Even though the written word C-A-T looks nothing like a cat, and the spoken word "cat" sounds nothing like a cat sounds, when someone says the word out loud, you're able to conjure up an image.

For decades, such feminists as Germaine Greer have advocated reclaiming the C word, in a take-back-the-night kind of way.

And even though I question our squeamishness about the C word, I don't believe we'll be using it willy-nilly, at least not anytime soon.