Do people REALLY not know what twat means? <shock>

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

David Cameron in trouble

What on earth do people think it means?

He is one, anyway.

I honestly didn't know it was rude until yesterday. Scottish. Although The Times says posh people don't think it's rude either, so who knows...

Only ever heard it used as a very rude word - either as an alternative to the c word, or as a verb (ie to twat someone).

Just looked in my Concise Dictionary of Slang and it defines it as an abusive term for a fool and as "low" since C19th. Also includes such lovely terms as "twat hooks" (fingers) and a "twat faker" (a prostitute's bully).

Sounds like DC was trying to be "down with the kids" and made a bit of a ..... [insert own word of choice] of himself. You learn something every day!

two meanings: one innocuous and one in the way my dad obviously meant!

pmsl - i hope he meant it - i would agree with him on one thing

hmmm... i have always known it means female genitalia but i've always thought of it more along the lines of dick than c_nt. for e.g. i wouldn't call someone a dick or a twat in a radio interview or job interview... but i wouldnt' be offended by anybody using it in social conversation.

i also (am scottish) use 'twat' to mean hit - 'twatted over the head with the newspaper' for example.

as for 'berk' - well you can't exactly avoid any innocent work that is rhyming slang with an offensive word... it's daft.

To me growing up it meant female bits so I never used it, still don't.

I don't think many people do avoid 'berk'. It's very commonly used, mostly I would expect because its other meaning is not commonly known. It's got a reputation for being quite harmless, like muppet or plonker.

...Otherwise it would get lots of people in high places in as much trouble as DC is in!

Berk is definitely a word we were never allowed to say, it is from the slang.

I called my uncle it once and he went ballistic

I love to use it now as most people think it isn't offensive, I love that little snigger to myself (I save it for exh mostly)

I've always known a twat was a swear word referring to a vagina. It's a more socially acceptable way of calling someone a cunt.

There was a young lady called Pratt
Who would swing from the light by her hat
With a frightening cough
She would jerk herself off
By sinking her teeth in her twat

I learnt that in my English A' Level. From that limmerick, I would say that twat was most definitely a swear word meaning vagina.

And I also learnt that limerick has just the one 'm'

It isn't a pregnant fish though, right? That's a myth?

I was in my late twenties before I found out that twat wasn't the same as twit. Still have to hold myself back from using it.

Was then surprised to hear with regards to the DC issue that it isn't a BBC-banned word so obviously not widely considered rude.

I had assumed that people on MN would know what it meant because of the word twunt being used on here so much, twat and c**t mixed together. Thought that was why people used it.

I live in the North West and I definitely knew it was always linked to women's private parts. Twat and Cunt were always big no-no words for me growing up. Like others we also use it like "he twatted him" sort of thing too. However my brother in law is from down south and he says it definitely doesn't mean the same thing down there.

Oh sorry I forgot to put the stars in when I wrote c##t. Apologies!

tbh twat is used in my neck of the woods interchangaable with twit, we had no idea til my sister moved to cheshire and said it at work to a v shocked silence, then a colleague to her aside and quietly explained; she was mortified

Took her aside, sorry

I've always known what twat means, but here (Scotland) it's used as twit.

However, in the area I live, c**t is used regularly as a synomym for man, so I don't think twat would raise any eyebrows.

yes I did not until I moved to the UK - it is not a word you hear in Aus a lot.

I was brought up in the North East and we did not swear as children. Twat was, however, an everyday term for twit but just a little bit funnier. I did discover the genitalia meaning when I was older but I thought it still was OK to use as twit. I've never considered it a swear word. I was surprised to hear the Cameron news yesterday.

People were rude to me on a recent bridezilla thread when I referred to "twatty bridezillas" (and other things) and I was mystified why the reacted as they did to me when other people said more or less the same thing. Now I know .

I don't think I'll stop using it though as it does have a legitimate innocuous meaning.

I was shocked to hear someone call their little DC a twat the other day, it was said in a very loving tone of voice, she obviously had no idea what the word means in most circles.

I am always suprised how many people use it as it offensive, didn't know they thought it meant pregnant goldfish though.

I remember being told what it meant when I was at secondary school.

Not sure if its a feminist issue ,but isnt it odd that the most offensive swear word is cunt ,yet all the slang for male genetalia is seen as relatively minor ,eg cock or knob