Is it sexist? Well. Would the word and your use of it be robbed of all meaning if males and females were exactly the same in all respects? If so, then it's sexist.
(Note: By this test, "dick" is also sexist.)
Is it inherently insulting? Moreso in the U.S. than in the U.K. Like all swears, it depends on who hears you say it.
I'm from the U.S., but I once saw an episode of Coupling where they only *alluded* to this word ("You can relax now. She just said 'you can't.'" "Believe me, that wasn't can't.") Am I correct in reading this to mean that you normally wouldn't hear that word on TV in the UK?
(Just so everyone can calibrate their swearometers, IIRC they weren't afraid to say 'hell,' 'damn' or 'shit' on the same show, along with a bunch of English swears. I can't remember if they ever dropped the f-bomb. There were constant allusions to adult situations, but no partial nudity, even in the episode about partial nudity.)
(Note: By this test, "dick" is also sexist.)
Is it inherently insulting? Moreso in the U.S. than in the U.K. Like all swears, it depends on who hears you say it.
I'm from the U.S., but I once saw an episode of Coupling where they only *alluded* to this word ("You can relax now. She just said 'you can't.'" "Believe me, that wasn't can't.") Am I correct in reading this to mean that you normally wouldn't hear that word on TV in the UK?
(Just so everyone can calibrate their swearometers, IIRC they weren't afraid to say 'hell,' 'damn' or 'shit' on the same show, along with a bunch of English swears. I can't remember if they ever dropped the f-bomb. There were constant allusions to adult situations, but no partial nudity, even in the episode about partial nudity.)