"despite what you may have heard, pusillanimous does not serve as the basis for pussyfoot, pussycat, or a certain related vulgarism." - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Social media is a misinformation engine
this post was submitted on 08 May 2025
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Social media yes absolutely is, but so is the Internet in general. There's always been conspiracy and other whacko websites. Social media just brings the misinformation to you, instead of previously, you had to seek out that kind of content.
"pussy" as in coward and "pussy" as in vagina are both references to cats. pussycats. we call cowards pussies because cats scare easily. we call vaginas pussies because they are soft and delicate (not actually, but that's how we want to treat them)
this doesn't have to be a misogyny thing, and anti-misogyny thing, or an anti-anti-misogyny thing. everyone just fucking chill out about this word, ffs
Etymologically, it seems like there are theories surrounding where it comes from.
The ones I'm familiar with are 'poesje', a Dutch word meaning 'little cat'. The other is the Old English word 'pus' meaning 'pocket'.
I'm far more inclined to believe 'poesje' is the origin, with 'pus' being an incorrect association due to common modern usage of the word 'pussy' in place of 'vagina'.
Idk who convinced this guy that it's short for pusillanimous. Sounds like someone trolled the fuck out of him. Anyone with a strong understanding of English (and language, really - what I'm about to say is just human nature) understands that languages follow the path of least resistance. It, logically, does not make sense that pusillanimous (a word totally unused in the average English speakers vernacular) would be where pussy comes from. Unless your inner idea of English speakers 3 centuries ago is some fucked up Shakespeare-an parody.
You're probably right about pussy (vagina) originally meaning pocket but I don't think it does anymore. People now euphemistically refer to vaginas as a "kitty" or sometimes they even use a cat emoji.
People believing that pussy (coward) is a reference to vaginas AND people who think it's short for pusillanimous are people who let their politics color their perception of the world. Men who hate women, women who hate men, and men who hate that women hate men. It's conspiratorial thinking all around.
That word existing isn't proof of that.
Also, ask a random selection of people who call other pussies what they mean by it. I can guarantee you that the mayority is referring to the body part. Which makes this stupid.
I never thought of the body part when calling someone a pussy. Anecdotal, but still.
I was always thought about it was cats because they're scared and shit. But holy fuck, never fuck with a cat that hates your guts and wants nothing to do with you.
You think when people call someone a "pussy" as a pejorative they are calling them a vagina? Like literally? That's ludicrous.
Almost like calling someone a dick.
Curses and insults often include sexual characteristics and actions. And also bodily fluids, animals, diseases and blasphemy
But like, when calling someone a dick, you think of a penis?
Arguably they are a scaredy cat
Not literally, figuratively.
That word existing isn't proof of that.
It IS a rather odd coincidence, then.
It is a coincidence, but it's an interesting one.
Pusillanimis comes from the Latin pusillus.
Pussy comes from Germanic puss, as in cat; both the insulting sense of the word and the slang for vagina
My understanding is Germanic Puss (as in cat) comes from the sound a cat makes when hissing, and over time "Pussy" means someone who is scared/angry
Thus the term "Scaredy-cat" as well.
My understanding is calling someone a pussy is literally just a more vulgar version of scaredy-cat, not a woman's vagina.
And calling someone a cat as a derogatory term way predates it as a term for vagina.
It's why we have words like "catty", in the 1600s "Puss" was a term for (primarily a woman) who was acting very sour / mean (like a cat)
Pussy as a term for a vagina came way after, when "Puss" started to become a term of endearment (and now we cringe at someone calling their SO "Kitten"), and then further on to become sexual in meaning.
I'm not an ethymologist, but I remember looking around when this last came up, and while there weren't really any fully authoritative sources, the consensus seemed to be that the insult referred to the body part, and the existence of an old-timey word that sounded similar was a fun coincidence.
I generally mean it as someone scared to go the fucking speed limit in the left lane.
The left lane is for passing. If you're passing you're using it correctly regardless of how fast you are going.
They aren't, that's why they're pussies.
I'm just sick of people mistaking it for a "fast lane". It's not, it's for passing. You pass and you get back into the travel lane. Unless you live in Connecticut which has a plague of left exits but that's a different issue
It's not the passing lane if there is three lanes here in Michigan, by law or custom.
Pffffff idiot. Everyone knows the slang is "pusy".
Pusi
The Latin roots of this derisive adjective are pusillus, meaning "very small" (and related to pusus, meaning "boy") and animus, which means "spirit"
... so a fuckboi, but even more cowardly.
Only some kinda sissy would post something like this
I heard that's from sisyphean, keep pushing that boulder, sissies!
This is a nice one
Pip pip!
This guy seems like a vagina.
Except that if you actually check the etymology of both words, you would find that one does not derive from the other.
Then it would sound like "pyoosy", look at the phonetics. I've never used that pronunciation. Have I been saying it wrong all this time?
TIL
Stop being unsure of yourself pyoosy
There's words that do that. Rare, yeah, but sometimes.
Then say "poo-zee" and write "puzy"