I think political correctness is the last thing on a person's mind when they're angry and want to insult somebody.

Not sure I can agree with that belMarduk. I can't speak for the present generation, but in years past it was not acceptable for a gentleman under any circumstances to return an insult from a lady.

Winston Churchill, at least when he was inebriated*, was a notable exception in his famous exchanges with Lady Astor.

In looking for one such exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor, I have just discovered that Lady Astor was a politician. No doubt, this explains why Churchill did not afford her the customary protection of her gender when his mighty intellect was provoked. She had forfeited that immunity by becoming a member of Parliament.*

About Lady Astor

She was known as a fierce debater. There is a famous exchange between Winston Churchill and Lady Astor when they were both staying at Blenheim Castle visiting the Marlboroughs. The two politicians had been at each other's throat all weekend when Lady Astor said, "Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your coffee." Whereupon Winston said, "Nancy, if I were your husband I'd drink it."

http://www.jssgallery.org/Paintings/Lady_Astor.htm

* I have always been an admirer of Churchill [who was voted "the greatest Prime Minister of the 20th Century" by the citizens of Britain in 2000], but this reputation for returning an insult from a lady, whatever the provocation, was always a blemish on his otherwise unsullied escutcheon, at least for me.**

One can never win in the court of genteel opinion by crossing swords with a lady.

** Even his bad habits, smoking cigars and drinking too much brandy, were endearing. Churchill elevated even his weaknesses into virtues: "Claret is for boys, port is for men, but brandy is for heroes."

Churchill 'greatest PM of 20th Century'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/575219.stm

* I am sure all are familiar with this famous exchange:

"Why, Sir Winston, you are drunk!"

"Yes, madam, and you are ugly. But tommorrow I'll be sober."

Now that I have investigated the subject further, I think Sir Winston was being a little bit disingenuous in denouncing Lady Astor as "ugly". Her portrait certainly gives no evidence of it. Now, her disposition, well, that's another matter altogether.