The UK's Bizarre Swear Words Officially Ranked!

Did you know that the UK  communications regulator, OFCOM,  

responsible for ensuring the best from UK TV and  radio, commissioned a ranking of 186 swear words?  

Yeah.. neither did I! So, stop worrying  about how to categorise words such as  

“tits”, “balls” and “arse”, this  ranking has got you covered!

You might be wondering how you go about ranking  186 words in order of offensiveness. Well,  

the research was split into two phases. The first  was the "quantitative" phrase - where 368 people  

were individually asked about the acceptability  and appropriateness of the offensive words.

“Cocksucker… How does that make you feel? Mmm hmm,  very interesting. Let’s now move onto slag ....”

The “qualitative” approach,  on the other hand, was more  

interactive and included online  group discussions and focus groups.

Woooah, that is pretty bad! 

I can’t believe Barney said that!  He’s meant to be a friendly dinosaur!”

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real English in a fun and engaging way. Click the  subscribe for more English language lessons, and  

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In today's video, we’ll have a look  at some honourable mentions from  

the ranking. Don’t forget, there is  some *BLEEEP* rude language coming up! 

Now, the ranking is split into three  categories: mild, moderate and strong.

Let’s have a look at some of the offensive  

and sometimes hilarious language  featured in the mild category:

First up, we have a British favourite,  

“arse”. “Arse” is an informal way to refer to a  person's backside, their bottom, their bum, but often used as an insult.

“Stop being an arse and pass me the remote!”

Also in the mild category, you’ll  find the word, “cow” *MOOO*.

As well as being one of the world’s most  popular farm animals, “cow”, you guessed it,  

is also an insult. It’s usually directed at women  who are considered stupid, bitchy and annoying.  

“Shut up you cow!” It’s also often paired  with adjectives to make a compound noun:

“Stupid cow” “Fat cow” 

“Lazy cow” “Ugly cow”

Ah.. British English is so ... charming... right?!

Eurgh, that is minging.

Minger refers to an unattractive or unpleasant person or thing.

“Minger” as a noun, or “minging” as an adjective, also features on the list.

“I’m sorry to tell you this but John is such  a minger! I don't know why are you going out with him?!”

Also on the list, “crap” - a mildly  offensive word meaning excrement  

or referring to something of poor quality.

“What a load of crap! That was never a penalty!”

Wake up you lazy git! You were  meant to be at work an hour ago!

“Git” refers to a person, usually a man,  

who is stupid or unpleasant. Like “cow”,  it’s usually accompanied by an adjective:

“You stupid git.” 

“What a lying git.” “Will you wake up you lazy git! You were supposed to be at work an hour ago.”

We’re now going to take it up a notch,  

and look at some *BLEEPING BLEEPING*  moderately offensive language.

Let’s start with another British favourite,  “bollocks”. “Bollocks” refers to a man’s  

testicles but is usually used as a  noun to mean nonsense or rubbish.

“This exam is a load of bollocks!”

You’ll also see “bollocks” used with  a positive connotative in the phrase,  

“the dog’s bollocks”. No, we’re not  talking about a dog’s private parts...  

In fact, this phrase is used to refer to something  or someone that you think is extremely good.

“This English class is the dog’s bollocks!”

Let’s continue the body parts theme with the  word, “tits”. “Tits” is a slang word referring  

to a woman’s breasts. You can also call someone  a “tit” if you think they’re stupid or silly.

“Stop messing around you silly  tit! We've got work to do.”

Also considered moderately offensive is the word,  “pissed”. “Pissed” is a slang word referring to  

either being drunk or annoyed. Taking the  meaning ‘annoyed’, in the US you’ll hear simply  

“he’s pissed” but in the UK you’ll hear  it as a phrasal verb, “he's pissed off”.

“I was so pissed last night! I can’t remember a thing.  

I think I pissed off my friends... no one  is replying to me this morning.”

Another British classic and a firm  favourite for a moment of road rage,  

is the word, “wanker”. “Wanker” comes from  the slang verb “to wank”, meaning masturbate.  

However, you’ll usually hear  “wanker” shouted at someone  

who is entirely unlikeable. It’s usually  accompanied with this gesture “WANKER”.

Last but not least, we have the strong category.  

Again, please be warned that there is  *bleep* language coming up.

Hi, could I please have the beef  curtains as the main, thank you. *

No, beef curtains are certainly not  something you’ll find on a restaurant menu.  

“Beef curtains” actually refers  to …. a woman’s vagina. In fact,  

within the strong category you’ll find an  abundance of words referring to the vagina,  

including, “beaver”, “minge”, “flaps”  and “fanny”... hmm, delightful!

You’ve probably guessed it, if there are  offensive words for a woman’s vagina, there  

are offensive words for men’s private parts too.  Some honourable mentions include: “knob”, “prick”  

and “dick”. All refer to the penis but can also  be used as an insult to mean stupid or unpleasant.

“Don’t be such a knob - invite her to the party!” “What a prick! I’m never going  

to speak to him again.” “Will you two stop dicking about!”

And lastly, everyone’s favourite four-letter word,  The f-word!

“Fuck” is considered one of  the most offensive words on the list,  

yet it’s probably a word you’ll hear everywhere.  The F-word means “to have sex” but you’ll hear it used  

for many different emotions and situations, whether you’re happy,  sad, scared, aroused, indifferent, excited... you  

get the idea. In fact, if you want to find out more about the F-word, why not check out my  

video “The F-word - The Most Versatile English Swear Word”. I’m sure you’ll f-ing love it!

Just remember that the words mentioned in this video  

can cause offense, so please do be careful  when using this language. I'll see you next time!