Cumberbitch

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English

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Etymology

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Blend of Cumberbatch +‎ bitch.

Noun

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Cumberbitch (plural Cumberbitches)

  1. (slang, vulgar, fandom slang) A female fan of actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
    • 2012 January 8, Judith Brenan, “Re: New series of Sherlock”, in rec.arts.mystery[1] (Usenet):
      But Rik, for the legion of Cumberbitches out there, the sight of Sherlock in his sheet makes up for any plot inconsistencies!
    • 2012 January 20, Rosamund Urwin, “The Benedict Cumberbatch band wagon”, in London Evening Standard:
      He [Cumberbatch] was with friends, and we debated going over to congratulate him on his performance but deemed it "too stalkery". How we rue the day. She and I were two of the original Cumberbitches, in what is now a nation of Cumberbitches.
    • 2013 January 22, Paul Jones, “First look at Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate”, in RadioTimes:
      Sherlock star Cumberbatch – who also appears as villain John Harrison in JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek sequel Into Darkness – has a fervent female following but it's possible even the most die hard Cumberbitch will think twice before pinning this photo to her bedroom wall.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Cumberbitch.

Usage notes

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In an interview with Caitlin Moran of The Times, Cumberbatch expressed objections to this term, referring to the female fans who've adopted the moniker as "Cumberwomen" or "Cumbergirls" instead. He explained: "It's not even politeness. I won't allow [these fans] to be my bitches. I think it sets feminism back so many notches. You are… Cumberpeople."[1] Although in these times (2017), he has referred to his [many] fans as the Cumbercollective.

Synonyms

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Hypernyms

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References

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  1. ^ Caitlin Moran, "What’s not to love about Benedict Cumberbatch?", The Times, 11 May 2013