnotwasm]

26. Someone told me once

I've never verified it--That the term broad actually come from when we started moving pictures. If I woman was good looking enough to be on the 'big screen' a "broad" shot, I guess,well, the term evolved from there.

I don't hear broad much anymore. I know a few older women who use it for themselves. But it was sexist and demeaning in it's heyday, 'broad' using being prefaced with 'stupid'

[Kali]

32. asshole

post this shit when I'm asleep and too late to make you edit
I should alert on your ass, you better duck

:blush: <<<====== me X a brazillion

[Quantess]

6. Maybe, but does anyone under 50 ever say it except in an ironic way?

It's such outdated slang that it just sounds funny now, unless a senior citizen is saying it.

[MiddleFingerMom]

8. Lemme guess.....

.
You've never been to South Philly, have you?
.

[Orrex]

12. Let me tell you about South Philly

I used to work at a sandwich shop in a central PA college town, and every day I'd get these loudmouths from Philly coming in and complaining that our Philly cheesesteak wasn't a real Philly cheesesteak.

Eventually I started asking them to tell me exactly what a real Philly cheesesteak is. For every ten people I asked, I got at least fifteen different answers.

And they complain when you charge for a 4oz side of blue cheese dressing with their wings, too.


Don't know about the whole "broad" thing.

[MiddleFingerMom]

27. Philly Cheesesteaks

.
M-m-m-m-m-m-m.
.
Used to be impossible to get even a reasonable facsimile here in Tucson, even though
there were several transplanted sandwich shop owners from Philly.
.
In the last several years, I've found at least two that do it right.
.
You do know that to do 'em right, you gotta Whiz on 'em, don't you?
.
.
Cheese Whiz, of course (although personally, I prefer mozzarella or provolone). The
sandwich below is from Pat's -- one of the two most famous Philly Cheesesteak places
(the other being Geno's) -- and you order it as a "Whiz wit'"... meaning with onions.
.
.
And "Philly's Finest"? The first and only time I ever ate there, I wondered if they
had EVER been east of the Mississippi.
.
.
.

[mike_c]

20. I was about to object...

...and then I thought more closely about my relationship to your boundary conditions.... :rofl:

[BlueIris]

7. Yeah. nt

[Deep13]

9. Yeah, but not as bad as some others. nt

[bigwillq]

10. No (nt)

[Orsino]

13. Context is all.

It can be used by women in an effort to take back the word. It can be used ironically, to parody or undercut sexism.

The word is nigh-meaningless without context.

[Captain Hilts]

14. It used to be a compliment. Yes, it is kind of sexist. It's archaic now. nt

[mochajava666]

25. In Madison, Wisconsin, it would be considered sexist

and archaic. I guess a more modern version here of "broad" might be "chick". Context is huge as well as the age of the speaker and probably what part of the country you are in, or urban verses rural.

[Captain Hilts]

28. Very much so. I think it's universally archaic among those under 70. nt

[Iggo]

18. I don't consider it to be sexist.

But that ain't really up to me, is it? If someone hears it as sexist, then to them it is.

(I spel gud)

[Deep13]

19. Also, it's an over-broad term..

We should just say "woman" as in a Womanway stage show and woman daylight.

:hide:

[fizzgig]

21. context is everything

i use it from time to time, but it's always while i'm yelling at people while i'm driving

[caitxrawks]

22. nah, but now it does seem a little sexy to me.

The broad male placed his broad manmeat in her broad lovenest.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. I kinda love that term --

to me, it describes a woman who is tough, no-nonsense, independent, and strong. Elain Strich comes to mind -- the perfect broad. :)

[MiddleFingerMom]

24. Broad Perspectives

.
I almost forgot.
.
Our local community radio station has had a long-standing feminist
radio show called "Broad Perspectives".
.
'Course....... maybe it's just a coincidence, eh?
.

[DuckyCase]

29. Incredibly. I still, however, use it daily.

[Quantess]

30. I think "shorty" is sexist.

[Blue_In_AK]

31. I don't particularly,

but I have a very high language tolerance.

[tigereye]

33. I think there are worse words...but all in all there are probably too many

derogatory terms for women... :shrug:

[femmocrat]

34. Yes it is.

Trust me.

[Odin2005]

35. Depends on the context.

I use "tough broad" on occasion as a compliment.