English Swear Words

You must use these words correctly!

Most should never be said in front of your Mother, or any person of similar stature.

There are only two words you should never use under any circumstances (“Cunt” and “Nigger”), whilst the rest have various degrees of severity. Most are in common daily usage by one sex or the other, and do form an integral part of normal conversation. That does not mean that words boys use between themselves can be used when talking to girls – you will have to learn this distinction; or learn not swear in front of girls – perhaps better you do not learn these words at all?

The vast majority of swear words are of a sexual nature or refer to bodily functions, whilst a few are blasphemous (Religious), or occasionally racially motivated.

Sexual Words and Bodily Functions

These are given in a very rough order of severity and/or common usage

	English	Meaning	Comments
X01	Cunt	Vagina	Do not ever use this word! It is extremely insulting! Women will never speak to you again if you say this within their hearing. Ouch! Known as “The ‘C’-word”. If a female ever uses this word, then there is very big trouble ahead!
X02	Fuck	Have sex	Very common usage, to the point where most native conversational sentences may contain it. This word can be combined with many others for effect or specificality:
2a	Fuck off	Go away	We would say this to a hawker
	Fuck off + object	Can’t be bettered	That’s a fuck off gun – the very best or biggest gun
2b	Fucked	Worn out	Also used or useless
2c	Fuck you	Telling someone intrusive to go away	Don’t try and con me / I’m doing my own thing / you’ve upset me
	Shag	Have sex	Mainly British
	Shagged	Worn out	Alt. shagged-out. Also used or useless
	Shagadelic	Fabulous
	Roger, rodger	Have sex (Male perspective)	I’d give her a good rodgering
X03	Shit	Excrete	Probably the most widely used swear word in the whole wide world. Also: Shite and Shat (Past tense)
X04	Piss	To urinate	A man going to stand at the toilet
X05	Pissed (British)	Drunk or very happy	Do not confuse these meanings, as most British and USA people do not know the other’s meaning of the word!
X06	Pissed (USA)	Very unhappy
	Take the piss	Make fun of	Have fun at someone else’s expense, and often without their knowledge whilst with them
X07	Pissed-off	Very unhappy	British for having troubles and being unhappy. USA = ‘Pissed’
X08	Cock	The male sexual organ (Penis) British	Proactive meaning = Male high-point
X0X	Prick		Derogatory when applied as description of a person
X10	Dick		Derogatory or neutral. Also the short monica (Name) for Richard
X11	Dick Head	Stupid person	Not too severe insult
X12	Pratt	More stupid person	Used when a friend or stranger does something obfuscating. The intensity of meaning varies with how well you know the person and the way it is said.
X13	Twat	Vagina	Not a nice word, but in very common usage with British males. Often what a stupid or awkward person is called. Girls do not like this word a lot, but it is not quite as bad as ‘The C-Word’; just!
X14	Beaver	Vagina	USA word meaning vagina, not used outside USA
	Minge	Vagina	Often used derogatory as in : smelly minge.
X16	Arse	Anus	British word that is quite bad.
X17	Arsehole	Anus	Usually used to refer to stupid or officious people that make you upset
	Arse licker	An insult	Somebody who will do anything to please the boss
	Wise arse	An insult	Somebody who thinks they are clever, but are not
X18	Ass	Anus	Alternative term for arse
	But or Butt	Anus	American for arse
X1X	Tit	Breast	‘You tit’ means a slightly stupid person.
X20	Tit’s up	Upside down	Something has gone mildly wrong / or ‘the project will not be completed in time because of an unknown factor’
X21	Tit’s out	Proud	Showing the world what you have to offer
	Tart	Prostitute	A woman that has sex for money. Nowadays used as a derogatory term for dressed-up girls that are not beautiful
	Slut	Prostitute	Demeaning name for girls who are not whores, but act as if they are. A girl who will sleep with any man for pleasure. Previously meant a whore and is still used as such
X67	Up Shit Creek	Up Shit Creek without a paddle	You have really ended up with the horrible smelly stuff here, probably in a small boat that is sinking, and no way out of the situation – well, unless you want to try swimming to shore? The Aussies (God Bless them) actually have a river called ‘Shit Creek’, and they also have a paddle store there. How very useful.
X22	Bollocks	Testicles	Expletive used when things go wrong
	Bollock	Chastise	Tell someone off. ‘He bollocked me for doing something’.
	The dog’s bollocks	Proud, excellent
	The cat’s arse	Awful, disgusting
X23	Balls	Testicles	Slightly milder version of above
X24	Balls-up	Getting a female pregnant unintentionally	Used when you end up in unimaginable circumstances with many unforeseen complications. As Spoken: “This is a right balls-up!”, and usually related to intricate technical projects or home improvements – that go terminally wrong! “They ballsed-it-up” would necessarily relate to Manchester United losing on aggregate to Bayern Munich after leading 3-0.
X27	Motherfucker	Oedipus	Someone who has sex with his Mother. Mainly USA usage for when something goes wrong. If used personally, then it means extreme dislike. Between friends it equates to the Britsh ‘Arsehole’. Originally from USA and refers to the rape of a black woman by a white slave master.
X2X	Fart	Pass wind	Boys love this, and girls do not.
X30	Old fart	Old person	Often refers to an older person who is not in keeping with the times and current trends
X31	Winkie	Penis	American
X32	Johnson	Penis	American
X33	Little Man	Penis	Pretty universal in the West. Chinese is ‘Little Brother’.
X34	Smeg	Cheesy	This refers to the build up of dead skin and other excretions that can occur between a mans penis helmet and foreskin if not cleansed regularly. It apparently smells like blue cheese – but I do not know of course. This is probably only a British word, which would explain why an American company promotes itself worldwide using these initials. Not for me thank you!
X35	Crap	Excrete	This is actually named after Mr. Crapper, who in Victorian England invented the modern WC. Crap means excreting from the anus, and is interchangeable with ‘Shit’ etc. Possibly a milder word that ‘Shit’, but still not a word to use in front of your Mother!
X46	Bastard	Illegitimate child	Until quite recently this was one of the more serious swear words, and can easily still give abject offence to elder people to this day. Nowadays it is in common daily usage and is used and applied to someone who is awkward, or get’s one over on you or your team.
X40	Frig	Female masturbation	Frigging is probably the most common usage, and refers to a woman (Or second person) stimulating a clitoris.
X41	Wank		When a man plays with himself, or another person gives ‘A hand job’. Wanked can also mean worn out or empty
X42	Wankered		Drunk (London) or worn out (Midlands)
X43	Toss		Same as ‘Wank’. Do not confuse with “I couldn’t give a toss”; which refers to the tossing of a coin to decide who goes first at something, say in a football match.
X36	Fanny	Vagina	Mild swearword, or regular word and female name – depends on usage. Probably the best word for any foreigner to English to use when wanting to refer to a female’s private parts.
X37	Slit	Vagina	Alternative word that is not too bad, but use in context
X38	Crack	Vagina	Alternative word that is not too bad, but use in context
X65	Knacker	Testicle. Usually ‘Knackers’	Often used: ‘I’m fucking knackered’, after working very hard. Usually after long, heavy physical work. Refers to a boys testicles
X45	Bugger	Anal sex	A common swearword used without any sexual connetations (Generally). Often said as «éð:  You buggar »éè: or «éð: He ‘s a buggar »éè: ; meaning someone clever who is awkward to deal with. Buggared : means to be worn out.
X48	Git		Awkward and stupid person; Arsehole. Can be used in most conversations where ‘arsehole’ cannot. Northumberland ‘Get’.
X4X	Pillock		Idiot, nicer form of Pratt or cunt – but indicates a distancing from the person also, as someone who is not welcome.
X57	Bog		A term boys use for toilets Go to the bogs
X64	Nob		Nobility or penis – especially the head of a penis
X25	Clutchie	Vagina	Scottish word for Vagina that is only very mildly offensive.
X66	A kick in the knackers	Given…	A man who has received bad treatment, normally from a woman – but could be from a bad boss or competitor
	Boob	Breast	Mild swear word. Girls often say ‘boobies’.
	Go away in short jerky movements	Fuck off	Tell someone to… Another way to say ‘fuck off’

General Words

X47	Bitch	Female Dog	Noun: Bitch means a nasty woman. Adjective: Bitch means to say nasty things about somebody else. This is normally only applied to females.
X58	Balderdash		Crazy, stupid, useless. A waste of time – hence the computer game of the same name…
X60	Fiddlesticks		A fiddlestick is a piece of wood that is arbitrarily used for carving into something else. The pastime is generally regarded as being a useless endeavour, and ‘Fiddlesticks’ refers to someone refusing to follow such a stupid pastime. It is ok to use in almost all circumstances, and is used as a very mild expletive.
X51	Naff		No good, bad. Probably used best for poor quality goods, but retains a British military reference I will not bore you with. “Naff-off” means ‘go away’; whilst “Naff-all” means ‘Nothing’.
X68	Plonker	Wanker	A stupid person
X5X	Poppycock		Irrelevant, stupid. A waste of time. Often a reply to speech when someone says something that is outrageous or fictitious.
X26	Son of a Bitch	The offspring of a rogue dog	USA for a nasty or not right person or situation. Usually unexpected and a surprise. Used in Hollywood movies when somebody out-maneuvers the star. Can be positive, like winning the lottery, but normally negative. If the latter, then intonation is quite different! 狗娘养的=son of bitch
X52	Sweet FA	Sweet Fanny Adams	This is taken to mean ‘nothing’, complimented by the alternative meaning of ‘FA’ which means ‘Fuck All’ = ‘Nothing’. However, this is a very sad event from British history, where a young girl called Fanny Adams was killed – but she was a pauper and her life meant nothing to anyone. It is very sad, but true. By using this phrase you honour her remembrance – as this could just as easily have been yourself.

Blasphemous Words

X3X	Blimey	God Blind Me	Commonly: ‘Gawd Blimey!’. A relatively mild expletive with biblical references and common usage. Can be used in front of your Mother, although she may well disapprove. Do not use inside Church.
X53	Bloody		'bloody' is a a simple swear word in England (a corruption of 'By your Lady', a religious exclamation from the Middle Ages') One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. “bloody hell” or “bloody Nora”. Something may be “bloody marvelous” or “bloody awful”. It is also used to emphasise almost anything, “you’re bloody mad”, “not bloody likely” and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. “Abso-bloody-lutely”!
X54	Bloody Hell		General exclamation. Nowadays ok to use, but previously blasphemous.
X50	Crikey	Christ Save Me	An older expression still in common usage in Blighty. Use as a statement of immediate astonishment! Said when something unexpected happens – often good, but can be bad. If Bad, then the tone drops when said. If good, the tone rises.
X63	Damn		condemn to hell
X61	Drat		Well here’s a can of worms for you. In Victorian England many people would refrain from using the common swear words of that time, and instead substitute another word. This also heralded the progression of the ‘Middle Class’. Today British people still use ‘Drat’ and ‘Darn’, but their usage is quite specific, and perhaps lost on the new generation. Damn is still pretty common however and normally used as a pair of words to signify condemnation. “Damned Lawyers” springs to mind – for no obvious reasons.
X62	Darn
	"Gee" for "Jesus"; "Heck" for "Hell"; "Gosh" or “Golly” for "God"; "dash" or "darn" for "damn"
X56	Gordon Bennett		Same as above really. The expletive Gordon Bennett appears to be a minced oath. It is a version of Gor blimey, which is itself a euphemistic version of God blind me. That, combined with Bennett's famously outrageous lifestyle and newsworthy stunts, is sufficient to explain why his name was picked out. Full explanation: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/gordon-bennett.html
X55	Jesus Christ		Exclamation. Similar to above and spoken “Gee-Zuss Christ!” Once considered blasphemous, but in very common usage in UK. The modern meaning is more like:- something unnatural and inexplicable has happened, and something only Jesus Christ could have arranged. Therefore it has actually become an honour – in a very roundabout way.

Racial Words

X28	Nigger	Black person or ‘Brother’	Do not ever use this word! Highly offensive in USA if used by a white person. Often used between black people to identify close friendship and ‘Brotherhood’. Not a problem in most of UK. A black person calling a white person ‘nigger’ is the highest of compliments. Best Advice: never, ever, use this word!
	Backward Cousin	USA only	Used by Americans only when referring to Canadians
	Bok	Springbok	A person from South Africa
	Chink	Alt: Chinky	A Chinese person – not offensive Chinky-Chew refers to Chinese Food
	Frog		A French person
	Kraut		A German person
	Man down under		An Australian person
	Rusky		A Russian person
	Speedy Gonzales		A Mexican person
	Spick		An Italian person. Sometimes used for anyone of Latin descent of Southern Europe (Spanish and Portuguese)
	Yank	Alt:Yankie	A person from USA. Originally used during the American war of independence and referred to people from the North only.

What others call British People

Word	Used in	Comment
Anzac	General	Word used to identify Australian and New Zealand troops, which originated in WWI. The name reappeared in WW2 for the Battle of Greece, which also included control of Greek and British troops. It was also used as a suffix during the Vietnam War. The acronym stands for 'Australian and New Zealand Army Corps’
Cobber	Australia
Evans	Mr Evans or Mrs Evans	What Welsh people call other Welsh people who they do not whish to name directly.
Gringo	General except Spain	Mildly derogatory – International Spanish, especially Mexico
Gurka	General	People from Nepal, especially troops serving with British forces
Man in a dress	England	A derogatory clause used to refer to Scottish people and their traditional habit of wearing a kilt.
Mick	England	Name for Irish people – see ‘Paddy’
Paddy	England	A shortened form of the Irish name Paidric or Patrick, and most used general name for Irish people
Pommey	Australia	Also ‘The Pomms’
Roast Beefs	France
Sheep Sh**ger	General	Slightly derogatory reference to people from New Zealand, or any other place where they have a lot of sheep.
Taff or Taffy		English name for a Welsh person. Often used as a nickname.
Tommy	USA	A general word for British troops used during the World Wars, especially WW2