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!?

This is an interesting debate. I'm a bowel surgeon so talk about wind all day every day at work. For adults, I say 'passed wind' (along with 'passed urine' and 'opened your bowels') but for children I just get a blank stare if I ask them. So, they get 'wee', 'poo' and 'fart'. Never occurred to me that there might be a load of parents being mortally offended by this. However, since there is no consensus here as to a suitable alternative (except 'don't talk about it', which clearly isn't going to work) what do you think I should say? I can hardly know which of the hundreds of alternative words they use at home, and I promise you, 'passed wind' just doesn't work. Help?

As a child we were always told not to say it as my parents and grandparents didn't like it. I actually don't like the word now and while I don't think it's a swear word it's not the nicest word. My English teacher would have crucified me had i said fart at school!

my daughter wasn't allowed to say it. see also: bum, stupid, ugly or shut up.

she is 14 now and swears like a drunken navvy. i guess you have to pick your battles!

(but no OFSTED were being weird and precious)

WiIdfire if I were you I'd stick with 'wee', 'poo' and 'fart'. Some of the alternatives offered on here are a bit bizarre and would no doubt result in parents mumbling to each other 'do you think she meant 'fart' when she asked Jimmy if he did a lot of 'eggy wooflers'?'

And if a child attending a medical appointment gets a giggle from 'fart' as they're banned from saying it at home, all the better!

It might be an age thing, I suppose. In my experience, most of those I have come across who would take offence are older generation. Not always, but mostly.

Language changes over time, and attitudes towards some of it change too. Many of these words (fart, shit, arse, bugger, etc.) are simply good old Anglo-Saxon language. I sometimes wonder at what point in history they actually became considered as swear words and considered offensive.

It's interesting what you say Lecherrs about 'bugger' being an innocent south-west expression as at the age of 8 or 9 I was hauled out in front of class and had a strip absolutely torn off me for using such a "disgusting, revolting" word - and I was completely bewildered because I had no idea what I'd done wrong. My dad, who grew up in Devon, used to refer to any disadvantaged child as a "poor little bugger" .... e.g. orphans, victims of disasters and so on. So, I therefore concluded that 'bugger' (the noun, not the verb!) was a sympathetic and 'kindly' word with no negative connotations at all!

Catsmother - also a midlands usage of little bugger, ex's nieces were called little buggers as terms of endearment