Swea words

[Phelix]

Debating insults? Yeah, sure, why not?

Anyway, I was speaking to a friend the other day. This particular friend has spent some time in Australia. According to her, the Aussies doesn't use swearwords. The words we might think of as swearwords, such as for example bastard, is so well incorporated into the common everyday language that it has lost it's ability to offend - and thus stopped being a swearword. True? I don't know. But it is an interesting illustration of how our perception of words change over time.

[Sasanishiki]

I heard that the Dutch use "cancer" or the Dutch equivalent as an expletive or insult. Is that true, and do any other languages use similar?

[Onnagumo]

I heard that the Dutch use "cancer" or the Dutch equivalent as an expletive or insult. Is that true, and do any other languages use similar?

Unfortunately, that is true (Sign of disapproval) . In Dutch it is "kanker". And more names of diseases are used in that particular way.

That doesn't mean I like it, though. You won't hear it in my house.