Can we all agree...

My mum has had a sheltered life.  

Years ago she went to see the film Billy Elliott.  Afterwards she told me she thought the film was unreaslitic, as nobody swears as much as that. 

I have never sworn in front of her, but I do swear occasionally and I don't think there's anything wrong with it, in its place.

I don't bother with bloody - I agree that is not a swear word any more - but I don't use the C word either!

Table 15: List of swear words

Very Fairly Quite Not Not Mean Ranking

severe severe mild swearing stated (4 point scale) in 1994

% % % % %

Cunt 81 13 3* *1 *1 3.6 1

Motherfucker 82 13 4 *1 - 3.6 3

Fuck 75 19 5 *1 *1 3.4 1

Wanker 41 34 21 4 * 2.5 4

Bastard 37 34 22 6 *1 2.4 5

Twat 34 22 27 16 *1 2.1 9

Bollocks 32 32 29 6 *1 2.2 8

Prick 31 29 31 7 *1 2.2 6

Shag 31 28 31 10 *1 2.1 *n/a

Arsehole 26 36 31 6 *1 2.1 7


I think the above actually confirms tha tit is the context, as it would appear by adding the word 'mother' to fucker, actually makes it worse than just using the word fuck on its own ... so rather than the word being offensive it seems to be the intent

oh darn, the bloomin' table didn't print correctly

interesting ranking, I'd have definitely put a twat above a wanker, and i'd say slag is worse than shag. i don't really recall "motherfucker" as a popular swearword at school in the 80's and early 90's. "fuck" and "shit" were the go-to curses, with the odd "bastard", but i feel that "motherfucker" is a US import.