How to swear

These words may be offensive. The Broadcasting Standards Authority advises reader discretion. Robyn Gallagher reckons reading them backwards is like a top 40 of cussing.  Well, top 31, anyway. The Broadcasting Standards Authority’s list of rude words is at least a great start, proving if nothing else that there still ain’t no word like the ‘c’ word.

Susan Freeman-Greene [of the Broadcasting Standards Authority] says  … “The extent to which people are offended by swearing varies markedly across different groups of society, and from individual to individual. This survey is a way for us to get a contemporary view on which words are taboo, and which ones are least unacceptable,” said Susan Freeman-Greene.

Susan Freeman-Greene has been providing this entertainment, free, since 1999. Here’s this years top 40. Take Robyn’s advice and read them backwards. (The emphasis, by the way, is in the original—so the easily offended should really look away now.)

1.    Cunt**                                       70    74    70    79
2.    Nigger                                          65    66    70    72
3.    Mother fucker**                    61    66    68    78
4.    Jesus Fucking Christ**     61    65    -    -
5.    Cocksucker**                         56    60    64    -
6.    Get fucked                                  54    55    -    -
7.    Fuck                                             50    51    58    70
8.    Fuck off                                       50    52    -    -
9.    Faggot                                         48    46    -    -
10.   Slut                                             43    43    -    -
11.    Whore                                       43    40    46    55
12.    Cock**                                     42    46    50    58
13.    Retard                                      41    44    -    -
14.    Wanker                                    39    37    38    48
15.    Arsehole                                   37    35    41    49
16.    Jesus Christ                           33    31    40    41
17.    Dick                                          32    30    33    40
18.    Jesus                                        30    27    -    -
19.    Piss                                           29    26    32    38
20.    Bitch                                        28    26    38    42
21.    Prick                                         28    27    35    43
22.    Piss off                                     27    24    -    -
23.    God                                           27    24    25    34
24.    Bastard                                    26    23    33    36
25.    Balls*                                      24    21    27    33
26.    Shit                                           23    22    27    31
27.    Bullshit*                               20    17    24    28
28.    Crap*                                       17    14    21    23
29.    Bloody*                                  15    12    17    17
30.    Bollocks                                   13    12    23    20
31.    Bugger                                     13    11    16    16

* Significantly higher level of unacceptability than in 2009
** Significantly lower level of unacceptability than in 2009

Here’s George Carlin on “the list” of 1972 Sorry, “The List.”  There’s a few changes.

And here’s Dustin Hoffman doing Lenny Bruce. Beware of the dirty words.