# Are "cunt" and "twat" less offensive terms in England? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151 "2012-11-26T14:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/1 "2012-11-26T14:22:25Z")
And if so, why? I’ve been watching some British movies and youtube stuff and they throw the words around a lot more than "Mericans do. Are they more common swears there? ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/2 "2012-11-26T14:36:07Z")
No, both highly offensive in most company Partly, I suspect, because they are abusive terms for women - unlike “fuck” which is a general expletive. I guess they can be used “affectionately” between mates in some circles. As to why you hear them more in British stuff, possibly we are more tolerent of swearing in mainstream media than Americans but I’ve no actual evidence of that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/3 "2012-11-26T14:38:22Z")
They are not offensive they are punctuation. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/4 "2012-11-26T14:40:05Z")
Cunt is the strongest swear word we have, but we care less about swearing itself, so our strongest swear word isn’t as strong as yours. Twat is a pretty mild swear word. Is it a big deal in the US? I didn’t know it was even used there. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/5 "2012-11-26T14:41:43Z")
‘Cunt’ seems to be on the same level as ‘dick’ here. Rude, but not producing the same visceral response. It probably wouldn’t be banned in the Pit if the Pit were in England. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/6 "2012-11-26T14:47:16Z")
Nothing is banned in the pit. Oddly, “fanny” means the same thing as “cunt” in England. They drive on the wrong side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/7 "2012-11-26T14:59:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nothing is banned in the pit. > > Oddly, “fanny” means the same thing as “cunt” in England. They drive on the wrong side of the road. In Scotland it can be more of a greeting - “How you doing ya old Cunt” or as a friendly question “You Cunts want a drink?” Never understood why the US got it backword - Fanny is a Puusy is a Cunt… But neve seen Twat as a bad word - its what I would use in mixed company when Cunt was not appropriate. As to driving - you drive on the right side of the road it also makes it the wrong side - so Left is Right and Right is Wrong… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/8 "2012-11-26T15:07:48Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nothing is banned in the pit. > > Oddly, “fanny” means the same thing as “cunt” in England. They drive on the wrong side of the road. Yes, not exactly banned, but there is this rule: > [@](#): > > The following expressions should not be directed at other posters. > > cunt and variants, e.g., cuntlapper > … The frequency of use by the English wouldn’t seem to warrant that exclusion. But as someone mentioned, profanity seems to be less of a big deal to them. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/9 "2012-11-26T15:13:31Z")
[From the ASA (UK Advertising Standards Authority) via Bad Science.](http://www.badscience.net/2006/03/cunt-fuck-wanker/) Cunt’s in at number one with a bullet, while twat languishes in thirteenth. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/10 "2012-11-26T15:14:34Z")
Incidentally, if a mod wants to move this feel free, if they think it would be happier elsewhere. “Cuntlapper”? I’ve never even heard that one. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/11 "2012-11-26T15:16:00Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/12 "2012-11-26T15:18:57Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nothing is banned in the pit. > > Oddly, “fanny” means the same thing as “cunt” in England. They drive on the wrong side of the road. There’s a bar named Fanny’s in the Soi Cowboy red-light area. A handjob joint. Owned by an Englishman, so I guess I know which meaning Fanny’s has in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/13 "2012-11-26T15:21:23Z")
> [@Hogfather65](#): > > Never understood why the US got it backword - Fanny is a Puusy is a Cunt… And yet you folks name a disturbingly high number of your daughters “Fanny”. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/14 "2012-11-26T15:26:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > ‘Cunt’ seems to be on the same level as ‘dick’ here. Rude, but not producing the same visceral response. It probably wouldn’t be banned in the Pit if the Pit were in England. Not at the same level as ‘dick’ - it’s the most offensive word you can throw around, but as others have pointed out, perhaps we are less offended by swearing generally. TV shows shown after the ‘watershed’ (9pm, when the kiddies are supposed to be in bed) don’t shy away from reflecting real speech, warts and all. You sure wouldn’t use it in front of your mum or your boss, though. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/15 "2012-11-26T15:28:08Z")
When the cast CD Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s musical “The Beautiful Game” was released in America, they wanted to make the lyrics “less offensive.” So they replaced “twat” with “cunt.” I swear to God, I am not making this up. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/16 "2012-11-26T15:28:39Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nothing is banned in the pit. > > Oddly, “fanny” means the same thing as “cunt” in England. They drive on the wrong side of the road. …and the same as ‘twat’, though fanny isn’t a swear word, more like a word little girls might use for their lady parts. I prefer ‘poonarni’. ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/17 "2012-11-26T15:33:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > And yet you folks name a disturbingly high number of your daughters “Fanny”. In Scotland its just a word - we all know what it means but its not as bad as some think - look at the [Irn Bru](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuLgsVcQUY) Advert. Irn Bru is a soft drink, in Scotland its known as “the Other National Drink”. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/18 "2012-11-26T15:38:52Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > And yet you folks name a disturbingly high number of your daughters “Fanny”. Not since about 1872. There’s a mixed gay/lesbian club in London called Dick and Fanny. Masterful branding, that. (Well, for that matter, there’s a lesbian club called ‘Twat Boutique’ which lacks a little in subtlety, I feel). ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/19 "2012-11-26T15:51:33Z")
As a Brit, I’ve noticed that ‘twat’ is used more often in US media than used to be the case- although pronounced to rhyme with ‘hot’ rather than ‘hat’ as is the custom in the UK. Am I right in thinking this is a recent phenomenon, and if so, any idea why it’s caught on? ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151/20 "2012-11-26T15:55:15Z")
I just don’t know anyone who thinks twat is offensive - I wear a t-shirt to work on dress down day that says - TW@ and no one seems to mind - most of the women find it funny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-cunt-and-twat-less-offensive-terms-in-england/642151.md?page=2)