I gotta tell ya. Having a linguist on Speed Dial is ridiculously handy.

Oh come on! Gimme some fist-pumping-action!

I think Allyson should sing Bye Bye Bye. And FPA.

I want to add "and a Bee Gees song", but I don't know what FPA is. Would I be repetitive if I did?

On edit: And now I do.

Allyson, I honestly think that here, it's just a word. It's a word that is an extreme version of "bad person", sure, but it is no longer a way of actually calling someone a vagina.

I agree it also has the sexist elements of meaning vagina, but when used in the same way as "bastard" or "dickhead", I think the sexism has been lost. I'm far more likely to hear a male use it for another male, than as a female putdown.

Julie, he did mention that in the UK, not such a big deal, except that cunt is still a word for vagina, and it's still meant to be offensive, ergo, it's sexist.

I think it's probably the "worst" swearword we have. Some people use it a lot, though. Now in Ireland, afaik, "cunt" and definitely "fuck" are transparent in a lot of company. (Especially on Craggy Island.) If you ever see the play The Weir, which is set in the countryside and has five or six blokes sitting in a pub with a girl who's new to the area, they're all good naturedly trying to impress her with long stories and anecdotes and the conversation is full of 'fuck' and (I *think*) 'cunt' without anyone being bothered, and then someone says something far less shocking (to me) like "bloody" or "damn" and there's a horrified pause, and he blushingly apologises.

edited for clarity.

considers going and getting a coffee. brain evidently not yet fully engaged.

I'm far more likely to hear a male use it for another male, than as a female putdown.

He said that's supposed to be so offensive. Being called a woman's vagina.

Akin to a woman calling another woman a foreskin, or something. Cheese filled foreskin is my favorite offensive term. I use it in places that have swear filters. Swear filters piss me off, so much, that I feel compelled to prove that one can't possibly come up with all teh combinations of words I can use to say, "FUCKO."

Cheese filled foreskin is my favorite offensive term.

Nice. The phrase "cheesy knob wank" was v. popular in my peergroup at Uni for a while.

"cheesy knob wank"

That's fabulous. I'm stealing it for my own personal use.

Aaaah. So nice to laugh.

He said that's supposed to be so offensive. Being called a woman's vagina.

That may be the etymology, but I really don't think "vagina, call him a vagina, that'll show him" is the thought process now.

Swear filters piss me off, so much

They piss me off most when I'm quoting from a script (for fucksake, an aired script!) and I'm reduced to posting "ba$tard" Grrrrrr!