My questioner wanted a word that was the male equivalent of:. Another researcher, Muriel R. Calling a man a tramp is to imply that he lacks a regular job and place of residence. Calling a woman a tramp is to call her a whore. Originally, master and mistress were equivalent words for persons having control or authority over others. The reason for this tendency of feminine words to take on negative, sexual connotations is the cultural attitude that men are human beings for whom sex is only one aspect of their existence, while women cannot be thought of apart from sexual functions.
No dudes, bitches, chicks, jerks, s. If your intention is to identify the man or the woman as a sexually promiscuous person, use the word promiscuous. Or, you may want to choose from two word pairs that have managed to hang on to their equivalent connotations for centuries now:. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day?
Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Yes, kind of rural. But during basketball season, when you mentioned The Cattlefeeders, you meant the girls team — they had made state champions once, and been to state competitions more than six times in 12 years.
You mention using mistress as a figure of authority. I find a similar distinction as back in Everly applies, for me. At least the abbreviation retains the connotation of co-authority in the household. As for male mistress where the connotation is kept man, how about boy toy? That implies at least the similar perception of lack of redeeming social value, other than social image or sexual gratification.
EleanorRigby26 — good comment! Could you point me to the part in Mme Bovary where the line you quote appears? I was just thinking about this topic a few days ago. An unmarried person who has sex with a married person would still be considered a fornicator. In some contexts, mistress is a description of authority in a domestic household, with no implication of marriage status nor sexual roles. Adultery is an act of sex by or with a married person. If your partner is married, your partner is engaging in adultery.
