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The word twat has various functions. It is a vulgar synonym for the human vulva,[1] but is more widely used as a derogatory epithet, especially in British English. The word may originate from Old Norse þveit meaning cut, slit, or forest clearing.[1]
Robert Browning famously misused the term in his 1841 poem "Pippa Passes", believing it to be an item of nun's clothing:[2]
Its meaning was in reality the same then as now, Browning's misconception probably having arisen from a line in a 1660 satirical poem, Vanity of Vanities:
Another mistaken (or perhaps dialectal) use was in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 1870 science fiction novel The Coming Race, in an apparent satire on Darwin:
It is commonly thought that a "twat" is a noun to describe a pregnant goldfish [3]. However, this is disputed by some and may be an urban myth [4].
Although sometimes used as a reference to the female genitalia, the word twat is more often used in various other ways:
In August 2008, the publisher of a children's book, My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson, decided to reprint the word 'twat' as 'twit' in future editions of the novel so as not to offend readers or their parents.[7]
In a radio interview on 29 July 2009, the leader of the British Conservative Party, David Cameron apologized for any offence caused after he used the word "twat" on live radio during a breakfast radio show interview on Absolute Radio:
"The trouble with Twitter, the instantness of it – too many twits might make a twat."[8]
He attempted to play down the incident, and added: "I was doing a radio interview and I'm sure that people will understand that."[9]