Questions related to words or phrases that may be considered offensive in English
0
votes
2answers
85 views
Meaning and usage of the swear word pronounced /ˈkʰʌnt/? [closed]
I’ve been hearing the word cunt used several times now. What kind of situations do you usually use this word, and what sort of person does this swear word usually describe?
2
votes
2answers
127 views
Question about likely vulgar expressions
The terms "screw up" and "crap" are frequently used on American TV that I'm not sure whether they're euphemisms, my first assumption, or just vulgar.
I don't want to make mistakes, especially when ...
4
votes
2answers
100 views
What's a useful replacement idiom for “money shot?”
I'm afraid I have been somewhat innocently causing offense by using the term "money shot" in its general, non-pornographic sense. My coworkers either have dirty minds or lack awareness of the other ...
3
votes
3answers
146 views
How offensive is a word f**k in English? [duplicate]
I hear it quite often in movies, radio , books, songs even in some interviews with actors .In my native language is a word like that very strong and awfully offensive but I think it is not that strong ...
5
votes
2answers
567 views
Why are the “donkey” and the “butt” both named “ass” the same? [closed]
Is there any similarity between them that they have the same name, or is the reason something different of having a physical similarity?
I found different meanings for both, but none of them ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
How should I use the phrasal verb “to d**k around”?
To waste time
Stop dicking me around and get to the point.
Would you please stop dicking around with her?
To take advantage of
You're dicking him around, you know?
Don't ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Polish your mug idiom
Recently I've heard couple of interesting idioms one of which was "Make yourself scarce or I'll polish your mug".
So, I was wondering is it really used like that?
I've heard of "Make yourself scarce" ...
11
votes
3answers
354 views
Is “Dutch wife” one of those “Dutch words”?
The term "Dutch wife" is listed as having several somewhat related meanings. Wiktionary describes it as meaning 1) a body-length pillow, 2) a wicker or bamboo tube that someone sleeps in (also called ...
-3
votes
1answer
104 views
Do nonsense and bull**** have corresponding plural forms?
For example, I've heard nonsenses, but I've never heard bullshits.
Why one is plural and the other is singular? They mean the same thing.
0
votes
1answer
120 views
How bad is the use of “n***er” today?
If I call a black people of "nigger", how bad is this today? If a black call another black with this word, it is wrong?
2
votes
1answer
176 views
How to describe factually correct but irrelevant answers [closed]
When you ask someone a question and they provide a factually correct but irrelevant answer how can you describe that answer with a few choice words indicating your poor opinion of the answer?
I'm ...
6
votes
2answers
261 views
Is it derogatory or offensive to call a detective a dick?
The word dick is generally considered offensive and is marked so in dictionaries. But there is also a meaning of detective that it carries. I usually find no derog indication for this meaning.
Is it ...
3
votes
4answers
261 views
Is there a clean version of “no sh*t, Sherlock”?
The phrase "no shit, Sherlock" or just "no shit" is a reply used when someone else points out something obvious.
I was thinking about it the other day and I realized I don't know if there is a clean ...
3
votes
2answers
227 views
Is schmuck really an obscene word?
Schmuck is supposedly an obscene Yiddish term for the male sex organ, yet it appears all of the time in the media as an American idiom for a jerk. Can one use it in polite company?
4
votes
4answers
181 views
Is “ass-wise” an acceptable English word? Is it a noun, or adverb?
I was surprised to see the New Yorker’s (February 26) article titled, “Boehner defends decision to remain on ass,” which was chockablock with the word, “Ass.”
“Minutes after telling the United ...
8
votes
3answers
420 views
Etymology of “half-assed” [closed]
The term "half-assed" is used to refer to something being sloppy or partially completed. For example, "You really did a half-assed job on those TPS reports, Bob." What is the etymology of this phrase? ...
9
votes
2answers
381 views
What is the origin / reason for adding asterisks within swear words like f**k?
Several variants of this topic have already been covered here, such as:
What name for bowdlerisation with asterisks (e.g., “f*ck”)?
What the #$@&%*! is that called?
However, these deal with the ...
2
votes
3answers
199 views
Is “I'm not racist, but …” more common in Australian English than other dialects? [closed]
Is the phrase "I'm not racist, but ..." more common in Australian English than other dialects? The phrase is used as a prefix to something that's likely to be interpreted as racist, probably because ...
9
votes
3answers
232 views
Meaning of abbreviated vulgarity
Preface: Despite the fact that this question includes vulgar language, it is not intended to be offensive, unprofessional, or humorous, but rather is a serious question.
In the statement, "F**king ...
5
votes
3answers
148 views
Is it safe to use “old” to mean “previous” for a person?
Is it safe to use "old" to mean "previous" or "former" for something like "my old teacher"? Or is it a bit risky, because "old" also has a meaning with respect to age (i.e., chronologically gifted)?
...
3
votes
2answers
421 views
Shut your mouth
I’m confused regarding these expressions:
Shut up
Shut your mouth
Shut your mouth up
Shut up your mouth
After some research, I’ve come to believe they are all correct except “Shut ...
9
votes
6answers
463 views
Vulgar way of saying “he killed himself”
I'm trying to translate my acquaintance's cartoon to cite it in an article written in English. For the subject of the article it is important that the translation will be direct, thus very vulgar ...
4
votes
2answers
190 views
Isn't “dummy” in “HTML Parser for Dummies” considered offensive?
What does "dummy" mean here (in the section Getting Started)?
Getting Started
For novice users, an introductory guide on how to set
up your environment to use the HTML Parser is provided in ...
0
votes
3answers
203 views
What drives the usage of 'God', 'Jesus', and 'Jesus Christ' as expletives? [closed]
I grew up in a conservative Christian home, and was taught that we do not 'take God's name in vain'.
Interestingly, among some churches I grew up in, the consensus was that the common usage of God or ...
12
votes
1answer
209 views
Is “tidbits” Bowdlerized or original?
Our American English local paper insisted on changing a title from titbits to tidbits for a column on minor local events and stories.
I, a British English speaker, have always pronounced and spelled ...
6
votes
6answers
572 views
Is 'Jap' still considered an ethnic slur?
~Seventy years after 'The War', is Jap still considered to be an ethnic slur in the US? Is/was it also considered offensive in the UK?
-3
votes
1answer
567 views
what is the difference between “hook up with” and “have sex with”? [closed]
I would like to know the subtle difference between hook up and have sex. I'm asking because hook up seems have a subtly different meaning than have sex: in the situations I've heard this word it seems ...
-2
votes
1answer
174 views
Is it derogatory to call user a punter?
I've been wondering whether it is somewhat derogatory to call a user a punter. For instance,
We should encourage punters to participate in the discussions.
Update: My apologies — I owe you an ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Meaning of “bejesus” in the idiomatic expression “… the bejesus out of …”
According to multiple online dictionaries, bejesus is a quite common mild expletive used to express surprise and/or dismay and is derived from by Jesus. But what does it mean? The phrase “you scared ...
70
votes
6answers
3k views
What the #$@&%*! is that called?
Is there a name for the use of symbols in place of curse words, for example #$@&%*!?
2
votes
3answers
263 views
Is “left-handed compliment” considered offensive?
Is the phrase “left-handed compliment” considered offensive against left-handed people? Wikipedia and Wiktionary don't mention it being offensive, but I want to make sure.
I’m aware of “two left ...
2
votes
1answer
338 views
What is a “woggy dago”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the origin of the word “wog”?
I was listening to a song the other day, and it featured the words "woggy dago".
Now I did manage to find out what ...
0
votes
0answers
94 views
Is the term X-nazi offensive? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “grammar nazi” politically correct?
Or is it comical?
What about terms like "grammar nazi", "food nazi", "safety nazi", "breastfeeding nazi", "safety ...
0
votes
1answer
316 views
“Pain in the neck” and similar expressions [closed]
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 ...
-1
votes
3answers
640 views
How does 'don't give a toss' differ from 'don't give a damn'?
I was told it is very unusual to say 'I don't give a toss'. If so, why is that?
-2
votes
3answers
147 views
Is saying “I'll do it to you” offensive?
My friend asked me for a tool to do something and I wanted to ask him if he wants me to do it for him but I mistakenly said "I'll do it to you". Is that offensive?
0
votes
2answers
713 views
Cleaner alternative for “sucks”. [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Formal alternative for “suck”
Since the word "sucks" does not have an origin that would make it a good word to use in many contexts, I want to know whether ...
13
votes
2answers
377 views
What term describes enjambment alluding to a taboo word?
In the schoolyard rhyme "Miss Susie" the taboo word is spoken aloud, so I'm not sure that it qualifies as a mind rhyme. Likewise, in the case of a subverted rhyme the expected word isn't spoken.
I ...
10
votes
3answers
452 views
Does “prescriptive” have solely a negative sense in some communities?
Motivation: I recently used this phrase:
(1) people who read English prescriptive grammar books
I was aware from personal experience that a significant number of people (maybe not a majority, ...
3
votes
2answers
32k views
“Dammit” vs. “damnit” [closed]
What is the correct spelling, dammit or damnit? And what is the difference?
Just writing this question brings up a red squiggly underneath damnit and the suggestions include dammit and damn it.
0
votes
3answers
2k views
How to use “you are so lame!” or “you are so retard!” with friends? [closed]
I heard lots of these words from my colleagues.
Definitions in Dictionary do not help me much.
What I really want to know is what these words actually mean when using with friends and what situation ...
7
votes
1answer
415 views
A more acceptable word to replace the word “rectum”?
I wrote in a short paragraph describing how a cartoon character, after being eaten up by a shark, swam through the shark's internal body and fled from its rectum. It was meant to be a ...
20
votes
5answers
2k views
Is “what on earth” still commonly used in real life? Is there any alternative that is not cursing or obscene?
I'm a non-native speaker. When I was at school, we were taught that "on earth" is used for emphasis in questions such as:
What on earth are you talking about?
However, from my experience ...
1
vote
1answer
193 views
Meaning of “play to” and “f****t”
According to Urban Dictionary the other sense of faggot means "stupid or a loser"--is that correct? And what's the meaning of "playing to the camera"?
P1: guy has the mannerisms of a faggot
...
3
votes
1answer
689 views
How did “fuck” become taboo? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How long has the f-word been in use as an abusive term?
What makes a word offensive?
I recognize that this is similar to Etymology of the term "curse words" ...
0
votes
5answers
469 views
How to express desires in English so that they don't sound like commands?
At that time I won't want you to again land up in the thread to tell me the rules.
With the above statement, I wanted to express my desire, but it was interpreted as a command.
How can I rewrite ...
11
votes
12answers
984 views
Professional term for “useless: should be omitted”
I need a way to say something is useless, in that including it is actually harmful, but not so harshly.
As in,
"The last sentence is useless and should be omitted"
Where the last sentence in a ...
2
votes
2answers
160 views
24
votes
5answers
2k views
Less vulgar synonyms for “circlejerk”
Someone asked in the Math.StackExchange chatroom what a "more refined word for circlejerk" might be. UrbanDictionary defines this (in our desired usage) as:
[...] pompous, self-congratulatory ...
10
votes
3answers
501 views
Why are nouns sometimes pejorative when used attributively?
Certain nouns can often be used as noun adjuncts in place of a corresponding adjective, with no change in literal meaning, where:
The noun is not pejorative when used nominatively by itself.
Nor is ...
