Stephen Wildish - How to Swear: An Illustrated Guide

Dedicated to my fucking wife. First published in the United States in 2018 by Chronicle Books LLC. First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Ebury Press.
Copyright 2017, 2018 by Stephen Wildish. All Rights Reserved.
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When executed correctly swearing can be a true artform, a thing of beauty, a way to diffuse pain, or insult a colleague. Perform it incorrectly and prepare to make an ass of yourself. Under certain
circumstances
profanity provides
a relief denied
even to prayer Mark Twain Oh FUCK, I SAId
SHIT... OH SHIT
I SAID FUCK! Queen Elizabeth Poetic devices Metaphor Youre a dickhead Simile You look like shit Alliteration Bloody bollocks Rhyme Fuck a duckEXCRETIONS Fecal A piece of shit
Shithead Urinary Piss off Bodily Organ AssholeActivites Suggest that the person engages in an unsavory activity Go fuck yourself Incest Motherfucker Sodomy Bugger Fellatio Cocksucker Bestiality Sheepshagger MOST LIKELY TO OFFEND CUNT
FUCK
TWAT
SHIT
ASSHOLE
DICKHEAD
WANKERBOLLOCKS
BASTARD
ASS
PISS
BUGGER
BALLS
CRAP
BLOODY
GOD LEAST LIKELY TO OFFEND The term profane is derived from the latin profanus meaning outside of the temple.

Offensive swear words change over time according to cultural attitudes towards God, sex, and excretions. For most of history, it has been considered highly offensive to utter Gods name in vain or to mock the traditions of the church. It would have been very unusual to hear someone say oh God or bloody hell. Phrases that are now commonplace. Although fairly respectable before, the main expletive of the eighteenth century was bloody. Bloody was controversial until the 1960s, but the word has become a tame expletive or intensifier. Bloody was controversial until the 1960s, but the word has become a tame expletive or intensifier.

Current taboos are for sexual acts and excretions (words that were commonplace in past centuries).

By adding a rhythmic fuck and an additional adjective, you can build an effective insult from a baseword. On the example here we have the added bonus that you can expand the word dick into dickhead. Most body parts can be expanded in this way (e.g. ass expands to asshole).

Correct order	Incorrect order
You stupid, little, old, fat dickhead	You old, fat, little, stupid dickhead

Correct order	Incorrect order
You smelly old twat	You old smelly twat

A word with origins in the act of sexual intercourse.

Correct order	Incorrect order
You stupid, little, old, fat dickhead	You old, fat, little, stupid dickhead

Correct order	Incorrect order
You smelly old twat	You old smelly twat

A word with origins in the act of sexual intercourse.

One of the most versatile words in the English language, it can be used as a noun, a verb (both transitive an intransitive), an adjective, an interjection, imperative, conjunction, or an adverb. It can also be used as an interjection and a grammatical ejaculation.

There are many theories about the history of the word fuck, some more convincing than others. Here are two of the most widely circulated: German Roots Fuck has similar roots in German words like ficken (to fuck) or the Dutch word fokken (to breed). Greek Roots The Greek word phy has several meanings, including to beget or to give birth to. The correct use places the intensifier toward the end of the phrase. Next page