The Original
Bints
Information on the web about bints is
sadly lacking. Basically, a bint is a girl, er, woman. The term evolved
twice independently, once in the U.K. and once in the U.S., but the
general meaning of both terms is the same. Its better-known incarnation
is in the U.K., where "bint" is a pejorative that mutated into a term
of endearment when used among friends. I have done extensive research
on the subject (meaning I googled "bint" to see what came up) and
learned that the etymology of the English "bint" is the Arabic term for
"daughter of". The Arabic naming convention for a woman is thus First_name bint Father's_name.
A reader has alerted me to her
research on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, in which she discovered
that the hieroglyphic word for "evil woman" is "bint". We don't know if
it's coincidence or not, but it's still very funny and appropriate! Unfortunately the link is no longer available.
Sir Richard Burton (not the actor,
some other guy) was the
first to use the word in English, in 1855, and we should all be forever
grateful for his valuable contribution to our language and culture.
(Source: World Wide Words.)
Notable uses of the English term "bint" in popular culture:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Spike, to Harmony, in Harsh Light of Day: "Listen to me, you stupid bint. This gem is everything. I came back to Sunnydale for it, a place which has witnessed some truly spectacular kickings of my ass."Spike, to Riley, about Buffy, in As You Were: "Look, Crew Cut. She's not your bint any more. And if I can speak frankly, she always had a little thing for me, even when she was shagging you."
Observe how Spike demonstrates the alternate meanings of the term.
You gotta love Spike.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Dennis, the anarchist peasant, to King Arthur: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!
The American Bints
Of more immediate relevance to
bintgoddess.com, the term "bint" was coined independently at Alma
College (Michigan) in the late 1980s-early '90s. Like the British
"bint", it began as a pejorative (it's a concatenation of two letters
of one word and two letters of another; I think you can figure it out)
and then evolved into a term of affection. The Alma bints were
generally friends of members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, who coined the
term. Being named a bint was high praise, and actually became a much
sought-after distinction. But the Alma bints were a headstrong lot and
chafed under paternalistic rule. A coup was imminent! After one
Sinfonian proclaimed himself the Bint God, his then-girlfriend
proclaimed herself the Bint Goddess and declared autonomy, seizing the
power
to designate new bints. None of that really means anything but it
really
gets the Bint God's goat when I bring it up. That Bint Goddess, as you
may
have guessed, is me, and I married the Bint God so I suppose he's not
too
mad anymore.
Other Bint-Related Sites:
www.dizzybint.com - "Our Mission is to spread bintiness across Britain, and to be as random as possible with it."Whiny disclaimer
bint magazine - Heavy UK tendency, with amusing articles and an unhealthy obsession with David Beckham. Plus, a bint quiz that I failed miserably. Hrm.
I also found a few others on-line, mostly in England of course, who bear the bint name proudly. One bint's website says she breeds whippets. I have greyhounds. Coincidence?
There seems to be an increase in bints and binties on twitter and tumblr and elsewhere as more people from Africa, India, and Arab-speaking parts of the world get connected. Accept no substitutes!! *I* am the original Internet bintie!! I am bintie on twitter, gmail, facebook, yahoo, and livejournal. I relinquished my MySpace account. You can have it.