Put Your Dukes Up

My aerobics class involves a bit of "boxing" and kick boxing.  If I didn't have old hips, I'd get into kick boxing in a big way.  What I notice is that most of the woman (we're almost ALL women) in the class don't punch like they mean it.  Some of them punch with one hand and leave the other hand dangling daintily at their side.  It seems to be hard for these nice ladies to make a fist.  I actually like to make fists.  I like to punch and kick.  Color me unladylike. 

Back in the day, women were conditioned never to fight and not to show unseemly anger.   An angry woman is a fearsome thing.  How many expressions can you think of to describe an angry man that only apply to males? 
I thought so. 
Here is a list, by no means complete, of expressions that apply to an angry woman. 

Fishwife

Termagant

Shrew

Witch

Bitch

Scold

Virago

Harridan

Battle-ax

Harpy

She-devil

She-dragon

Spitfire

Mad woman 

What is so scary about an angry woman?  Normally, they don't even shoot anyone. God help you if you work in an office and get angry.  There are a lot of things about our culture that I will never understand.   A sarcastic woman is considered rather scary, too unless you are a comic.  Think about that.  

No wonder my classmates flutter and punch like a bunch of bunnies.  I am the one with the fists and the scowl, the one with her dukes up.  Here is an article about the origin of this phrase.  Read it.
put your dukes up