Jars, the only thing I found kind of whoa when hearing Brits talk was the number of times the word cunt was used in conversation. That's, at least in the circles in which I travel, a word that's used veeeeeeery rarely and always as a serious insult. I swear constantly in general, probably more than I should, and call my friends all sorts of horrible things in an affectionate way--jackass, jerk, bitch, ass, etc.--but would never in a million years bust out the c-word unless I meant to be as insulting as possible.
ETA: Whoa. X-post-o-rama! That's fucking awesome.
It's amazing how much swearing I get away with now that I've switched to "bugger" and "bloody". Then I run across people who have spent lots of time in England, and I have to apologize to them when they gasp in horror.
Everyone else thinks I'm being cute and Monty Pythonish. Heh.
There's a lawncare company next to the freeway that has the word SOD in ten foot letters. I always think of British tourists, and I laugh.
serial
Also, this morning I heard a traffic report that told me I definitely leave in the West:
"And we've got a herd of elk trying to cross I-80 in Parleys Canyon near the Mountain Dell exit. They're wandering from the eastbound to westbound lanes, so use caution."
Springtime in the Rockies
People swear here in the states, but mostly when real vehemence is called for. Swearing a lot in polite conversation would be considered a low-class thing to do, I think. It's something the people on "Cops" would do, but not a regular middle-class person.
I swear constantly in general, probably more than I should, and call my friends all sorts of horrible things in an affectionate way--jackass, jerk, bitch, ass, etc.--but would never in a million years bust out the c-word unless I meant to be as insulting as possible.
Same here except that my two best friends and I routinely part ways with "See you next Tuesday!" and its response "So long until then!"
My children will swear like stevedores raised by pirates at a truck stop.
Nothing brightens up a sentence like a well-placed swear word. I tone down my language an incredible amount when I'm on the board.
I'm afraid three seasons of Deadwood have caused my brain to default to the word "cocksucker" far too often. I can usually short circuit things so it doesn't make it from brain to my mouth. Usually.
My children will swear like stevedores raised by pirates at a truck stop.
You know, I cannot hear the word "stevedore" without thinking about Joyce and Giles....
