# Swearing & Drinking - American/British Divide? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859 "2003-11-07T10:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BIH\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@BIH\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BIH_Boy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/1 "2003-11-07T10:40:07Z")
I like to swear, see nothing wrong with it. My friends also swear. We all have post-graduate degrees (not sure what the american equivalent of this is). We are all Scottish (that may make a difference). Anyway, we were all in San Fransisco a few months ago and sitting in a pub drinking and swearing but not smoking (aaaahhhhhhh!). We seemed to be getting funny looks from people as we were drinking a lot, although we were not drunk, and swearing. We weren’t being loud but got the impression that Americans didn’t drink/swear as much as we did. So is it a peculiarly west coast america thing (not going to the east coast until next August…so long away) this not swearing thing or does America as a whole look down on “cussing”? It’s just that in Scotland the general feeling is that if you’re in a public house people drink, smoke and swear, it’s what pubs were invented for. Are there places in the states where there are the same feelings? (Please say Boston and New York as that’s where I’m going next year). Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/2 "2003-11-07T10:44:35Z")
A Scotsman who drinks a lot and swears??!! Never! IMO, drinking and swearing are both big and clever. But then, I’m a Geordie… Regarding the OP, is it not possible that they just didn’t understand a bloody word you said? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/3 "2003-11-07T10:47:35Z")
The evidence of this [board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=5)indicates to me that there is a great deal of superb and creative swearing going on in America. However, I noticed similar shocked reactions in my local pub to myself when I lived in Connecticut. Very very generally and oversimplistically, I don’t think people swear as much in public in the States as we do, and they _really_ don’t use the C-word as much as we do. Were you using that particular word? Having said that, you’ll be fine in Boston and NY, especially in the Irish pubs… ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/4 "2003-11-07T10:50:07Z")
Not for smoking he won’t be … ---
**Author:** ![BIH\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@BIH\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BIH_Boy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/5 "2003-11-07T11:05:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Very very generally and oversimplistically, I don’t think people swear as much in public in the States as we do, and they _really_ don’t use the C-word as much as we do. Were you using that particular word? > \*\* **jjimm** I must confess that that word was used. When you’re talking about football (soccer) it’s hard to imagine calling a player that’s not pulling his weight a “useless c”. The f-word was used liberally as well. I didn’t see the big deal, I mean you’re in a place that only has adults so it’s not as if you’re corrupting the young. Also I don’t swear at work or in front of my or my partners parents. A man’s got to let off some steam now and again and a public house is the perfect venue. No smokking in Boston pubs as well? What’s the world coming to? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/6 "2003-11-07T11:34:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BIH Boy \* > **jjimm** I must confess that that word was used. When you’re talking about football (soccer) it’s hard to imagine calling a player that’s not pulling his weight a “useless c”. > The f-word was used liberally as well. In the US, the f-word isn’t **so** bad. I mean, it’s harsher, but you’ll hear it a lot. The c-word, however… well, here the c-word is a lot, lot worse in meaning. It’s considered extremely vulgar, and it’s almost always used in a deeply demeaning fashion towards women (or in a surprising but similarly demeaning way towards a guy). A guy who uses it in reference to a woman is likely to get hit - by her, if not by her guy friends first. It’s a word that a lot of women don’t like to even utter, and a lot of men only utter if they **seriously** intend to be insulting. So I’d wager it was a combination of curiosity over your accents, and shock at the use of the c-word. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/7 "2003-11-07T11:40:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferret Herder \* > \*\*A guy who uses it in reference to a woman is likely to get hit - by her, if not by her guy friends first. \*\* Funny thing is, this side of the water it’s very rarely used against women: men or things almost exclusively. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/8 "2003-11-07T11:44:09Z")
Maybe it was your accent that they were interested in, or maybe you were very loud? I don’t really give a f\*\*\*\*g f\*\*k about swearing and do it myself as part of normal conversation, but I guess if people were being a bit rowdy I might look round. My memories of catching any cross country that went to Scotland are such that I do try to avoid them if possible 😉 I found San Francisco to be fine about drinking. On the East Coast I’ve been to Washington and Alexandria, again both ok as regards drinking, and no problems with smoking either. I expect I swore, too. Florida (in and around Boca Raton, to be precise) on the other hand, I had to put up with comments from waitstaff regarding the ordering of a second drink. Getting pissed out there was not possible. Nor was getting a bloody taxi. Not a place I plan on going back to. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/9 "2003-11-07T11:46:36Z")
Cross Country **Train**. Gah. I need a drink. More than one. And if any tries to stop me, I’ll swear all the baddest words I know. ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/10 "2003-11-07T11:54:11Z")
Until fairly recently ( that’s sometime within the last few hundred years ) York had a street called Gropec\*\*t Lane ( stars for modesty **rolls eyes** ) This isn’t even unusual either, numerous other cities did as well. Just search for the first word on the net and rather than being overwhelmed with porn you’ll get lots of hits of Brits giggling about what their street used to be called. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/11 "2003-11-07T11:59:22Z")
When I was with a very large group of Irish in Vermont we were actually laughed at by the locals when we were necking the cheap beer in the hotel before a night out. We told them we were just warming up 😉 The Americans and Canadians I met swore but nowhere near the amount that we did. One ex-pat that met up with us said he was delighted to be with a crowd of filthy mouthed Micks again. In general IMO the US seems to have a more polite and mannerly culture than the UK/Ireland and a totally different drink culture. Sure a lot of Americans drink a lot but the attitude to drink is very different. I’m positive that a large amount of Americans would say that all my mates and myself drink too much and are verging on having a problem if not all ready there. Threads I’ve read here seem to confirm this idea. Nothing is wrong with any of these differences it’s what makes traveling interesting IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/12 "2003-11-07T12:00:56Z")
I am constantly surprised every time I visit the U.K. how much of a required part of the social scene drinking is. In the U.S., nobody I know drinks that much, although none of my friends are teetotalers. In the U.K., social events seemed to require being somewhere near a pub so that a couple of beers could be consumed every night. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/13 "2003-11-07T12:09:17Z")
I was in a Scottish pub one Friday evening, sipping my soft drink (chess tournament next day, of course) when a big bloke threw open the door and bellowed “Anyone want a fight?” He glared round the pub. Fortunately our eyes didn’t meet. :eek: Instead another bloke stood up and replied “You’re on!”. They left, and started fighting outside while the landlord called the police. This is a true story. I have been to Scotland many times, and the natives are generally perfectly friendly and hospitable. I think there is slightly more drinking than in other parts of the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/14 "2003-11-07T12:16:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*I am constantly surprised every time I visit the U.K. how much of a required part of the social scene drinking is. In the U.S., nobody I know drinks that much, although none of my friends are teetotalers. In the U.K., social events seemed to require being somewhere near a pub so that a couple of beers could be consumed every night. \*\* Wendell, if you’re in a British pub and you only have a couple of beers, you’re not at a social event. Social events require \*much, much \* more by way of lubrication. Are you absolutley sure you weren’t actually in the library? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/15 "2003-11-07T12:17:41Z")
I’m reminded of something I think I’ve posted before (don’t want to hurt the hamsters so I’ll post it again). My brother was hitch-hiking in Oxfordshire with his guitar. A car stopped for him, and as they were driving off, the guy said: “Play guitar do you? Do you strum the fucker or do you pluck the cunt?” ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/16 "2003-11-07T12:26:58Z")
Americans do swear, but frankly, they’re pony at it. They haven’t got a scooby about drinking either. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/17 "2003-11-07T12:31:02Z")
Owl, stop trying to confuse the Yanks! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BIH\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@BIH\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BIH_Boy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/18 "2003-11-07T12:34:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Funny thing is, this side of the water it’s very rarely used against women: men or things almost exclusively. \*\* I’d definitely agree with that. I don’t know anyone that would use that word towards a woman, it (ironically?) just doesn’t seem fitting? One of the best ways I’ve heard of using is when addressing a police officer: “What seems to be the problem Cunt-stubble?” Classic. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/19 "2003-11-07T12:51:08Z")
I think I need to drink with more UKers. You guys know how the hell to get things done. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/20 "2003-11-07T12:55:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorgon Heap \* > **… how the hell…** C’mon, you can do better than that! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859.md?page=2)