ho (whore) There are zero putdowns in the English language for sexually promiscuous men, but so many ways to say that a woman is bad by virtue of being "loose" (slut, bitch, whore, just to name a few). And now hip-hop culture has brought us "ho." The word came into the mainstream through rap music of the '80s and '90s. "She ain't nothing but another ho..." rapped KRS-1 in 1990--sounding very tame, actually, next to groups like NWA, 2 Live Crew and, later, Eminem. "Ho" comes from the Southern pronunciation of the word "whore." But dropping the "r" sound is also supposed to dull the insult (sort of the way "nigga" takes some of the racial slur out of "nigger"). We're not calling you a whore, the argument goes; that's just what we call women. Whatever the offense taken, or not taken, there is no shortage of misogyny in the word's illustrious past. In the flashy gangsta rap videos of the '80s and '90s, the ultimate sign of success was a backdrop of near-naked "bitches and ho's" jiggling on yachts and nice cars. Some rap artists really ran with the pimp-fantasy theme, all the way to lyrics about keeping their women in line with a "slap." And over the years, the word has stretched to fit most things you could say against a woman--or anyone. Sightings include "hoe" (ugly woman), "ho-bitch" (dislikable woman) and "hobeast" (almost likeable, but too much of a wannabe slut). Not to mention "garden tool" (get it? from "hoe") as a general term for a woman. As some people see it, time and changing music styles have taken the word "ho" down a notch; it's funnier now, and sometimes even friendly. Some women in hip-hop are not so sure, however. They have chosen to keep the pressure on--ever since Queen Latifah made her first call to action in 1989, rapping: "Every time I hear a brotha call a girl a bitch or a ho/Tryin' to make a sista feel low/You know all of that's gotta go." Hoes Wit Attitude took it a step further in the 90s, using their own name to make their point with the same sense of irony and humor behind Missy Elliott when she calls herself a "crazy ho."

Comments

[lyssa]

okay, well just cause girls have sex doesn't make them whores, sluts, or any of that stuff. other people just tend to believe whatever they hear so if they hear your having sex its automatic to them that your those things. girls have a right to show their affection to guys just as much as they do. but sure, a guy has sex and they are considered a god or something, but girls do it and they have a label forever. i think those labels are just used for emotions that don't exist.

[Maria]

I'm proud of u Fiona! Keep up with being a virgin! I am and it's goin' pretty good. When U do lose your viginity (after your big day) remember to be safe. This goes 4 all u other girls out there too. :)

[fiona]

ok so im bi and i get called a ho all the time. everyone who calls bi girls hoes, just thought id let u know it really hurtful. just because i like both genders doesnt mean ill sleep with anything that moves. im actually still a virgin so stfu. and im a lot less slutty than a lot of straight girls. everyone should know how hurtful and homophobic that is

[Brittany]

Umm, my friends call me a whore and a slut and a bitch all the time. All the girls who I hang out with call each other a ho, it doesn't matter to us. We don't care, its a term of affection for us, like calling your boyfriend a loser or a dork...its a term of friendship or kindness to us. We joke around all the time. And we don't care unless some chick wearing a friggin mini skirt and v-neck shirt with no tank top comes up to us and is like "I heard that you liked my boyfriend. Lay off, ho." Then we'll say "Uh, moron, I'm not the ho. And the last time I checked I was sleeping by myself last night...who were YOU sleeping with?"
Then they get pissed and stomp off in their freaking flip flops. Hehe. I don't give a damn what other chicks think of me. Hell, I don't even care what the douchebags think of me. If they had a life, they wouldn't be talkin' 'bout mine.

[Brittany]

Umm, my friends call me a whore and a slut and a bitch all the time. All the girls who I hang out with call each other a ho, it doesn't matter to us. We don't care, its a term of affection for us, like calling your boyfriend a loser or a dork...its a term of friendship or kindness to us. We joke around all the time. And we don't care unless some chick wearing a friggin mini skirt and v-neck shirt with no tank top comes up to us and is like "I heard that you liked my boyfriend. Lay off, ho." Then we'll say "Uh, moron, I'm not the ho. And the last time I checked I was sleeping by myself last night...who were YOU sleeping with?"
Then they get pissed and stomp off in their freaking flip flops. Hehe. I don't give a damn what other chicks think of me. Hell, I don't even care what the douchebags think of me. If they had a life, they wouldn't be talkin' 'bout mine.

[roseflame]

The word "ho" is very insulting to us women, especially to us who are not whores. Rap is stupid anyway. Rebelious, too.

Most rap (not all rap) is disrespectful toward women and girls. Thats why you hear Queen Latifah and other women make comments in the media.

Especially if you say the word "ho" in front of a woman's [or girl's] face is concidered rude and offensive.

I'm originally from Arizona. We do not say "ho". Why does the south say "ho"?

The correct, proper English word is "whore".

The word "ho" is not friendly at all or polite. That word should not be used so loosely.

[POOH]

I SO MUCH AGREE WITH Greavesyyy!!!
TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH!!!

[Sha'Kedria]

To LC;ALSKDK, that kind of hoe is a gardening tool.

[lc;alskdk]

i thought it was spelled HOE

[MoRiAh]

I don't think it's right or even respectful to call women ho's ,I mean we don't label men at all it seems after he fucks 1,000 women! Any man who is a womanizer who gets his jollys out of having many partners is a FuCKING worthless piece of SHIT and that's how I see it and I'm sure many women aggree with me! I don't care if anyone on this site disagrees with what I have to say because we all answer to the same God in the in!

[das]

STANDING FIRM FOR CHRIST YOU GO GIRL

AMEN TO THAT

MILLIONS OF KUDUS FOR U

[Sha'Kedria]

I think being called a ho is very disrespectful. A whore is a female who isnt sexual active that trys to get alot of boys at one time for herself. But its still rude and any male who calls ANY female a whore isnt worth it.

[ILUVSLUTS]

greaves u r right! I agree us guys get called things aren't always tru n it's still ok. I think sum ppl r jealous so they take it out on ppl that have a good sex life. do greaves I agree n reply to this.

[Greavesyyy]

Woah! Lighten up everyone, being called ho isnt that bad! Girls call guys stuff aswell but they dont make such a fuss! Anyway I LIKE being called a ho, then guys know i'm good at IT and then I can have sex more, yay! I don't care if other girls call be a slut and stuff cuz its mi life and I can do what I want and what makes me happy, it shouldn't bother them! I mean if someone liked reading you wouldnt automatically call them a geek so if someone likes sex then why automatically call them a ho?! Maybe they have reasons for what things they like to do?!

[Deedee]

To Krista:u are so right!guys can have sex with 5 girls at the same time and are congratulated while if a girl has sex ONCE she is called a slut.

[Standing Firm 4 Christ!!!!!!!]

To Cock Adoo ew that's gross! Anyway 4 you to go into that much detail about something like that says a lot about you. And 4 you to say that all women are hoes is retarded b/c isn't the person who gave birth to you a female. Only thing I can say is that you are a true pervert. Get your mind out the gutter and try to put it on something more positive maybe you will think about other things in life besides sleeping around and calling women hoes. You really have no self respect 4 yourself and I know while you are reading this you are probably saying something nasty right now or babbling off at the mouth so shut up yea you shut up still talking shut up like I said. I know you are better than that and I am a woman and I'm not a ho as a matter of fact I'm a very successful CHRISTIAN and Godly woman with self-respect and motivation for myself so I don't depend on a man or let me say a boy b/c that's what your acting like. Still talking i see shut up!! Well I know I got long winded but it's well worth it b/c I'm tired of hearing all this nonsense especially from these young people. I want you to know that your life is special and worth so much more than sleeping around. Take pride and yourself don't you believe your worth more. I know you are. And I know when you think really hard you know that you are better than that. I don't know but what you said frightened me b/c I have little God sisters and I hope they never encounter someone as degrading as you.
Praying 4 you peace!!!

[Cocka-Doo!]

The fact is that in sex, men are the "active" and women are the "passive"... that is the way it is.... The man does the penetrating, he is in control, he is the one who "gives it", whereas the woman "takes it" and because of that she is always going to get less respect in sex than a man... Women take the cock, they enjoy taking the cock, and they get off on it, and that is what makes them a ho. Who cares? If you like cock, then take it in your pussy, and enjoy it. Don't worry about being a Ho, because that's what you are! All women are Ho's! So why not just lay back and enjoy that good hard dick up in your pussy?

[Kayla]

The term "Ho" is very deragotory and very offensive. I don't know I'm a girl and I think it offends me worse to hear a girl call another girl ho than it does a guy calling a girl ho. You hear what's up my ho! Can't you think of anything better to call each other. "Ho" sleeps around, dirtbag, scum of the earth, and nasty, not a girl who has class and carries herself with self-respect. If you allow someone to call you a ho than in reality you've accepted the fact that you really are a HO so open up a dictionary and thesaurus for synonyms once in awhile and actually look up the definitions of these words!! Idiots!!-Napoleon Dynamite

[amolovesalexis]

iiM Bii AND ii LiiKE GiiRLS WiiTH BiiG BOOBZ

[Penny]

I call most sexually promiscuous boys "man-whore" or "sexoholic"

[Nikia]

a whore is sumn 1 who fuccin for bread only!!!!! hey girl i like bi girls wit big boobs lolz

[krista]

Urg....Yeah guys can go fuck whatever they want well threw history Did guys ever show any signs of not fucking when they got the chance (Im not talking about all guys now) and like the girls..I guess it wasnt well known that they actually enjoyed fucking something just to please their partners! but now when girls like fucking OH! SHE IS SUCH A SLUT! I really hate that!! Guys can go fuck trees and there just normal!

[mandi]

YEAH! but real guys will never want the "HOs" for anything more then sex. Guys won't respect that at all. And if u get called a HO and u know ur not one then just laugh at 'em... Because people only talk shit when there jelous.

[uknowwhoiam]

OK,JUST BECAUSE IM BI AND I HAVE BIG BOOBS,PEOPLE CALL ME A SLUT,BITCH,HO,WHORE...ECT.....JUST BECAUSE ALOT OF THE GIRLS AT SCHOOL R FLAT CHESTED AND HAVE NO CURVES DOESN'T MEAN DAY HAVE 2 BE JEALOUSE...SHIT!IM TIRED OF DIS CRAP

[xx.love.babyxx]

lol you guys forgot hoebag