To think that this is a swear word

[Pigsmummy]

Twat.

My husband is adamant that it isn't a swear word and it might just be "midly offensive".

It came in conversation just now as last week I asked his Brother not to say it in front of our 16 month old and his brother didn't think that it was an offensive word.

I do not want my child saying this word or other swear/offensive words.

I use it, but would not use it with kids - so I might say 'bugger off' or 'little sod', but I would never say twat in front of them.

I'm in Yorkshire

I find it offensive, don't use it and would be upset if anyone did in mine or my children's presence

And I generally swear like a trooper but t*t and c*t I won't use

I've always understood it to be another word for female genetalia, so was extremely the first time I heard someone say 'I twitted him.' I was all 'you hit someone with a vagina?'

That aside, I don't think it's a strong swear word but I wouldn't say it in a presentation so I don't say it around DCs.

knackered is an interesting one. Mainly it stems from taking horses to the 'knackers yard' when they are old and tired, but knackers is also used for testicles, and my dad had a huge issue with (me using) the word as he viewed knackered as meaning someone that was tired because they had just ejaculated, whereas I always thought of it as just really tired, like the old horses.

I'm in North Derbyshire and feel exactly the same as you 17.
Those are two words I never use.
This has reminded me of the 'ta' thread from last week. The further south you go, the more it seems to be hated, although in some parts of London it is apparently fine.
(I think that was the general consensus)

Like 17leftfeet I swear, but I have never said 'twat' or 'cunt' in my life.
That sentence above is the first time I've typed those words too. I live in Sussex but come from SE London btw.

It has the same meaning as 'cunt'. Actually cringed just writing that word .

We don't really do 'swear' words, just nice words and naughty words. (quite possibly my most twee post ever )

I don't want my kids insulting anyone ideally, be it calling them a fucking twat or calling them smelly and stupid, or any of the random insults kids use (gay fits in as a nice example. Not swearing, not a nasty word on its own, but with the intention to be hurtful).

We have no issue with them swearing though (when theyre a bit bigger). Its only words.

northern ireland here- no one would bat an eyelid, would be taken in the same context as twit. But as a country we tend to swear alot & shite wouldnt count either haha

Yeah, in some places people do define it as having the same definition as cunt.

But not everywhere.

Where I live we also have words that are used in pretty much the opposite way to how they are used in other areas, and words for things that don't have words in standard English. All old words, not slang. And where I live, twat was never a swear word, and I was in my 20's and had moved away from home before I heard someone say that it mean't female genitalia.

It has two meanings. If someone chooses to believe that I mean it in a very negative way, thats up to them, but context would always imply differently.

Not that I use it very often.

I was also brought up to use twat in the same way as twit but over the years have learned not to use it in that way - and would be most perturbed if my kids started saying it in front of me. However, I don't think it has nearly the same value in swearing terms as cunt. Not even the same ball park. Twat is about the same as knob-end or arse IMHO.

Forgot to say I'm in Notts.

Here in Yorkshire it's almost the C word!!!
Very offensive

I always say to DH when he's arguing the toss over "swear or not swear" - do you want your 6yo to say it at school? do you want to explain to the teacher where your 6yo heard that?
(actually, I've been saying it since DS1 was 3 - started with playgroup, then preschool, now school)

It usually works. :)

hairypaws me too. I've never used it again. I don't call people "cunts" either. I'm really puzzled why parts of a woman's body should be used as an insult.

Oh I'm in Scotland btw but I think most people use it not fully knowing the meaning.

North west here and Twat is definitely on par with cunt as the two most offensive swear words.

My mum would tell us off for using knackered too but a I don't find that offensive, I also don't mind bloody or crap, or even bloody crap.

Interesting that a pp said in Lincolnshire it wasn't a swear word. I'm NE Lincs and it most definitely is round here!

Definitely a swear word here (London) - almost on a par with 'cunt'.

I started a similar thread about cunt. Several posters gave me a very hard time about being prudish about my saying I would not use that word to refer to my genitals whilst completely missing the point of my thread. What I had been asking was why they were happy to use the word as a swear word.

North west England,yes we would say that is a swear word.How I ask my dp to think about it is is that if they went to grandmas and said that would you be mortified?i rest my case

CookieB agree re Scotland. I think we just think it's like twit. Possibly twit derived from twat ?

As a word it simply sounds less aggressive. The "tw" sound is soft but the "unt" and hard c is harsh and aggressive.

Midlands. It's not majorly offensive. Something you'd say to your friends if they drunkenly tripped over. 'ha! you twat'

Wouldn't stand for my children saying it as they are only 7 and 4.

There are many homonyms in English. It's not a case of 'not knowing the meaning', it's a case of using one meaning rather than the other.

The problem seems to be that many people only see the one (worst) meaning to the exclusion of the other.

I wouldn't call it a swear word. But I wouldn't use it personally. Hardly anyone I know uses it. It's pretty horrible actually and says more about the user.