Over time, the word has acquired a tremendous amount of negative connotation, thus creating a powerfully offensive weapon. Men use the word to undermine femininity, and verbally attacking a woman with that word suggests disgust and hatred. The woman hears the word and, as Bill Casselman argues, interprets it as hatred and contempt for Goethe's “Eternal Feminine,” which refers to the fundamental essence of femininity. Therefore, the power of the word is used to damage the foundation of all qualities associated specifically with women and establish a subordination to its counterpart.,