Dear Pussies

"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

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.

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.
- Hmh. I have never called someone a pussy, but when people do, I ususually do think of the body part. Based on this, I postulate that we are polar opposites.
  
  Also, what do you think of? Dicks? If so, same.
You think when people call someone a "pussy" as a pejorative they are calling them a vagina? Like literally? That's ludicrous.
- Arguably they are a scaredy cat
- Almost like calling someone a dick.
  
  Curses and insults often include sexual characteristics and actions. And also bodily fluids, animals, diseases and blasphemy
- Not literally, figuratively.
That word existing isn't proof of that.

It IS a rather odd coincidence, then.
- 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.
- 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
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.

"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