"You're Such A Slut"

If you've been startled to hear teen and even 'tween girls casually calling each other sluts (as in, "you're such a...") for things as innocuous as admitting a crush or glancing at a guy, you'll want to read this NYT article about how the word has become more widely used -- but not necessarily less damaging (The Taming of the Slur).

Between Sex and the City and self-described "retail sluts," the term has apparently lost some of its original heft and meaning -- as "bitch" and even the n-word have to some extent. And, according to this article, it's also less likely than in the past to be used by boys (who've moved on to other even more offensive descriptions, as any teacher or middle school parent can tell you).