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Original poster

Let's get this done: swear word hierarchy

63 replies

ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 00:45

These are all the swear words I can think of off of the top of my head:

Bloody
Arse
Bugger
Twat
Fuck
Shit
C-word
Shag
Bollocks
Dick
Wanker

Is it swearing to call someone a fanny? What about asking them not to 'fanny-about'?

OP posts:
ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 13/01/2011 00:47

i don't think fanny is a swear or shag. trying to think of others

cock
bastard

Original poster
ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 00:52

ah, cockbastard. One of my favourite words.

Piss?
Crap?

I think it's fair to say 'the c-word' is considered the worst. But I'd say shit, wank and fuck were the next level down.

OP posts:
bucaneve · 13/01/2011 00:59

bitch is one I've always disliked, just seems like such a nasty way to describe a person.

ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 13/01/2011 01:01

the c word and fuck are RED words for me. shit and crap are maybe yellow.

ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 13/01/2011 01:01

bitch is awful.

Original poster
ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 01:07

One of the particularly colourful ways I might describe someone who has mortally offended me is wankstain.

Probably the best insults are swearwords combined with a non-swearword. e.g. arsemonger.

You really think crap is as bad as shit, boo?

OP posts:
threefeethighandrising · 13/01/2011 01:08

In some parts, twat is as rude - or even ruder than the c-word. For me it's not much more than idiot.

KorrallKrabba · 13/01/2011 01:12

There's arguably the ones with racist/gender/sexuality etc overtones too. I'm far too polite to spell 'em out, but some are probably as offensive/shocking as the c-word

I read an article years ago (on uk censorship) that referred to the big 6, which would include the c-word and the f-word, but can't remember what else made the cut, possibly shit, piss, bugger and another one (not being coy, just can't remember) - maybe wank, to cover all the downstairs orifices and acts Blush But, times have changed.

ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo · 13/01/2011 01:15

i think just because crap is shit, is why i think they are the same colour. crap isn't a word i use so it is hard to imagine when i might say it but i do say shit.

pickgo · 13/01/2011 01:18

wankingbollockingbastard - that's my favourite I think it's the 'b' alliteration Smile

KorrallKrabba · 13/01/2011 01:21

Sod used to be a biggy, not so much now though

ILovedYou · 13/01/2011 01:59

Turd burgler

Stool pusher

Dickhead

Slag

Runt

Minger

Munter

al vile

ILovedYou · 13/01/2011 02:00

Jerk off

ILovedYou · 13/01/2011 02:01

Berk

ohnoshedittant · 13/01/2011 02:12

eejit

thumbwitch · 13/01/2011 02:18

The "big" ones for me are:
cunt
fuck
shit
bastard
wanker

Next down the list are:
bugger
twat
sod
crap
bollocks
bloody hell

Not so bad:
hell
shag
arse
git

Mostly based on what I thought I could and couldn't get away with when talking to my Dad. That is until I was in my late 30s when I finally heard him say the f-word - Shock
I still don't go into the top list when talking to him unless wildly upset.

And I wouldn't want DS saying any of them now - he's only 3! I don't want him saying Oh My God, Jee-sus, Christ! or any of those at this stage either.

But he would be allowed to say flippin' 'eck.
My Dad had a great alternative to swearwords - he used to say "blood'n sludge". It's not bad, but doesn't have the sharp hard consonants that make a really good swear word.

My favourite is "shitdamnbuggerfuck" - that covers all bases.

Original poster
ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 02:35

but ILovedYou, Turd burgler and Stool pusher aren't swear words so much as homophobic abuse.

I think Koral, that that's why sod used to be considered quite rude.

I think that I would divide mine into four categories.

cunt
shit
fuck

bastard
wanker
bollocks
turd
bugger

twat
crap
shag
bloody hell

sod
arse
git

OP posts:
PocketMouse · 13/01/2011 02:36

In order of offensiveness:

Cunt
Fuck
Twat
Cuntrag
Turd
Bitch
Arse
Wanker
Tosser
Shitbad
Fuckwit
Arsehole
Shitbag
Bastard
shit
Bollocks
Feck

PocketMouse · 13/01/2011 02:37

shitbag twice.. clearly it's a much needed swear...

Original poster
ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 02:53

I live in Cornwall, near a place CALLED mousehole but pronounced 'massel'. Everytime I see the word arsehole, in my head I say 'assel'.

You really think twat is worse than cuntrag? Confused

OP posts:
Athrawes · 13/01/2011 03:53

My mother explained graphically to my brother, then aged four, the meaning of bugger. He never said it again.
Bloody hell was said all the time at home but I KNEW it was bad.
I rather like twat as a light swear word - for me far less offensive than fuck or c*.

Original poster
ScotlandR · 13/01/2011 04:07

agree. would happily call my brother a twat to my mum. wouldn't call him a c-word unless he'd sexually assaulted a monkey or something Confused

there's an image before bedtime.

OP posts:
onceamai · 13/01/2011 08:08

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LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake · 13/01/2011 08:25

I'm surprised at you all categorising 'shit' as a bad word.

I say it all the time and think it's only as bad as 'crap' or 'bugger'.

I even say it in front of dd as its not a 'bad' word.

Cunt is the only word I wouldn't say in company. Maybe fuck if they were particularly posh or there were children around..

LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake · 13/01/2011 08:26

I'd never say the n-word as an insult. Much worse than the others. I would say it in historical context.

actually I explained cunt in historical context to dd once.