From all appearances, the worst word in North America is the c**** word. I've never spoken it aloud. If someone used it about me, it would end the relationship. On the other hand, f***y is just fine. As in f***y pack. As others have pointed out, we've got it all backwards here. Referring to the f****y here is the derriere.
THe C word USA vs. UK.
by avishai 40 Replies latest members adult
-
-
Crumpet
The C word is extremely offensive here in the UK.
Clam, you & FF think so, but LT and I don't. Context is everything. I have never used it to insult, other than affectionately.I am with scotsman on this. I also think words lose their shock factor through regular use. Its just a word. Its my word for god. Although occassionally in my lighter moods I refer to him affectionately as a "daft wee f@cker" too. LOL at slimboyfat!
-
Fe2O3Girl
The Guardian columnist Ben Goldacre published in his blog a "banned words" list in use at the BBC.
WARNING: This link contains LOTS of offensive terms and swearing!!
http://www.badscience.net/?p=228
Apparently, a vernacular term for female genitals is the most offensive term one can use - much worse than racial slurs; but why?
-
Clam
OK so people are disagreeing with me. Yes I obviously know it's about context, but I won't press the point as I'm not an argumentative c***
-
Crumpet
OK so people are disagreeing with me. Yes I obviously know it's about context, but I won't press the point as I'm not an argumentative c***
But you are a funny c***!
-
Sad emo
The C word is still used as a term of insult in my locality, usually preceded by stupid and/or f***ing, depending on the degree of annoyance which has been caused. You'd certainly never hear it used in affectionate terms around here.
I hate it, kids think it makes them sound cool if they use 'hard' language like that but it really doesn't.
jgnat - the first time I read 'fanny pack' on this site, I was until I realised what it was - we call 'em 'bumbags' here!
-
Clam
LOL thanks Crumpet.
Some time ago I was looking at the French Connection UK logo - FCUK and wondered if it was worth starting a designer label CNUT. I had opined that while FCUK had been grudgingly accepted, CNUT would most definitely not be. I suppose you'd have to have good reason to use the initials, eg Clam's Negligee & Underwear Thingies, or something like that.
-
purplesofa
can't understand normal thinking
-
BFD
I don't use that word anymore. I was driving my sister some where and when this woman cut me off I exclaimed "You stupid c***!" My sister back handed me and gave me a bloody lip. (We are such an expressive loving family, really!)
If we were driving in the UK I probably would have been the one doing the cutting off as I would find it hard to drive "on the wrong side of the road". So I'd be the stupid c*** on the other side of the pond. LOL
BFD
-
bikerchic
Another objectionable word here in the Americas is squaw. For reference to this see this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squaw
An interesting definition of the word here:
http://www.tomjonas.com/squawpeak/definition.htm
The Definition of the Word "Squaw"
by Tom Jonas
May 3, 2003
In modern dictionaries, the definition of the word "squaw" is simple:
Webster’s Unified Dictionary and Encyclopedia, 1959
n. an American Indian woman; a female, colloq.
Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1976
1. an American Indian woman or wife
2. any woman: chiefly humorous
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1980
n. a North American Indian woman [< Algon.]
Oxford American Dictionary, 1980
n. a North American Indian woman or wife
The Chambers Dictionary, 1993.
n. a native American woman, esp a wife
The word "squaw" was borrowed from the Algonquin language family of a few Indian tribes in Canada and New England and first appeared in the American vocabulary around 1634.
1 It has been a familiar word in literature and historical documents for most of this country’s history. The Massechusett/Algonquin word means "young woman." The word is unknown in the languages of Native Americans of the southwestern United States.
The controversy over this term appears to have started in 1973 with the book Literature of the American Indian, by Thomas E. Sanders and Walter W. Peek. Sanders and Peek suggested that the word "squaw" may have been derived from a Mohawk word for female genitalia. In a 1992 appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Native American spokesperson Suzan Harjo mentioned their theory and started the controversy. The theory has been proven false by linguists 2 but that hasn’t stopped the flood of political correctness activists from objecting to the name.
Since the word "squaw" has never been a part of the native vocabulary in the western three-quarters of the nation, the only way the Indians can form an opinion of the word is by observing how it is used in the English language and listening to the opinions of linguistic "authorities." I believe that there would be little objection to the word "squaw" among Indian peoples if they knew the true etymology of the word.
There is, in fact, a desire among many native Americans to preserve the usage of the word "squaw." Marge Bruchac (an Abenaki
3 Indian) writes in her article Reclaiming "Squaw" in the Name of the Ancestors:
When our languages are perceived as dirty words, we and our grandchildren are in grave danger of losing our self-respect. We must educate, rather than tolerate the loss of our language due to ignorance.
In my memory, the word "Squaw" has always referred to simply an Indian woman or wife - there never was a hint of a derogatory connotation of the word. In the last few years, the political correctness movement seems to be on a quest to search out any and every word that could possibly be used in an insulting or vulgar way and eliminate it from the English language. If this trend is carried to its logical end we could lose a large part of our vocabulary. Even seemingly innocent words like "God" and "mother" can have a vulgar usage. The recently released book The Language Police by Diane Ravitch adds such innocuous words as "jungle," "courageous," and "founding fathers" to the list of offensive words. How long can this go on? Let’s educate rather than decimate our language and the ability to express ourselves.
Our history is important, we should preserve it.
How true it is with the above words like "God" and "mother" which can be used in vulgar ways too.