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I've been having an agony of the use of the verb "bitch" in the transitive verb which was used many times in Aersosmith's songs, but may be it was I didn't give enough attention to it, after all if their rocks are catchy enough, they had become a hit.

It started after checking carefully the one of the above rockstar's song.

I know, no sense is perfectly OK to me when it comes to songs.

But "to bitch", assuming very offensive word, when it is used in the transitive mode, 2 dictionaries give 2 definition.

This Merriam Webster says,

transitive verb

1: SPOIL, BOTCH bitched up their lives

2: CHEAT, DOUBLE-CROSS

3: to complain of or about

However, this dictionary gives different definitions.

verb transitive (Should we delete(+) this sense?) To make derogatory comments.

verb transitive To criticize spitefully, often for the sake of complaining rather than in order to have the problem corrected.

What's common between the 2 is that they have a definition "to complain about something".

So, does the verb bitch in the use of transitive mean "to complain"?

Thank you^^.

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  • @Em. Not really. Aerosmith used the word too much so that I just would like to know what it means when you use the verb "bitch" in the transitive verb generally (Either it is a slang or not). complaining? To make derogatory terms? Thank you^^.
    – user17814
    Commented Aug 29, 2020 at 3:21

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Areosmith: Eat The Rich

Then I hope this does the trick
'Cause I'm sick of your complainin'
About how many bills
And I'm sick of all your bitchin'
'Bout your poodles and your pills

(source: lyrics search via Google search results)

Yes, it means complaining.

The mention of poodles in the same sentence is perhaps a garden path for some

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  • I think you seem to be correct. When I see the line, Aerosmith sings And I'm sick of all your bitching bout your poodles and pills. Complaining does fit with the line.
    – user17814
    Commented Aug 29, 2020 at 12:56
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    That use is not transitive, though.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Aug 29, 2020 at 16:25
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As far as I know, bitch is not used transitively in the UK. The Cambridge Dictionary agrees with this.

In the US, it is used transitively in very informal language in the same way as fuck, where it is simply a forceful negative that can be applied to any situation.

Note that the two transitive usages that Wordnik found are in the Wiktionary section (ie based on individual contributions), and there is a note for one of them saying "(Should we delete(+) this sense?)". The more reputable sources that Wordnik found only quote intransitive meanings.

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