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Are there any other expressions equivalent in meaning to "pain in the neck" that mention another part of the body (e.g, "pain in the ass")?

How would you rate each of those expressions (including the ones just mentioned) in a scale of being offensive or vulgar? In other words, which ones would you use in an informal context, but without going too far?

(this question is probably mistagged)

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I'm afraid questions such as this, where all answers will be equally valid, are considered not constructive. please read the faq for more information. – Matt Эллен Sep 11 '12 at 13:52
@MattЭллен Sorry about that, could you please point me to the specific FAQ? I was reading them just before asking and I could not find anything relevant. My idea here is to have a collection of equivalent expressions, and look for a consensus among different people w.r.t. the vulgarity of such expressions. – Marco Leogrande Sep 11 '12 at 15:49
@MarcoLeogrande The problem is that the Q&A format is not well-suited to generating lists, due to the difficulty in maintaining lists and constantly re-judging which answer or list is most correct over the lifetime of the question on the site (potentially many years). They are also never definitively complete, so they attract a constant stream of new, low-quality answers as passers-by feel like they have a list item to add. – SevenSidedDie Sep 11 '12 at 16:38
specifically faq – Matt Эллен Sep 11 '12 at 16:55
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@MattЭллен and SevenSidedDie, I see your point now, thanks for the insight. – Marco Leogrande Sep 11 '12 at 20:40
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closed as not constructive by Matt Эллен, tchrist, Noah, MετάEd, KitFox♦ Sep 11 '12 at 23:56

As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance.

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Found a few on google, and sorted them by least offensive.

He's a

  • headache.
  • an eyesore. (not equivalent, but has a body part)
  • pain in the neck.
  • pain in the rear
  • pain in the rear end.
  • pain in the butt.
  • pain in the back side.
  • pain in the arse.
  • pain in the ass.

I would find any below the fourth to be vulgar.

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'He's a pain in the wallet' (right next to many a man's heart, of course) is sometimes used. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 11 '12 at 7:27

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