To think that 'fart' is NOT a swear word!

[FartingIsntSwearing]

OFSTED came to our school and I had my year 7 books taken in. One homework had been to write about an embarrassing incident and a boy had written about farting in class.

I was told the work in the books was a high standard and so on but inspector was surprised I hadn't 'pulled a child up for swearing in his book.'

Since WHEN was 'fart' a swear word!?

Well to all of those posters so confused and outraged about those of us who are offended by the word fart.

Get over yourselves.

We're all different and words can illicit very different reactions in different people...have different connotations and memories.

I just find the word disgusting. It's gross. So no matter HOW silly you find all the other euphemisms....doesn't matter! I still think fart is horrible and won't use it or allow my children to.

When I grew up "fart" was a swear word in my mum and grandmas eyes, we really had to watch what we said. Seems to be a lot more acceptable now though and my kids often say it, ive wondered if I should pull them up on it like I would if they ever came out with anything else. But since it seems to be the most common word for it havent bothered

Yanbu it's not a swear word. I don't encourage the dc to say it but don't chastise them either I can't bear twee euphemisms. 'Trump' is the worst IMO. Dd1 says 'that was my bottom'

'we don't fart, we pass wind' - that's what my dad always said!

we always used the word 'smelly' when the kids were younger because that's exactly what they are! It was once DS started school that the word fart entered our vocab. I don't really like it but it seems to be what is generally used.

So what word are your kids permitted to use then Clap when they want to refer to wind breakages? Or are they only allowed communicate it through the medium of mime?

Eggy woofler?????? and you think that's better than fart?

When i was a kid, if i absolutely had to say something, it was 'let off'. XH encouraged the kids to not only say fart, but to do so at any opportunity and at any time or place. Once they are old enough to know not to just say that's okay, but there are older people out there who are offended by the word. Okay and i have just thought of a younger person who was offended by it, but she was offended by an awful lot!

Do people who think 'fart' is okay think 'crap' is okay too?

I wouldn't allow my children to say it and nor does it have an alternative . I can't think of a single situation where any person would need to discuss their flatulence .

It's not a swear word, but it's not a nice word - it's like crap. Pump is the word of choice here, or break wind if we're being polite.

Poo! Is that you Bertie? Good job they didn't see this book. My 3yo DS announced a 'stinky boff' recently. Proud!

Not a swear word, but many see it as a 'must use a euphemism' word.

Depending on the viewpoint of the protagonist in the writing, it may or may not have been the best word choice.

Is there an ofsted for ofsted that you could write them up? Needs to be.

I can't think of a single situation where any person would need to discuss their flatulence .

If they were ill with an upset stomach and were passing a lot of wind they might want to mention it?

'Pump' means something else entirely where I come from!

Of course crap is ok!! On what planet are people so utterly terrified of WORDS - and you do realise that by making an ishoooo of some words you're just making them all the more attractive?

Catsize - I was thinking about crap recently, like "fart" I was never allowed to say crap growing up and although I say it now Ive always told my children its not a very nice word, I wouldnt class it as a swear word but its not something I encourage. I have noticed its quite common for children especially in my my eldests year (4) to be saying it, ive also heard parents saying it to their kids.

Yabu - obviously not a swear word, but as said above it's a bit 'coarse' to some people, me included.

I would also class 'crap' as "Not a nice word"

Pump has many different meanings - shoe, fart, fluid removal device. The context is usually the giveaway

Fart is just a horrible word - and if anyone is ill with an upset stomach then no-one else outside the immediate family wants to hear about their noxious gaseous emissions, surely?

I draw the line of swearing between fart and crap with crap on the sweary side of that line.
I do swear a fair bit though.
Love eggy woofler

we don't use crap, idiot, stupid, shut up

fart, poo, wee are ok when used as a descriptor but not as an insult

i suppose the best thing would be to teach them the science words but i think it would be a bit odd for a 4yo to use the words flatulate, defecate etc.....

I think fart was a banned word when I was young. We used "to blow off" as an alternative.

Now we all say fart, including the dcs.

It just doesn't have the same resonance any more.

Not keen on crap in terms of "I'm off for a crap". But a computer game can be crap for example.

All dcs, even 5 year old, aware that there's school and dining table language, and more relaxed language For example - they wouldn't say "this pen is crap" at school.

Banned words would be wanker, cunt, fuck, shit, arsehole, twat and anything homophobic or racist.

I'm all for teaching children these words - they'll learn them fast enough in school anyway - but teach them about appropriate / acceptable usage. As in it's not ok to bugger the vicar's wife but it's fine to shout bugger in the privacy if your own room if you trap your willy in your zip. That sort of thing.

'eggy woofler' is very Roald Dahl.

the key question here is what would you expect your child to use in an essay when in year 7?