Bitch Slap

My parents once asked me what a "bitch slap" was. Recently, on on Argonautical Ramblings, I found a link to a video that comes close to my ideal of a bitch slap, though the author refers to it as simply a "cat fight."

Ultimate Cat Fight

As grrrbear points out, it's a wonder why they aren't both beating up the guy who slept with both of them rather than beating up each other. This reminds me of a story of some ground squirrels of some type that live in tunnels but mate and sun with each other out on land. My evolution teacher once watched a male mate with a female, then lay next to each other out on land. Anotehr female came by, and he mated with her too in front of the other female. The three of them laid out and rested by each other, until the male went away. At that point the first female scared the second female into another hole and then literally buried her. The prof then headed out to dig her up, and she got buried five or six times more that day.

Anyway, New York resident Jenn disagrees wiith my definition of bitch slap. She thinks it's specifically a slap with the back of the hand so that women who wear lots of rings can do damage with those rings. While I think that back handed slaps may be involved, "bitch slapping" is more of a whirlwind of arms flying everywhere, with the majority of damage being done by the palms of the hand.

So I've tried to find other examples of a "bitch slap." The author of this next page calls this a "bitch slap," but I think he's being too liberal with his application of the term. It is an interesting video though. What the HECK is going on? Does anyone know what they're SAYING?

Compfused.com - Bitch Slap

A comment at this blog agrees with Jenn in defining it as a slap with the back of the hand. I still think this is being too specific and focussing on the wrong PART of the slap.

So finally I found these wonderful "Urban Dictionary" entries that I think settle the argument. I take one of them as an example, but they all seem to work okay:

Contrary to most definitions, the “bitch” is describing the “slap” rather than the destination.

A Bitch Slap is a sharp, openhanded, stinging, yet generally benign slap – similar to being slapped by a bitch. When you “bitch slap” someone, you are slapping him or her like a woman would! Scratching, hair pulling, cursing, and crying generally follow a well-placed bitch slap.

Beware, this oft-confused term has resulted in many pimps calling themselves bitches rather than describing their abuse.

This structure of the descriptor preceding the verb is also used in the “Pimp Slap”. To “Pimp Slap” does NOT mean that you’re slapping someone like you would slap your pimp – rather a pimp slap is to slap like a pimp does.

How to perform:

Imagine some bitch just called out your fake Louis Vuitton shoes and hat just to make your baby’s daddy laugh at your cheap ass.

Raise your right hand above your head, elbow bent, and pretend you are throwing a baseball like a girl. Open palm comes down in a chopping motion to the cheek and jaw of your victim. Twist your shoulders into the attack for maximum effect.

LaFawnda bitch slapped Rico for talkin bout her bunions.

Now, if you look closely, there's a reference to the "Pimp Slap," which CLEARLY is what Jenn is talking about.

slap to the face using the back of the hand. called a pimp slap because the large rings a pimp wears will cut the face when hit with the back of the hand. this is distinct from a bitch slap which is with the palm of the hand.

he didn't get pimp slapped at the restaurant fight, he got bitch slapped.

It turns out that the "pimp slap" is more disciplinary, but the "bitch slap" is more recreational.

Yet again, the "Urban Dictionary" saves the day.