BRITISH SWEARWORDS PODCAST
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In this podcast you are going to listen to two friends, one of them a linguist, talking about common swear words in English. Let’s listen.

Sarah: Hi Craig how are you?
Craig: I’m good thanks, how about you?
Sarah: Relieved. I’ve just survived a weekend with the in-laws, you know how it is, challenging. My father-in-law loves a good swear, he manages to fit the word ‘bloody’ into most sentences! Could be worse I suppose but he doesn’t realise that some people take offence to it, I do!
Craig: I used to swear often when I was younger, I thought it made me sound good but then my grandma said to me ‘If your vocabulary wasn’t so limited, you wouldn’t need to swear’. I took offence to that but actually she did me a favour because it helped me to decide on my profession and now I’m a linguist and an expert on swearwords but in a different way!
Sarah: That’s funny! I was brought up being told it was extremely rude to swear and, as I never heard any of my family swearing, then I guess that’s why it bothers me so much when I hear them. Even mild ones.
Craig: Yes, did you know that most English swearwords are usually related either to religion, to sex or to bodily functions?
Sarah: Are they? I didn’t realise that but thinking about it you’re right and it’s probably like that in most cultures.
Craig: Yes, it is. A friend of mine is an English teacher in Spain. She needs to know the Spanish swearwords, even though she doesn’t know much Spanish, just so she can make sure her students are not saying any, and as you say, they generally always relate to the same topics that I said.
Sarah: Well even if I knew swearwords in another language I’d never use them, and anyone that does must feel very comfortable with the people they’re with. I think it’s really important to know that you’re not going to offend anyone and that you know how strong the words may come across.
Craig: Very true. Often it depends on how you say the words too though. ‘Bloody’ and ‘hell’ are probably the two most common mild swearwords that British people use and they are both of religious origin. Bloody is a contraction of “by our Lady”, our Lady being The Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother, but funnily enough most people don’t know that. They just use the word because of the way it sounds.
Sarah: I didn’t know that! I do know though that it’s what we call an expletive– a word used to make an exclamation. I’m right, aren’t I?
Craig: Very good! That’s correct and the hard ‘b’ sound feels satisfying to say when you feel annoyed about something – “My bloody train was late again!” Or, “My bloody boss won’t give me a pay rise.” It helps to express your feelings.
Sarah: What about hell? That’s an expletive as well, isn’t it?
Craig: I thought you said you didn’t swear!
Sarah: Well, we’re having a conversation about them, I’m not using them as swearwords so that’s different.
Craig: I know, just joking. Well, ‘hell’ also has its religious meaning as in the opposite to heaven, but these days people simply use it to add emphasis to a sentence – showing they’re angry or frustrated or just surprised – ‘What the hell was that?’ Or, ‘What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?’
Sarah: That’s offensive to me, and they’re just the mild ones! I’m really bothered by the situation with my father-in-law.
Craig: Maybe you should suggest he tries to tone it down a bit by using softer alternatives to express himself forcefully by using exclamations like “Why on earth did they do that?” Or,
“What in heaven’s name are they doing now, the idiots?”
Sarah: Great idea, thanks for the suggestions, I will raise it with him, but he is set in his ways, it’ll be hard to change him.
Craig: And if he wants to express his negative feelings about someone forcefully, but without swearing, then he could use expressions like the last or the dreaded, for example, “He’s the last person I would consider employing” or “Don’t look now, but the dreaded Sam is coming! Everybody run!”
Sarah: I expect he’ll say that about me but then I do say “Do we have to go to your dreaded Dad’s house for lunch” pretty often which doesn’t go down very well with my husband!
Craig: No, I guess not! Swearing is a very personal thing, what is acceptable for one person might be taboo for another. Let him know how you feel. If he considers you to be a good daughter-in-law then he should make an effort to do something about it, at least in your presence.
Sarah: Yes, I’ll do that. My husband agrees, he’s forever saying ‘For goodness sake, mind your language Dad!’. Thanks for the advice! In fact, I’m going to call my husband about it now while I remember those alternative suggestions. I’ll let you know how we get on.
Craig: Good luck and if he struggles, if he’s just sticking with the milder ‘bloody’ and ‘hell’ then it’s not the end if the world, there are a lot worse words he could be saying!
Sarah: Exactly! See you soon and thanks again!
Craig: Bye, see you.

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