Swearing (B1/B2)

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Contains obscene and offensive language

I strongly advise reading through the lesson before deciding if it is suitable

Warmer

1. How often do you swear in your language? Do you ever swear in English? Do they feel like different acts?

2. Are there words you would never use? What makes them worse than the others?

3. Is there anyone who you'd never swear in front of?

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What would you say?

Would you swear in these situations? Say exactly what would come out — in any language:

1. You drop your phone face-down on concrete.

2. You stub your toe — alone at home.

3. The same, but at your grandmother's house.

4. A car nearly hits you on a crossing.

5. Your team scores in the last minute.

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Compare answers: who in the class has the cleanest reflexes — and who is lying?

Read the article. Which finding is more surprising — the referee's case or the iced-water study?

Referee sues over "industrial language"

An amateur football referee is taking a league to court, claiming years of touchline abuse amount to workplace harassment. "Builders can swear at bricks," he said. "Not at colleagues." The league's lawyer argues that "robust language is part of the game's culture, and everyone consents to it by turning up."

Separately, a study reported this week that people who swear while holding their hand in iced water endure the pain measurably longer than those who say neutral words — but the effect disappears in people who swear constantly.

Swearing, the researchers conclude, "is a painkiller you can wear out."

The two stories meet in one question: are these words special? The law increasingly says it depends who they're aimed at; the scientists say the power lives in the taboo itself. Use the words for everything, and they work for nothing. The referee, asked if he ever swears himself, considered the question. "At my television," he said. "It has no feelings and it deserves it."

Comprehension

discussion

1. What is the referee's and the league's argument?

2. What did the iced-water study find — and what kills the effect?

3. "The power lives in the taboo itself." Explain this in your own words.

1. Does turning up to a football match really mean consenting to abuse? What else works that way?

2. Swearing at someone vs swearing near someone vs swearing at a television: three different acts, or one?

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Softeners

English speakers dodge strong words with soft substitutes. What is the speaker feeling in each — and how strong is the hidden original?

1. Oh, sugar! I've deleted the file.

2. It's flipping freezing out there.

3. What the heck was that?

4. He's a total muppet.

5. Darn it. Missed the bus.

6. Not blooming likely!

Does your language have "polite versions" of its worst words?

Note: real swear words vary hugely in strength between countries, generations and even families. The safest rule in a foreign language: understand everything, use almost nothing.

Buckle up

Here's a list of swear words / offensive slang terms in the English language. Note: the author does not condone their usage. Some of them can be deeply offensive.

Someone you don't like is ...

a wanker

a tosser

a tosspot

a wankstain

a prick

a twat

a cocksucker

a cunt

a knob

a knobhead

a motherfucker

a piece of shit

a turd

a bastard

If you are angry with someone:

Fuck off!

Fuck you!

Go fuck yourself!

Piss off!

Get fucked!

Something bad has happened:

Oh for fuck's sake!

Fuck me!

Balls!

Bollocks!

Fuck a duck!

Shit!

Anti-women terms:

a bitch

a slut

a slag

a whore

I think you're lying:

No fucking way!

Bullshit!

Bollocks!

Friendly swearing:

You lucky bastard!

You little shit!

You cheeky bugger!

Note: other popular categories of obscene language include racial slurs, homophobic slurs and offensive terms to describe people with learning difficulties.

Discussion

How many of the terms were you already familiar with?

Are there any new ones there that you like?

Which stand out as being the strongest?

In English, there's clearly a connection between sexual organs, sexual acts and swearing. Why do you think that is? Is it the same in your country?

Do you find it surprising that there are plenty of derogatory terms for women, but none really for men?

Where do you stand?

Mark each: agree / disagree / not sure — then defend:

1. Swearing shows a poor vocabulary.

2. Swearing in a foreign language doesn't really count — the words have no weight.

3. Parents who swear in front of children are teaching honesty, not rudeness.

4. Religious swear words are worse than body words.

5. A boss who swears at staff should be fired; a boss who swears with staff is building a team.

6. Social media should censor swearing automatically — asterisks for everyone.

Your call

Fine, rude, or a firing offence? Decide each — and note where the generations in your class disagree:

1. A surgeon swears, richly, in the operating theatre. The patient is asleep; the team is used to it; junior staff are not.

2. A teacher lets her class of 17-year-olds swear during debates: "Passion first, polish later." Parents find out.

3. A grandmother, newly online, has learned exactly one English swear word and deploys it in every family group chat, joyfully, at everything.

4. A politician swears in an interview, once, about a genuine injustice. Half the country is scandalised; the other half finally believes a politician meant something.

5. A company fires a worker for swearing in a private chat that a colleague screenshotted.

6. A streamer's entire brand is creative swearing. Parents petition the platform to ban him; the comment section suggests the parents' vocabulary is no better.

Homework

Write the office swearing policy for a company you'd want to work at — three rules, no hypocrisy.

The study says swearing is a painkiller you can wear out. The internet swears constantly. Have we already worn it out — and what will we shout when we really need it?

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