Hi everyone! Mind if I dip into your pool of intellectual wealth and ask a question to settle a dispute among friends?

One thing I've noticed on my travels is that the value and severity of swear/cuss words varies on different sides of the atlantic.

Anyone interested, I would like you to rate the severity of a list of swearwords by ordering them in order of offensiveness. Which ones you find more offensive (the first one being the most offensive!)

What I hope (think) we will see is a definite trend in the difference between what words offend in UK, than those that work in the U.S. I would also be keen for you to let me know if a swearword doesn't officially exist, or is not widely used in your dialect.

Okay, brace yourselves... here is the list.

(1) Fuck

(3) Shit

(5) Cunt

(2) Crap

(6) Bloody

(4) Bollocks

(7) Hell

(8) Heck

My best guess (in order) : Cunt, Fuck, Shit, Crap, Hell, Heck. Bollocks and Bloody are not in use in my area (although I sometimes use "Bleeding" in the midst of an elaborate curse). --FLO--

1. Fuck

2. Shit

3. Cunt

The rest I don't consider to be cuss words, except that I would have used them judiciously in the back yard of the convent - wouldn't want the others to have a faint now, would we.

Cunt has a variable impact. Obviously women don't like being called such - we usually do it spelled with a K - that way the women within earshot can piss off because we are not aiming it at them.... (OK, gonna get it for that one). For guys, it is offensive (for some) because it is essentially calling them a sissy or girlie-like - of course some of us revel in that. On the other hand, this is the name by which I refer to my roomie, along with "Little Buddha," and "Princess."

You asked for it

(1) Fuck

(5) Shit

(6) Cunt

(7) Crap

(8) Heck ,Hell,Bollocks ,Bloody

1) Fuck

2) Shit

The rest aren't swear words in my view. Cunt may be on the edge. But if it is on the list, why not prick? Bitch?

Fuck

Shit

Cunt

Hell

Crap

Heck

N/A-Bloody

N/A-Bollocks

Around this area at least, the #2 on the list would be "Goddammit!" - once of my personal favorites.

Fuck

Paolo wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:12 pm Shit

Cunt

Hell

Crap

Heck

N/A-Bloody

N/A-Bollocks

Around this area at least, the #2 on the list would be "Goddammit!" - once of my personal favorites.

They don't say "Muthufuck!!" 'round your parts?

I think I am more offended by words of hate and prejudice. I do not like cunt.

Tugon, there's a lot of us guys who don't...

hehe

As for any derivative of fuck, as it's so versatile a word, I lump that all together. Around here, the "R"'s are very pronounced.

"MotheR FuckeR!"

Swear words are all about the delivery and how they are chained together. Grandpa, Dad and me are quite gifted. It's a family tradition on the working class side of the family tree.

You can over do it, and one must learn when to emphasize certain words.

So how they are presented is more important than the severity of the words. Using a swear inncorrectly is a dead give away of a gentleman, or stupid fucker, in a violent man's world. And if you put a man that does not know how to cuss infront of a platoon you'll wind up with a demoralized bunch of whinners and wimps in no time.

I'm quite proud of my paternal line of cussers and otherwise violent males, it really came in handy, and in the past we had purpose. I'm sure the neighbors would have liked something a bit more civilzed though.

FUCKING-BITCH, what the fuck did you do to my shit.

chilli- (trying to sound pissed off but unable)