Animal Insults: How We Use Animals to Degrade Humans (Part 1)

May 07, 2020

"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
–Thomas Jefferson

A Brief Introduction

This post has been one of the things I've been most excited to work on. For months, I've been thinking of all the different words we commonly use in conversation to denigrate humans (which we probably shouldn't be doing anyway) by relating them to certain kinds of animals. Because I've found so many words, what was supposed to be a one-off post will now turn into several. These will also include special editions, like dead animals, swear words, and -- for a more positive look -- animal compliments instead of insults. While I will be focusing mostly on what certain words connote and why their use is illogical when we compare them to the animals of their namesake, you can learn more about the origins of animal-based terms and language from Colleen Patrick-Godreau's Animalogy podcast.

Beast

Beasts are disgusting creatures; they are large, inhumane, unpleasant beings. When a human is called a beast, this means they act in uncivilized, inhuman ways, typically by committing egregious acts against other humans. The word was also common in the past, a way to refer to "other" animals as an example of human superiority (what separates man from beast). Even today, the term has this connotation, as if no normal human could possibly commit certain vile acts only known to the creatures in the wild.

Bottom feeder

Though bottom feeders are, as the name suggests, aquatic animals that feed off the bottom of the body of water they inhabit, the term, when used to describe humans, connotes something far less mundane. It is meant as an insult to someone that takes advantage of others or intentionally causes them harm to improve their own situation or status. Bottom feeders are also low on the societal food chain, picking up scraps left over by their "superiors." They are generally regarded as unimportant lowlifes.

Catfish

A term coined far more recently than the others on this list, catfish became popular after the release of the 2010 documentary and subsequent reality show of the same name. A catfish is a person that creates a faux persona online, using other people's pictures and/or personal information to hide behind the anonymity of the internet. They then use this fake online person to get things they want from other people: friends, romantic relationships, money. Sometimes the purpose is even more nefarious -- such as revenge on an old bully or just to mess with random people -- but often catfish are lonely and are simply looking for companionship but lack the self-confidence to meet new people with their true identity.

Cow

Slurs against women are some of the most abhorrent, particularly since there are far fewer animal-based insults used against men. A cow is a rude word for a woman, and though there can be many different meanings based on context, it generally refers to a woman viewed as large or stupid. We generally want to think of cows -- actual cows -- as these lumbering oafs that were easily tricked into becoming the milk and meat machines we see them as today. Because of our low opinion of the animal, we have created this insult as a way to hurt other females. In contrast, we also have the term bullheaded, an adjective to describe a person that is foolishly obstinate or stubborn. (Of course, that insult isn't nearly as condescending as calling someone a cow, but we will see later that bulls, unlike cows, are also the source of a more favorable adjective.)

Dodo

Perhaps not a term often used specifically against humans, but the intent remains the same. The dodo is a symbol of absolute stupidity, as if it's their fault that humans invaded their habitat and decimated the entire population. (What if we said these same things about, say, victims of the Rwandan genocide? That they were just too stupid to realize they were being eradicated and get out before they were killed.) The blame for the dodo's extinction rests solely on humanity's shoulders, along with countless other species.

Leech

A leech is a parasite, someone that latches onto another person in order to extract whatever they need from them at any cost. Leeches generally have little or no regard for their host/hosts, only sticking around as long as the relationship is beneficial for them. Though real leeches are indeed a little bit creepy, it is simply in their nature to attach themselves to and suck the blood of other creatures. That doesn't make them inherently vile or evil; it's just how they survive.

Mole

Real-world moles are seriously some of the cutest little critters ever, but the human connotations for them are less than kind. Because of the moles' burrowing nature, how they wriggle their way into the ground and often pop out in less than ideal places (for humans), they've come to represent spies and infiltrators. Moles place themselves in enemy territory to garner trust from the other side and gather information to relay back to their people. Though this term isn't very relevant for the general population, it's often used in wartime movies, spy thrillers, and crime shows, making the word widely known to most people.

Pig

Like with cows, we often use our perceptions of "food animals" to create insults. Though pigs are incredibly intelligent (and adorable), we need to view them as dirty, disgusting beasts so we can continue to eat them. To call someone a pig can have various meanings: that they are foul, filthy creatures; that they are a cop, connoting that they are corrupt and discriminatory; that they are gluttonous and selfish, particularly when it comes to eating food; or that they are ugly and fat. To be pigheaded, however, means that they are stubborn to an extent that even when it negatively impacts them, they refuse to change. This insult is likely a result of pigs' thick skulls (which is itself an insult, as well), making it incredibly difficult to incapacitate or kill them through head trauma.

Quack

A quack is generally a person that cannot be taken seriously, someone that talks without really knowing what they're talking about. This is often a term reserved for doctors, professors, or other persons of intelligence in fields that aren't taken seriously: acupuncture, chiropractic, philosophy, etc. It is also used for persons that claim to have certain knowledge when they actually don't (or when that knowledge can't be proven): psychics, healers, spiritualists, etc. A quick Google search says that this term is actually derived from 17th-century Dutch (quacksalver), but to us modern English speakers, we associate the word almost solely with the sound ducks make.

Shrimp

We often call smaller people shrimps or shrimpy just for their slight stature, as shrimps are tiny little creatures. However, these terms are often used to refer to someone as not only small, but as insignificant or irrelevant. Of course, it is no fault of shrimps or of smaller humans that they are the size they are, but it seems that humans are incapable of not judging each other based on appearances. So, if you are small or short, you are deemed less worthy of acceptance by "normal" people. This is probably why shrimps are regarded as virtually worthless by humans, used and thrown away like trash.

Sloth

It's interesting how sloth is one of the seven deadly sins, as if presuming that because sloths move slowly that means they're lazy. A sloth-like person prefers to let things happen to them instead of taking an active role, even though their complacency could be detrimental. In fact, these people often feel pity for themselves, as if everything is entirely out of their control and they are at the mercy of the world around them. However, this couldn't be further from the truth for real sloths. They are simply slow-moving, a way to conserve energy as they climb through the forest. Ironically, the idea of slow and intentional living has become much more popular today as a way for humans to take a break from the mindless, fast-paced world around them. Maybe we should learn a little more from these friendly forest-dwelling herbivores.

Snake

Most humans have a natural fear of snakes; they are so unlike us, slithering across the ground without even legs to walk on. Because of this, we feel more comfortable maligning them with words. Snakes represent people that are conniving, sneaky, untrustworthy. They will often lie or mislead you to get something that they want. Though snakes and serpents also represent intelligence, snakes usually use their intellect in a way that is corrupt or evil. (A common pop-culture example of this is Slytherin House at Hogwarts -- the house of the serpent -- in the Harry Potter franchise, the house known for producing more evil witches and wizards than the other three houses.) A snake in the grass lulls you into a false sense of security before pouncing, but this is just the nature of an ambush predator. They must covertly and quickly attack their prey. That does not make them intentionally cruel; it's simply how they must survive.

Urchin

A less-common word today, urchin, or street urchin, was generally a way of describing dirty or mischievous children. Streets urchins are poor or homeless children, often resorting to pickpocketing and other small crimes to sustain themselves. Similar to bottom feeders, urchins take the scraps leftover by others, finding value in things generally considered garbage. Because of this, urchins are generally deemed worthless.

Vulture

This is one of those terms that doesn't really make sense. To call someone a vulture means that they exploit others and prey on their weaknesses to get what they want. However, vultures and other scavengers don't actually prey on anyone. They simply eat the leftovers of animals that had died beforehand. So, while many people think vultures are disgusting and creepy when they see them digging into some roadkill, remember that what they do is far more humane than what the average human does to other animals on a daily basis.

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