Is the word "fanny" a slur?

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snavej1@reddit

The wokies invent new slurs daily. You never know what they'll do next.

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Gary_Garibaldi@reddit

r/football sounds like a right set of fannies

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ToriaLyons@reddit

Is that sub for American football or for soccer football though? I dunno if fanny is an insult over there.

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You can't open your mouth without insulting a Yank. They are all fannies. The American meaning is 'bottom' where as the UK version means vagina. Although it's the sort of mild swearing word that grannies would use, like 'bugger' (sodomy) and blimey (blind me).

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Solid-Ad-2875@reddit

Fanny means vagina because it comes from the Gaelic word for vagina. You’ll find that it’s mostly the Scots and Irish who use the word fanny. Where I grew up in Scotland a fanny was an idiot. Similar the the English word “twat” also a vulva and a fool.

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lela7188@reddit

I always thought twat was a pregnant goldfish for some reason lol

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Historical_Royal_187@reddit

I've not heard that one, but I'm fairly sure goldfish don't get pregnant. Most Lady Fish just sorta release their eggs/roe unfertilized next to the bloke fish who also release his sperm snd it all just mixes in the water. No penetration, no pregnancy. Just undersea mess.

There are some exception like sharks and seahorses.

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lela7188@reddit

That makes sense, I do recall it was a kid at school who told me their goldfish was pregnant and that their dad said it was a twat. I guess I've took it as gospel since. I do feel a bit foolish now 😂

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Historical_Royal_187@reddit

The lady fish can become swollen with roe, which is guess could be taken as pregnant if you didn't want to explain sex and then fish sex to you kid...

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Kent_Tog@reddit

All true, although I feel we should be nicer to all twats and fannies.

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EasyPriority8724@reddit

Muricans are proper Fannies, can I say Cunts?

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Dangerous-Skirt-9234@reddit

If you're in the mid Atlantic does it mean perineum?

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mighty3mperor@reddit

Taint

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mad_saffer@reddit

Um....UK version doesn't mean vagina. It was a literal name for women! People could baptise their daughters Fanny. It's changed over time but still doesn't mean vagina

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_(name)

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Kent_Tog@reddit

Oh yes it does. Thanks.

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HauntingNet580@reddit

I’m Australian and have lived in the UK since ‘98. I remember someone telling me that bugger was a really bad word in the UK. Not sure now if it was a Brit or an Australian. But I avoid it just in case. My mum doesn’t really swear but she does say bugger.

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CAN-IDIOTS-GAME@reddit

bugger in the uk means to sodomise and is really offensive because of various reasons

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TheNorthC@reddit

Bugger is a very inoffensive word in the UK, despite its literal meaning. It is often used affectionally.

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Commercial_Reward_78@reddit

My wife’s late grandmother lived all her life in Devon. She’d throw a fit if I said “shit”, but she used the word “bugger” all the time. “Why is she ok with anal sex but not defecation?” “She doesn’t know what bugger means.” 🤯

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TheNorthC@reddit

That is one of the mysteries of the English language

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ComposerNo5151@reddit

Bugger isn't that bad. It made its way into 'Blackadder Goes Forth', when Blackadder asks Captain Darling how he feels, prior to them going over the top:

"Ahm- not all that good, Blackadder. Rather hoped I'd get through the whole show, go back to work at Pratt and Sons, keep wicket for the Croydon Gentlemen, marry Doris. Made a note in my diary on the way here. Simply says: "Bugger".

It's context isn't it? I wouldn't call someone a bugger, but I might call a fiddly job 'a bit of a bugger'.

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Leading_Study_876@reddit

It's weird, even within the UK. "Bugger" is regarded as quite mild in the north of England. "You daft bugger" for example, in Yorkshire, whereas "bastard" is usually more offensive. Down south these are reversed.

Up here in Scotland, calling someone a fanny or telling someone to stop fannying about is regarded as pretty mild and often just a bit of joshing.

Referring to a third party as a "total fanny" however, does usually indicate a fairly deprecatory opinion of them 😆

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Kent_Tog@reddit

My mum's favourites were 'sod' and bugger!

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Decent-Chip-868@reddit

Sod and bugger are definitely considered very mild swearing by most Brits.

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tradandtea123@reddit

I never heard my gran (who lived 1925-2020) swear. But she did tell me that when she was in the land army the girls in the farm she was working on had a budgie and they taught it to say Hitler's a bugger. I guess she made an exception for him.

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drpandamania@reddit

That actually made me laugh out loud. Thank you.

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Ricky_Martins_Vagina@reddit

Footballers and their fans are all fannies

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S_mawds@reddit

Football went that way a long time ago

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Rico1983@reddit

Game's gone!

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Srapture@reddit

A slur as in for a particular group? Not that I'm aware of.

Maybe there were Americans lurking around. I've heard a few times from them that calling someone a cunt is "sexist" despite it obviously not having gendered connotations here.

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Sharps43@reddit

Fanny in the UK means vagina. Though, i wouldn't really call it a slur.

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EvilWaterman@reddit

No, but society has become more wet

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EasyPriority8724@reddit

Nope, in Scotland its required.

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NickyBadSeed@reddit

Fanny is not a slur. Christ, even in america dont they have fanny packs? Sweet Fanny Adams would be a eupheism for nothing, literally nothing. The non swear version of Fuck all. Thats going to be regional thing though.

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thricedice88@reddit

It's like calling someone a pussy, same meaning.

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Once-I-Was@reddit

My Grandma's name was Fanny. So was her grandma's. She likely came from a long line of Fannys.

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Immediate-Goose-8106@reddit

I mean I guarantee she did.

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TequilaMockingbirds8@reddit

Nooo that’s not true is it?

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Immediate-Goose-8106@reddit

Yep. Ostensibly because no-one is called fanny these days.

Unlike the millions of little Frannies about.

Hardly the most egregious change to Enid Blyton not the most essential cough Noddy cough.

In Faraway tree, Dame slap was redone as dame scold (or similar) i think too. The physical abuse was removed anyway.

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Boleyn01@reddit

Dame Snap.

My kids have the updated books. It’s ok really, you readjust quite quickly to the names and they don’t really change the stories. Dame snap scolds people rather than hitting them though, which mostly works but occasionally the word doesn’t quite fit.

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HauntingNet580@reddit

I liked that in the film Dame “Snap” explains that she used to be Dame Slap and why it changed. Not that i can remember why.

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abbieadeva@reddit

She was Dame Tickle on the VHS I had in the late 90s. She had a big pink tickling feather and mum always got annoyed that they’d changed it from Dame Slap

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ClickDisastrous2142@reddit

Not only that - Jo is now Joe, Bessie is Beth, Dame Slap is Dame Snap, Dame Washalot is only called that and not the alternative 'Old Mother Washalot' which was in early versions. D1ck was renamed as Rick. And a problematic toy that we would now call a 'golly' have been replaced by bears and gnomes. There's probably more too! I have my old copies, and my daughters copies of the books and so much was changed.

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Creative-Pizza-4161@reddit

Oh I was shocked when my sister got my kids the magic faraway tree books and it had all changed so much! I came across an older version in a charity shop and brought it, so I could read it how I'd read it as a child myself. The wishing chair collection has also changed some names too, although I only have the old version of that. Funnily enough I had a friend Franchesca in middle school who went by Fanny, this was in the late 2000s, surprisingly never had any jokes made about it either

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Hobbit_Hardcase@reddit

I have recently purchased the Folio Society prints for my little girl and the names are Jo, Bessie and Fanny. Dame Washalot is still there. Dame Slap runs the school, from the title headings. We haven't got very far into the story yet.

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BamberGasgroin@reddit

Ahem

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amzlrr@reddit

Ye cannae call her Fanny

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TheNorthC@reddit

I believe that was a diminutive form of Francesca.

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Once-I-Was@reddit

A name in its own right, as well as diminutive of Frances.

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Traveller-28907@reddit

You missed a trick you should have put “came out of a long line of Fanny’s”

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Decent-Chip-868@reddit

No It's a pack of Fannys - a fanny pack

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Decent-Chip-868@reddit

Was it a Fanny pack?

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Indigo-Waterfall@reddit

My grandads name was Dick.

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gingermasher@reddit

Family funeral. Poor Richard’s service. All were surprised when the vicar said asked us to pray, and “Give thanks to God for giving us Dick”. A lot of emotion was expressed by the congregation at these solemn words.

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VariousClassroom8056@reddit

There's a locomotive in the UK called Dick Mabbutt

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smellyfeet25@reddit

Dick ? He needed to meet a fanny lol.

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HauntingNet580@reddit

I had an Uncle Dick. His sisters called him Richard but he was Dick to us kids.

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Butterscotch1664@reddit

My boss is called Richard, and his dad is called Dick. We call the dad Old Dick, and we call the boss a cunt.

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GuiltyCredit@reddit

Mine too. Well, it wasn't his real name that was Peregrine...

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shivilization_7@reddit

I used to work on a trading floor and often I’d have to stand up and scream someone’s name to get their attention. When you yell Dick that loudly it’s very hard to not have a tone that sounds like you’re insulting

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ALHsf@reddit

This was my first thought as well hahaha

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Impressive_Ad2794@reddit

Unexpected Irn-Bru reference.

We cannae call her Fanny!

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Old-Revolution-1565@reddit

Ah Fanny you look just like you’re daddy

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adjective-nounOne234@reddit

Aye.. Fanny

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Cow_Launcher@reddit

It's a diminutive for "Frances", though it can also be a given name in its own right.

So it would be interesting to know what she had on her birth certificate (or church parish register in the case of her grandmother, assuming she was born before the late 1830s).

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Once-I-Was@reddit

Getting serious now, her registered name on baptism record is Fanny (born 1914), and her grandma (born 1850) has Fanny on her marriage record. My grandma used Frances later in life for formal settings but continued to use Fan at home.

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Cow_Launcher@reddit

Interesting, thank you!

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browsib@reddit

I thought Fanny's your aunt

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InncnceDstryr@reddit

Phenomenal

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Unexpected-Xenomorph@reddit

It’s Fanny’s all the down

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Boleyn01@reddit

I mean it is sort of an insult but a very very mild one that really doesn’t warrant an immediate ban.

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Decard_Pain@reddit

It's a mild insult, the issue you have is a lot of Americans are mods and the British who are mods were the people in school literally no one liked, not even the kindest teacher.

So yea mods are sad pathetic losers who believe they have some sort of power because they're a Reddit mod

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Happy_Attitude_8627@reddit

As a 17 year old watching Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the whole cinema found it really amusing when Little John was shouting 'I WONT LEAVE MY FANNY BEHIND'

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mighty3mperor@reddit

Yesterday, I accused a friend of "fannying about" on our WhatsApp group chat. I think he was a bit put out about it. Easily avoided if he'd have stopped fannying about.

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mad_saffer@reddit

Stop fannying about!! It's a VERY old fashioned term and for Americans doubles as ass, whereas in the UK it's not

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Appropriate-Bad-9379@reddit

You too can have doughnuts like fannies…. ( Johnny, Fanny Craddick ( tv chef)’s husband…

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Adrian69702016@reddit

It's a less bad word than another beginning with c. However it's important to remember that it means something different in America to Britain.

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OrganizationOk5418@reddit

Of course it isn't.

Ya fanny.

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Petethejakey_@reddit

Probably yank mods who are easily offended

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sbaldrick33@reddit

I think you'd have to be really trying to interpret "fanny" as a slur.

Some people think that insults pertaining to the female pudenda are exist, but even at thst, the only one you're really likely to get in trouble for is "cunt."

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fannyfox@reddit

Unless you’re in the states, where fanny means your arse, not your minge.

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Commercial_Reward_78@reddit

I worked in the US for a summer. Went to Boston for weekend with three English & one American workmate. We passed by a chocolate shop called Fanny Farmer (it’s a chain with a “little old lady” logo), which provoked mild sniggering, until Laurie, the American, innocently announced “Yeah, they say the more chocolate she eats, the bigger her fanny gets.”

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hundreddollar@reddit

Bites scotch egg like an apple

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sbaldrick33@reddit

Sod them.

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Urist_Macnme@reddit

Not being allowed to call people cunts is racist against the Scots

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Justan0therthrow4way@reddit

Also against the Australians but this is a British sub.

How the fuck could cunt be banned from the football sub lol

What a bunch of cunts 🤣

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TSotP@reddit

Nah, they are clearly just a bunch of fannies.

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Remote_Atmosphere993@reddit

I got a warning on a football sub for using the c word. It was a comment about a video of a footballer taking the piss out of the opposition and I suggested that someone should launch that c*unt.

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phoebsmon@reddit

Deploy the Sean Dyche memes

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WeDoingThisAgainRWe@reddit

Doesn’t surprise me. I think a lot of it is ones who like to dish it out but can’t take it back.

I’ve been at matches where fans are giving players horrendous abuse, with all flavours of language. And the player has managed a middle finger gesture or whatever to them. People in the same crowd have gone ballistic. Giving it the full “won’t somebody think of the children” hypocrisy and wanting the police involved.

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Justan0therthrow4way@reddit

Fucking Christ what is this world coming to

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WeDoingThisAgainRWe@reddit

The mods on the Irish subs would pass out from exhaustion if they had to edit out every use of the word cunt. Mine alone would probably take days. (And I don’t believe I’m the worst). I mean there really isn’t another word for someone who is a cunt.

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Enough_Response@reddit

It's derived from the French word “fainéant” meaning a self-indulgent person who spends time avoiding work or other useful activity

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Estebesol@reddit

That's not fair, my fanny had a baby come out of it last year.

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RealLongwayround@reddit

Are you sure of that? My OED is at home so I cannot check it but other free etymological online dictionaries do not connect the verb or the noun to fainéant.

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Enough_Response@reddit

I've read 5 different possible ways it reached England in it's current form. It's perfectly possible different areas came to use it for different reasons. Books, tinned meats, French old fashioned names, etc.

I guess we will never know for sure.

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RealLongwayround@reddit

That’s often the case with etymology: it’s one reason why archived Internet posts could be a massive boon to future etymologists.

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Lanthanidedeposit@reddit

I bet this is the root of it being a personal insult.

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nineteenthly@reddit

Really though? Because it sounds like "vagina" to some extent.

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VariousClassroom8056@reddit

Hence fannying around I guess.

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Jesisawesome@reddit

rip

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Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit

lol what?

I mean it’s a soft vulgar word and not even very much so.

“Fannying on” is pretty much just wasting time.

Being a fanny is dithering about.

Fanny in UK slang refers to lady front parts.

In America it tends to mean bum parts.

But it’s dumb for someone to find it overly offensive. It’s mild.

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Immediate-Goose-8106@reddit

Oooh...you'd say "fannying on" not "fannying about"? Interesting. Id always go the other way.

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LochNessMother@reddit

It’s “fannying around” for me (and I’ve just realised it’s something I frequently say in my head, but rarely out loud, which is particularly odd, because I’m very sweary)

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Immediate-Goose-8106@reddit

Yeah around i use too

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nemetonomega@reddit

I use both. If someone is doing something pointless they are "fannying about" if they are saying something pointless they are "fannying on".

And if I am asking what they are talking about when saying something pointless it's an amalgamation "what are you fannying on about?"

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Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit

Perhaps a Geordie-ism on my part.

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

Geordie here - I'd say fanny about and fanny on. If I was doing fannying then I'd say about.

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Usual-Sound-2962@reddit

County Durham here. This is how I apply it to.

If I’m doing the fannying then it’s ‘fanny about’ if someone else is doing the fannying it’s ‘stop fannying on’.

Never realised I did this until now 😅

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Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit

I think I am the same. North Tyne here. I clearly got told not to fanny on by too many people when I was growing up.

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AtebYngNghymraeg@reddit

Id always go the other way.

So you're not interested in fanny at all? ;)

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48thgenerationroman@reddit

Ooh pardon

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Outside-Parfait-8935@reddit

Fannying about is the more common term from my experience

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No_Art_1977@reddit

Yeah- the equivalent of “dont be a dick/stop dicking around”

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kimba-the-tabby-lion@reddit

Yup. And getting banned for it is pure sexism; ie the belief that women's bodies are disgusting.

It took my 15 seconds to find this. Dick is clearly fine.

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Englishbirdy@reddit

Yes, so it's the equivalent to calling an American a Pussy.

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Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit

Well not quite. First of all the history of the term isn't clearly rooted in genitalia. It's an old fashioned girl's name before anything else I think.

Fannying about/ Fannying on is to waste time. So being a Fanny in the context I would usually expect to being a time wasting fool. Not necessarily fearful just indecisive or delaying.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fanny_about

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Englishbirdy@reddit

Point conceded.

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Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit

Coming from a Fenny too!

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AzzTheMan@reddit

Low level yea, but I was raised in a house where this was one of the words we didn't say. My parents never swore though. Never heard fannying on before.

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pet-fleeve@reddit

In the UK it also means someone that complains too much or isn't 'manly' enough. At a huge stretch it could be seen as a slur be against gay men because of the stereotype that they are less masculine than straight men.

Personally I don't see it as a slur at all but British society can be hypersensitive at times.

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Illustrious-Bus-8862@reddit

There is the American "fanny bandit" which is homophobic but the British version would be "arse bandit" which I suppose could be offensive. More just outdated you'd look pretty daft using arse bandit as a serious insult.

Fanny is just the sort of thing you'd say to your colleagues you get on with, ie "dave fannying about avoidingwork as usual"

Moderators are mostly bots anyway.

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phoebsmon@reddit

Moderators are mostly bots anyway.

I'm sure they have the same mods as the PL sub. They're unhinged, banned people from saying plastic because it's hate speech. Total shitshow, r/football was slightly less so but I muted the PL one as soon as I saw that

Weird because I've just been talking about this on the Championship sub. It'll never go away

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baldeagle1991@reddit

Pretty sure the UK saying is Bum Bandit

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Hobbit_Hardcase@reddit

Many, many years ago, I was at a student Improv Comedy night where the prompt was "Arse Bandit". Without a pause, one of the guys scampered up to one of his colleagues, grabbed his buttocks and scampered away again, chortling "He-he, I've stolen your arse!" in an egregious Mexican accent. Funniest skit of the whole night, and it still makes me smile.

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NatAttack3000@reddit

Or a slur against women, for suggesting that being feminine is negative? Kind of like saying 'stop being such a girl'. its saying girls behave in some cowardly/prissy/negative way

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smoothandstriated@reddit

Personally I’d say it isn’t a slur but it is sexist

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NatAttack3000@reddit

Yeah agreed, I probably wouldn't say slur specifically but it's a misogynistic term, as are many slurs used against gay men

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Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

Said it above, but as a gay man, nah, I don't know anyone who would be offended by that.

its on the same line as Faff.

Stop being a faff, stop faffing about, etc

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NatAttack3000@reddit

My point is a lot of the insults for gay men rely on an underlying disrespect of women. As a woman, I am offended by someone showing fear behaviour or emotion being told to not be such a 'girl' or a 'pussy' as though I must spend half my time running away from scary things, or as though straight men don't also have fear or emotion. Not to lessen the slurs against gay men for not being masculine etc on their own, but it's just weird how much is rooted in misogyny when you think about it.

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electicaljump6706@reddit

How ridiculous

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10133R@reddit

Pretty sure both reproductive organs are used as an insult in equal measure

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smollestsnek@reddit

God don’t be a dick/fanny 😩😩😩 /j

But tbh I’d rather be called a fanny than a dick or an arse

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Hookton@reddit

I dunno if it's any more sexist than "bollocks".

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Johns252@reddit

I wouldn't even gender it tbh. I've used it and had it used on me for just randomly hesitating, e.g. "Hurry up you big fanny/ fadge".

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Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

As a gay man, I don't accept it as one of the slurs against us.

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shelleypiper@reddit

Dumb is a Deaf slur, FYI

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OutsideBlacksmith570@reddit

It's a low grade insult for sure

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

I decided to post this on AITA and got grilled 😂 it's actually crazy

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meatflaps-69@reddit

Its a term of endearment between friends

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drquakers@reddit

To be fair, so is cunt (at least in Ireland and Scotland) but I imagine that would get you banned on many subreddits.

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chillbraah@reddit

Also in New Zealand. Almost like a badge of honour to be a good cunt.

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meatflaps-69@reddit

Aye you get sound cunts and shit cunts, all sorts of cunts.

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testdasi@reddit

Same in London. Heard my 2 local weed dealers calling each other cunts with a laugh multiple times.

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MorningSquare5882@reddit

Thanks for your input, u/meatflaps-69

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Reccalovesdancing@reddit

This exchange would be a good submission for r/rimjob_steve hahaha

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Sad-Video-2605@reddit

Absolutely..

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CptCave1@reddit

What a user name

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jabertsohn@reddit

No. It's a barely rude word.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

It's always something I thought was acceptable to say even when you're about 12

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EddieCase67@reddit

It's a name as well so it's utterly ridiculous to ban someone for it imo!

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TehFlatline@reddit

So is Dick, but you'd accept that calling someone a dick was offensive? Context is important.

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paradoxbound@reddit

My partner’s old work had a client called Richard Staines. He liked to be called Dick.

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EddieCase67@reddit

Obviously context is important. I didn't think I needed to state the obvious but here we are...

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RhubarbDiva@reddit

When I was working I had to give Health & Safety presentations. Boring, I know.

But I found that if I introduced myself as Fanny I got more responses as people would look for ways to address a question or observation to me by using my name.

We're all 12-year-olds at heart.

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EddieCase67@reddit

Yup... I've been 12 for 47 and a bit years so far!

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Material-Net-5171@reddit

I'm in my 40s & my father will still try to tell me off if I were to say fuck/shit/piss etc infront of him, but he will himself say "stop fannying about", so no, not swearing.

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EddieCase67@reddit

It's also a name, albeit out of fashion now, possibly in part because of its other meanings. Fanny Cradock (English TV cook/critic/writer) and Fanny Adams (8yo child murder victim) are two examples that immediately spring to mind.

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Putrid_Branch6316@reddit

Ya fanny.

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Sensitive-Vast-4979@reddit

Its a name and another name for vagina so idk how tf it could be a slur

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DeniseGunn@reddit

As far as I know it’s just another name for the vulva

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irish_horse_thief@reddit

From the Scottish Comedy: Chewing the Fat...

https://youtu.be/OdAGgUNyvyw?si=esfFh0sXaWnKF4ap

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JosephStalinho@reddit

No you fanny

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notouttolunch@reddit

Slurring is when you don't pronounce a word correctly, such as when drunk.

"Fanny" is a recognised word, a shortened form of a name, and has other colloquial meanings. Therefore it cannot be slurred.

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2_years_ago@reddit

you should've use "fud" instead.

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IntrepidMaybe8579@reddit

I was banned for threatening violence for posting “its to hookup the dogfart machine tubes to grandpas COPD machine until he gives you another baggie worth of pocket money” as a response to someones post about “what is all this random stuff my tweaker neighbors left outside?” Picture has a dog kennal with some random tubes coming out of it and a chair with a swimming spool stepladder propped up next to it and rubbish everywhere

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taflad@reddit

Well in our area, calling someone a fanny is like calling them a ponce. It's derogatory, calling someone a fanny is saying they aren't masculine.

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dottykez@reddit

The majority of the world are absolute snowflakes these days so this doesn't surprise me at all

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RevolutionaryAd581@reddit

I wouldn't call it a slur (I'm no expert but personally when I think of a "slur" I think of a specific word that insults a particular group, ie a racist slur, sexist slur, homophobic slur etc)... don't get me wrong, calling someone a fanny is definitely an insult, but I don't think I'd call it a slur (nor would I call it a word that is, or should be, restricted... ie it's not a "swear word", although again, not one suitable for all circumstances)

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Goldf_sh4@reddit

Do you... realise that fanny means vagina?

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BathFullOfDucks@reddit

Depends. "You fanny" after a hilarious overly dramatic fall, no. "Wey Margaret gis us a go at yer fanneh" yes

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

Someone gets something wrong "Confidently incorrect " 🤓 "Stop being a fanny absolute virgin behaviour"

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HumanOtiosity@reddit

Depends on context

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

Someone gets something wrong. "Confidently incorrect 🤓" "Stop being a fanny absolute virgin behaviour"

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RevolutionaryKey698@reddit

It's not a slur because it doesn't target a particular minority group. It may be an insult, but it's a pretty mild one.

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Broken420girl@reddit

Oh I ran to the comments 😂😂 oh Reddit you never disappoint 😂😂

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Belle_TainSummer@reddit

Too many idiots these days do not know the difference between an insult and a slur.

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Pebbley@reddit

It's was a Christian name in the UK, though it seems to have died out in the early 1930's. .

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Lazy-Objective-1630@reddit

Nope it's not a slur, just the usual dribbling braindead mod reaction.

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Responsible_Dog_9491@reddit

A slurp?

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SpectreSingh89@reddit

Fanny isn't a slur.

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Cheezy_Cheddarz@reddit

Its not even a bad word, never mind a "slur"

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Broric@reddit

I feel like someone doesn't know what a slur is? They may be cunts or asses depending on UK/US "fanny" but calling them either of those things is not a slur...

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VeryChineseTime@reddit

No but fanny in the UK means something different than in the US.

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Consistent-Sand-3618@reddit

When men use it sure. Same as cunt isn't it

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Ok_Pen7290@reddit

Only offensive to the MODERATORS ON HERE BEING AMERICAN

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notquitebarkingmad@reddit

It's kinder than calling them a cnut.

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resting_up@reddit

Sounds like it was meant as an insult, so was a slur.

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TSotP@reddit

Technically, I would say yes.

But it's no worse than dick, clown, idiot, r-trd, wanker, knob etc etc.

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PurplePlodder1945@reddit

I got banned from r/justnomil for something I wrote. Only just found out after 2 years because I wondered why I can view but not comment. I messaged admin and they sent me a screenshot of what I wrote. I was stunned - it honestly wasn’t that bad. I think they said I was encouraging violence or something like that. I just left the page.

And to answer your question - no it isn’t! It’s quite funny and not offensive at all

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TuffB80@reddit

I would say it’s a much more playful than aggressive put down ya wee Fanny!

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Barghest90@reddit

Very sensitive people the footy fans

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Weird_Assignment_550@reddit

Fanny Cradock was a cooking genius.

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Significant-Ad2944@reddit

Reddit is full of woke mods

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Didymograptus2@reddit

Football is a game for Fannie’s. Rugby is a game for men.

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tunaman808@reddit

ENGLAND: "We invented the language, ya dumb Yanks"

ALSO ENGLAND: "Fannie's"

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Didymograptus2@reddit

I blame autocorrect, you fanny

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LordLuscius@reddit

I mean... potentially "sexist"... though I use the male one interchangeably as do most people... but... slur? Slur for what? I've never heared it used as a slur

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suicidalnewb@reddit

No. It’s almost like a term of endearment.

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Outrageous_Physics65@reddit

I think slur would be excessive. More of an observation and the level of disdain reached is less than cunt.

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keeponkeepingup@reddit

I called someone a fanny at my corporate job today, so, no its not that bad 😂

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old_witness_987@reddit

No

(1) Verb; to Fanny about = to procrastinate .

(2) name : look up "sweet Fanny Adams" real person , her name was in the papers for weeks , she is now in the guiness book of records ( or was ), her name gave rise to the expression, not the other way round.

(3) Slang = Vagina.

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-auntiesloth-@reddit

I guess it is. It's a very tame one, though. Child-friendly, even.

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Quarkly95@reddit

Football fans, man. They'll shout about how everyone's too sensitive and can't take a joke, right up until you joke about them and then you're being unreasonable.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

Think it's more of a reddit thing tbh if you're down the pub watching footy and someone starts saying that fanny is a slur they'd be getting the weirdest looks

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Flipf00t@reddit

Fanny is just the polite way of saying cunt

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Weylane@reddit

As a french speaker who then moved in the UK, I am very happy my brother's name choice won over my dad's who really wanted to call me Fanny 🤣

And from a non native perspective, always assumed fanny and prick were at the same level of slang / banter.

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Karla_Darktiger@reddit

Not a slur, but it's not always a very nice word to use depending on the context

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loveswimmingpools@reddit

Remember dear Americans that fanny in uk is your minge....not your arse. You're welcome.

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JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit

I don’t think Nick Faldo’s caddy would think it is

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TheLordJalapeno@reddit

It’s a mild swear word at best. I’d lump it in with crap. I wouldn’t class it as a slur. Incidentally also the name of my Great Grandma

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Rickietee10@reddit

I called my 15 week old a Fanny for choking on his milk the other day. He just coughed, looked at me and carried on.

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JakeRiddoch@reddit

Alestrom (pirate metal band) have a song called "Fannybaws" which is a common insult in Scotland. But they also have a song "Fucked with an Anchor" so they're hardly bastions of decorum...

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theNikipedia@reddit

I actually went to school with a girl named that.. so i hope not

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RaveyDave666@reddit

It’s quite a playful slur though, not like the harsher swear words, I’d be angry if someone called me a c*** or similar, wouldn’t be bothered about fanny.

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shelleypiper@reddit

Used in the context you used it, it's misogynistic.

Used to describe a vulva or vagina, it's fine.

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CuppaTeaToastie@reddit

Slur? God no Its just a word u use when ur mate is bein...ye know...a bit of a fanny

What a weird reaction

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George_Salt@reddit

US websites can have some very odd filters that really struggle with British English colloquialisms. I know of people that have been banned from Facebook for phrases such as "I could m*rder a curry" - which was picked up as a threat of violence.

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Oopsydaisy_tryagain@reddit

No, I mean I wouldn’t call my grandma a fanny because she’s my elder & traditional about respect, but she has DEFINITELY called me a fanny in the past/as a child when I was being daft, or told me to stop fannying about (which I also wouldn’t say, because I’m under 45 lol, but I COULD say it to my grandma in that context - eg “oh the cat is fannying about”)

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Typical-Audience3278@reddit

No

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ActiveSouthern6280@reddit

Not in any way I've ever heard of. That's ridiculous haha

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Paulstan67@reddit

Any word used with the prefix "absolute" is a slur.

So absolute fanny is a slur and worse than fanny on its own.

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SolidGray_@reddit

Prob a yanky mod

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Dull_Key1617@reddit

Whilst “fannying about” isn’t at all rude, to call someone a fanny is different.

Whilst it’s the least offensive on the three main slang words for vagina, you still basically called someone a cunt and you’re acting surprised that they took offence.

These things have regional and situational differences - for example “twat” is very mild conversationally where I live in the south of England, but elsewhere it’s the absolute worst.

So, if you don’t know your audience, either choose your words more carefully or don’t be surprised when some of them take offence.

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Sad-Wrap6555@reddit

depends where your from West of scotland it ranged from

a dithering incompetent slightly effeminate bit of an arsehole "he told you to do what? dont listen to him hes a total fanny"

through to wannabee hardman trying to throw his imaginary weight about "He said he'd do what? fuck him the mans a pure fanny"

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Glittering_Win_5085@reddit

It's not a slur but it's certainly vulgar, as in it's not appropriate language for children to use with one another, or in the workplace for the most part.

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RobertTheSpruce@reddit

No. The moderator that banned you for that is a right fanny.

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Slyspy006@reddit

I wouldn't say it is a slur but it could be classed as a personal attack and thus fall foul of their rules anyway.

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Fun-Opportunity9656@reddit

Gonna be honest, some of the Reddit Subs ive been banned from for absolutely nothing, like the mods and admins get some power trip out of it.

I wouldnt worry, stop being a fanny about it. Move on

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

I don't really care much that I'm banned from it but I want to know if everyone on reddit thinks like this don't want to use a site where I've got to censor everything I say. Thankfully the replies tell me otherwise.

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Fuzzy_Cantaloupe6353@reddit

Welcome to Reddit the most offensive easily offended place in existence.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

This is one of the reasons why I barely use it

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Temporary_Ebb9486@reddit

How dare you say that ?

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Kooky_Ad_7039@reddit

Stop being such a fanny.

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Temporary_Ebb9486@reddit

No, you big girls blouse

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Previous-Ad7618@reddit

If I'm actively TRYING to show where people find it offensive it's been explained to me as having homophobic connotations.

But I genuinely don't believe that's the case. I think it's a great word that's not deeply hurtful in any way.

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ManicWolf@reddit

When I was very little, and my mum wanted to get a natural smile/laugh from me and my brother when taking a photo, she would say "fanny" in a silly voice. As very young kids it was always funny hearing mummy saying "a naughty word".

It's an extremely mild swear/insult, a more childish word for a vulva (the same way that willy is for penis), but in no way is it a slur.

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Lowermains@reddit

I politely suggest you Google IRN BRU adverts. A fanny is an idiot / eejit in Scotland. Then we also use the term Fannybaws! 😁

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OwlBeBack88@reddit

"Fanny" is slang for female genitals.

Also someone who's a bit silly, annoying, or a bit of a wimp. "Stop being such a fanny."

It can also be used as a verb to express wasting time or doing something pointless. "We're running late because he was fannying about."

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Sure-Recognition-262@reddit

No.

A slur is a derogatory word used towards a certain demographic - so an insult based on sex, race, sexuality, religion, etc.

I'm pretty sure that "fanny" is used pretty even-handedly towards all demographics

I know that in America, the c-word is often used as a gendered slur towards women. It's possible that an American mod incorrectly assumed that as "fanny" has the same literal meaning, it is similarly a gendered slur.

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New_Message_735@reddit

I call my husband a fanny all the time generally because he is being a proper fanny!

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cooperthedogT@reddit

Only a fanny would query this

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LazyPiglet3923@reddit

Of course it's a slur. You wouldn't have said it if it were a compliment. There is no situation in which calling someone a fanny is a positive thing.

But I would still use it in everyday life and if someone called me it I wouldn't be particularly offended.

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PM_Me_Your_Lies_Girl@reddit

see’s

Reported

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throwaway-awawa@reddit

they probably got confused between faggot and tranny. if you're illiterate, fanny almost sounds like a combination of the two. almost.

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Less-Preparation-211@reddit

It's wild to me that this is even a debate. Over here, calling someone a fanny is about as offensive as calling them a muppet for being daft. The mods on that sub must have some seriously thin skin.

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electicaljump6706@reddit

Absolutely not a slur just a mild and silly word for vagina.

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WishfulStinking2@reddit

I wouldn’t call it a slur but I wouldn’t call it polite either. Either way, it’s a funny thing to call someone

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Volley-Boat@reddit

1st tier: Cunt and Prick.

2nd tier: Fanny and Dick.

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AirlineSevere7456@reddit

I'd say
2nd Tier: Twat and Dick

3rd Tier: Fanny and Willy

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Volley-Boat@reddit

Yeah fair enough.

Minge between 2 and 3?

Cock possibly between 1 and 2?

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elementarydrw@reddit

2nd aunt and uncle: Also Fanny and Dick

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Any_Weird_8686@reddit

It means vagina.

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Ok-Constant-2683@reddit

No

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Wires1996@reddit

Haven't heard Fanny in decades

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KatVanWall@reddit

It's very mildly rude, not even as rude as calling someone a twat. I mean, if I went into a shop and called a worker a fanny, I wouldn't expect a good response and I'm sure I'd be considered rude even if it's not a very strong word. 'Fannying about' is a different thing; you're not really saying the fannyer is 'a fanny' in that instance but more that their behaviour is a bit fannyish, and it's even milder to the point that I'd say it in front of my elderly mum, who HATES 'swearing'. Someone who is fannying about isn't necessarily a dyed-in-the-wool fanny as a person, more that they're just faffing in that specific moment.

A 'slur', no, because that insults a whole group of people (like calling someone something that means they're gay or part of a specific ethnic group as if that in itself is inherently a bad thing).

Not to be confused with calling someone a pussy, which implies they're cowardly in some way. That's more of a 'slur' in the sense in that it could be considered insulting to pussy owners, but no one really takes it that way here in my experience, in the same way that being a dick isn't exclusive to dick owners.

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Agitated_Display7573@reddit

I think of it as childish. It was the first word for Vagina I ever heard

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MidasToad@reddit

No, it's not a slur. It's one of the words you use with young kids to refer to the vulva, like the female equivalent of willy.

It is rude to call someone a fanny, and has misogynist connotations (i.e. female body part/traditional female name = person who is indecisive or unintelligent), so it's maybe best to sub in a non-gendered insult where you can.

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funkball@reddit

https://youtu.be/IcKlVojfMD4?si=2-Cnl49bOzqTlBFw

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funkball@reddit

Whoever banned you is a bit of a fanny.

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Did_OJ_Simpson_do_it@reddit

Are you Scottish?

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HeavyPrint3@reddit

There used to be a great all woman rock band named Fanny. From the USA,back in the 70's. They have stuff on YouTube..worth checking out.

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Warm-Marsupial8912@reddit

I wouldn't use it in a professional situation, or around elderly/young people because it can be used as a slur. But getting chucked out of a sub for it was an overreaction

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Plastic_Length8618@reddit

It’s an insult, popular in Scotland, but i don’t think it’s a slur.

Slurs need to be against some group of people, rather than just people being silly.

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Cow_Launcher@reddit

i don’t think it’s a slur.

Definitely not a slur. I usually hear it used as an affectionate insult between friends.

*Friend does something stupid or clumsy*

"Ugh, you great hairy fanny, you."

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Indigo-Waterfall@reddit

It’s popular all over the UK not just Scotland in my experience.

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rose-a-ree@reddit

whoever said that it's a slur is a fanny

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Japhet_Corncrake@reddit

It's not a slur.

At worst, it can be construed as calling someone a pussy, but milder.

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Magnus_40@reddit

It depends how it is used. If it is used to describe a body part (vagina) then it is a mildy bad word. Calling someone a 'fanny' is gepgraphical, in Scotland, it is fairly mild, like calling someone an arse or a dick. To give you an idea, this is a TV ad shown on mainstream TV in the early evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcKlVojfMD4

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elementarydrw@reddit

Sounds like they may be misusing the term 'slur', but at the same time, you used the word to be insulting to another person - which is likely what you were actually getting you ban for.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

It wasn't even a direct insult someone was being rude and condescending to someone so I just said to stop being a fanny and I was told the reasons was for saying a slur which is "fanny"

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elementarydrw@reddit

Interesting... I am a MOD of this subreddit, and you just saying the phrase again in your comment to me set off the Reddit automated abuse and harassment filter.

I don't think it matters how you used it, or what the general consensus is on this subreddit, you used the word at someone in an offensive manner, and there is a group somewhere that view it as offensive.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

This is the best response I've gotten from the mods on there if your mods said that to me in the mod rather than tell me I've said a slur I wouldn't have made an issue about it. I do apologise for being rude in the mod messages from my perspective I thought it was insane and was never given a proper explanation

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Timely_Egg_6827@reddit

I mean it was in the context you were using it. It is a term for woman's genetilia same as cunt is. You call someone a cunt in a folksy way, don't be surprised if they get upset.

If it is my great-aunt Fanny who was christened Francis but always used that nickname, it isn't. Same with Americans and their fanny bags.

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p90medic@reddit

Insults and slurs are two different things. They used it as an insult, but it isn't a slur.

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Equal_Veterinarian22@reddit

It's the mildest of mild insults. Whoever banned you is being a spaz.

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I_Like_Quiz@reddit

No it's not a slur. But when I was on Countdown I offered "FANNIES" as a word and the production team paused recording and told me to offer a different 7 letter word instead.

So, some people obviously don't like it.

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travellingtriffid@reddit

Love this!

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Indigo-Waterfall@reddit

A rude word? Yes. In the same way that “butt” or “crap” are. I wouldn’t even consider it a swear word though. A “slur” absolutely not.

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CleverClogs150@reddit

It's quite ironic that you're now being a fanny about it 😂

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

I'm just asking for opinions lad I don't want to use a site where you have to censor everything you say

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Sxn747Strangers@reddit

I cannot see “Fanny” being a slur even if it is a name for a woman’s bits, that and I think I would probably laugh if I was called “a daft fanny”.
And The Famous Five had an Aunt Fanny so it’s ingrained in us as a name anyway.

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zippy72@reddit

Also the famous restaurant critic / TV cook, Fanny Cradock.

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Sxn747Strangers@reddit

I forgot about her, she was before my time but she’s been talked about a lot on TV.

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p90medic@reddit

I wish people would stop conflating insults and swears with slurs.

It's a bit of a rude word, and some overly polite people might even call it a swear word.. it is by no means a slur.

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rye-ten@reddit

Depends if you meant fanny or whether you meant fanny.

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barnburner96@reddit

If you use it as an insult then yeah it’s a slur. It’s usually used towards men and the implication of that they are acting in a feminine manner.

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TrackNinetyOne@reddit

Anyone thinking that constitutes a slur or tells you you're living in a bubble for using it is an absolute fanny

Along with it being used as slang for a vagina you can also use it to describe someone acting like an idiot

God knows how many times I've been called it by my gran, grandad and dad growing up

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AirlineSevere7456@reddit

Fanny is a lightweight kids term for a ladies front bottom.
When used a slur it's hardly insulting at all, very light and meant in jest probably

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ScaredPractice4967@reddit

Is it a slur? Yes technically it is.

Same as pussy. It could be taken as a sexist thing.

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haggis_catcher-@reddit

Pretty sure shes a german skier

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RiverTadpolez@reddit

Obviously, fanny is a slur, but people don't really consider misogynistic slurs like "bitch" "slut" "cunt" as offensive on the same level as e.g. racial slurs or homophobic slurs... I guess cause they're so ubiquitous and it's completely normalised.

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Helena_Handcart1@reddit

Deffo a rude word round my parts (ooh Matron, see what I did there?). It’s slang for a lady’s front bottom (hope that’s sufficiently euphemistic not to get me banned) I’d be super offended if anyone called me a front bottom

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Ballbag94@reddit

Sure, but it's not a slur

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UKMatt2000@reddit

I think it only works in a Scottish accent, but I wouldn’t consider it a slur.

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herwiththepurplehair@reddit

I mean, I got in sooooo much trouble when I was about 7 or 8 (this would have been mid-70s I guess) for saying "bloody", yet that's hardly a swear word at all now. My grandchildren routinely use "crap" to say something is rubbish, and I'm very surprised there are not more Scottish people on here defending the use of fanny here as it's pretty common to call someone that if they're being a bit of an eejit lol.

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alex21dragons@reddit

Whoever reported you for that must have a very interesting time of it among the far worse banter in football chats.

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Petrichor_ness@reddit

My interpretation is it's a word for a woman's genitals in the UK. I'd liken it to being called a cock, there are other meanings but depending on the context, it's usually an insult.

Personally, as part of the human body that can take intense pressure, stretch, tear and produce another human, I've never understand why this word has connotations of weakness. To call someone a fanny (in the UK) should surely mean they're incredibly tough and resilient?

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cjdstreet@reddit

Yes but in a nice way

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DrMacAndDog@reddit

When it is shouted at me from a passing bus window in Glasgow, I know I’m home.

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iamthefirebird@reddit

It's probably regional. I wouldn't call it a slur, exactly, but I would call it gross and misogynistic, and absolutely in bad taste. If it were more common, it would lose a lot of bite, but it's not. In a different part of the country, that may not be the case. It makes sense for a commmunity spanning the whole UK to take a more cautious stance on these things.

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Sad-Video-2605@reddit

I say " fanny " to everybody.. As they do me.. I'm a Fanny!

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Constant-Map7687@reddit

In America isnt fanny meant to mean your backside? Not the worst insult you could throw

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HelloRV3991@reddit

The mod must be a bellend

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Baked_Crinklies@reddit

I have a friend named Fanny. It's not a slur but it does make me chuckle immaturely.

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Lanthanidedeposit@reddit

Most certainly in Scotland, especially Glasgow.

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tictac59015@reddit

Is it balls a slur. It's just a funny, banter word. If someone gets offended by it, they're crazy.

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mammyquatro@reddit

I call my husband Fannybaws..its a term of endearment..but Im Scottish...

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Steamrolled777@reddit

I'd compare it to calling someone a "pussy" in that context.

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reuben_ggmu@reddit (OP)

I'd say it's probably even less than that

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Dutch_Slim@reddit

Agree, it’s much less than that

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nineteenthly@reddit

I take it you know it means "vulva"?

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TmB-Eggo@reddit

It's worse than calling someone a wally, or a silly sausage, but not as bad as calling someone an idiot.

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rich-tma@reddit

Slurs aren’t only racial, they can relate to sexuality, gender, disability, etc.

Fanny is an insult involving female genitalia, so although very mild, is in a similar category to calling someone a cock, a dick, a prick, or a cunt.

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Normal-Height-8577@reddit

I've definitely heard people use it as the equivalent of calling someone a pussy, which has a different connotation to most of the genitalia-related insults: less, "you're an asshole" and more of a homophobic "you're weak and unmanly" undertone.

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skrew86@reddit

Only as much as calling someone a dick.

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Gary_Garibaldi@reddit

Word of warning . Out there they call them fanny packs. Coz fanny means your arse over there....Not your minge

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Plastic_Library649@reddit

not at all

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Far-Adhesiveness3763@reddit

The only people who think that would be classed as a fanny

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GarethGazzGravey@reddit

I've never known it to be a slur, well not a slur like the N word, or the R word, I've just known it to be either and actual female first name, or slang for certain lower body parts (depending on which side of the Pond you're on).

On that particular note, and having just looked it up, Reddit is from the US, so I wonder if the webmasters took it upon themselves to ban you for the use of the word?

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Disco_Killer@reddit

no, and anyone that says otherwise is an absolute fanny.

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Chickenshit_outfit@reddit

Miss Funnyfanny has entered the chat

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bluejeansseltzer@reddit

Not really, but it can be read as one by a non-Brit (aka American). "Fanny" here pretty much just refers to a woman's lady garden or to dither ("stop fannying about"), or just being silly. But Americans know "fanny" as "ass", so it could read as you calling someone an "asshole". Or, if the American knows you're British and thus know "fanny" can refer to a woman's lady garden, they may think you're calling someone a "cunt".

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Longjumping_Sea7214@reddit

Not that I know of

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qualityvote2@reddit

Hello u/reuben_ggmu! Welcome to r/AskABrit!

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