# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/21 "2003-11-07T12:57:17Z")
Too right we do! Just look at our DopeFests. Rather than being calm events of intellectual stimulation, they’re well, er,… They’re stimulating at any rate 😉 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/22 "2003-11-07T13:10:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BIH Boy \* > **…we were all in San Fransisco…** People on the west coast are an odd lot; however, I have to throw my vote in for “cunt”–it’s still taboo. To put things in perspective, in some states you can get thrown in the hoosegow for swearing in front of women & children. ---
**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, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/23 "2003-11-07T13:13:47Z")
What th f\*\*\* is a hoosegow?!! ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/24 "2003-11-07T13:23:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Jennyrosity \* > **What th f** _ is a hoosegow?!! \*\* You’d be thrown in the nick. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/25 "2003-11-07T13:25:54Z")
Interesting question. I wonder what Scots think of movies like **Trainspotting**. Is that film an accurate portrayal of Scottish life? I know you’re not all heroin addicts. I mean the cursing, family life, clubbing, etc. If **Trainspotting** is accurate, Scots seem to use the “C” word in regular conversation… Americans don’t do that. And if you were using the “C” word all over the place, that may account for the looks. Along the same lines – Irish instead of Scottish – **The Commitments** shocked the crap out of me when the father (Colm Meaney) used the “F” word with his kids! And little kids in the movie using it… Whoa. Do I curse more when I drink? Yes. But you make it sound like a pasttime. 🙂 **Jenny** , “hoosegow” is slang for jail. ---
**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, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/26 "2003-11-07T13:26:25Z")
Most brits are very very good at Lord Mayoring. There is a thread somewhere on rude words the yanks don’t understand. That’ll explain it better. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/27 "2003-11-07T13:29:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jennyrosity \* > **A Scotsman who drinks a lot and swears??!! Never!** [Ned Flanders]A rude Frenchman? Well, I never![/Ned Flanders] ---
**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, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/28 "2003-11-07T13:36:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazelle \* > \*\*Along the same lines – Irish instead of Scottish – **The Commitments** shocked the crap out of me when the father (Colm Meaney) used the “F” word with his kids! And little kids in the movie using it… Whoa. \*\* There definitely is more casual swearing around kids in Ireland than there is where I’m from, but I’m wondering (bear in mind that it’s yonks since I saw the film) if he might actually have said “feck”? When I first came here, I was surprised to hear people using this word in _exactly_ the same context as “fuck”, but it’s considered perfectly polite. It’s like someone trying to disguise themselves by wearing a different belt. ---
**Author:** ![nickannan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bcef8e/32.png) [@nickannan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nickannan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/29 "2003-11-07T13:37:55Z")
Re: trainspotting yeah, i’d have to say that the ‘everyday’ stuff from Trainspotting is pretty much spot on. And the C word (being polite see!) i’ll never forget the fuss my spanish mate made when he first heard me use it in normal conversation. ‘who was that?’ (someone had phoned to try to sell me something) ‘i don’t no, some c\*\*\*’ in fact ‘some c\*\*\*’ is used to describe anyone i don’t know (and not in a malicious way) Imagine how much i swear when drunk 😉 i’m off out tonight to practise! 2 pints of nelson…2 PINTS OF NELSON! Is no c\*\*\* serving! ---
**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, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/30 "2003-11-07T13:53:02Z")
**jjimm** it’s been a while for me as well but IIRC fuck was used in The Commitments. The Commitments is quite an accurate depiction of how working class Dubliners talk. _Anyone got a problem with that? Coz if you do they’ll have to dig me outta ya you poxbottle._ **owlstretchingtime** less of the slang please we’re talking about getting bolloxed here ya bollox. You’ll bollox up the whole thread by acting the bollox like that 😃 ---
**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, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/31 "2003-11-07T14:00:06Z")
**jjimm** it’s been a while for me as well but IIRC fuck was used in The Commitments. The Commitments is quite an accurate depiction of how working class Dubliners talk. _Anyone got a problem with that? Coz if you do they’ll have to dig me outta ya you poxbottle._ **owlstretchingtime** less of the slang please we’re talking about getting bolloxed here ya bollox. You’ll bollox up the whole thread by acting the bollox like that 😃 ---
**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, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/32 "2003-11-07T14:00:31Z")
Jennyrosity writes: \> 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. Exactly my point. BIH Boy writes: \> . . . we were all in San Fransisco a few months ago and sitting \> in a pub . . . O.K., first of all, you were presumably not in a pub. There are a few places that call themselves pubs in the U.S., but not many. Describe the bar that you were in. That would allow us to judge what the people around you thought of you. ---
**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, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/33 "2003-11-07T14:06:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > \*\*\*\*jjimm[/b > > **owlstretchingtime** less of the slang please we’re talking about getting bolloxed here ya bollox. You’ll bollox up the whole thread by acting the bollox like that 😃 \*\* The fucking fucker’s fucking fucked as it is. A couple of hours to go until I piss off to go on the piss until I’m pissed. Until then I’ll piss about doing piss-all. It’s a piece of piss, i’ll piss it. ---
**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, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/34 "2003-11-07T14:22:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*Jennyrosity writes: > > O.K., first of all, you were presumably not in a pub. There are a few places that call themselves pubs in the U.S., but not many. Describe the bar that you were in. That would allow us to judge what the people around you thought of you. \*\* It described itself as an Irish Bar (or similar), the only Irish thing about it was it sold Guinness. It had a bloke in playing the guitar for entertainment (he was very good) and it was dark (always the sign of a good pub in my opinion). It was a pub, there is no other way to describe it, trust me. ---
**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, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/35 "2003-11-07T14:25:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*O.K., first of all, you were presumably not in a pub. There are a few places that call themselves pubs in the U.S., but not many. \*\* Off the top of my head, I could name several dozen actual pubs in San Francisco, a city with a substantial English and Irish ex-pat population. ---
**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, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/36 "2003-11-07T14:33:44Z")
Originally posted by Wendell Wagner Jennyrosity writes: O.K., first of all, you were presumably not in a pub. There are a few places that call themselves pubs in the U.S., but not many. Describe the bar that you were in. That would allow us to judge what the people around you thought of you. Oh no I didn’t! ---
**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, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/37 "2003-11-07T15:06:24Z")
Jennyrosity, please read carefully. I was replying to BIH Boy, not you. Didn’t you see that the two quotes were attributed to different people? BIH Boy writes: \> It described itself as an Irish Bar (or similar), the only Irish thing \> about it was it sold Guinness. \> It had a bloke in playing the guitar for entertainment (he was \> very good) and it was dark (always the sign of a good pub in \> my opinion). \> It was a pub, there is no other way to describe it, trust me. I think it was more upscale than pubs in the U.K. The sort of places in the U.S. that call themselves pubs are mostly rather upscale places (particularly those places with live music) and are not generally the sort of place for heavy drinking. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/38 "2003-11-07T15:07:12Z")
This thread had made it abundantly clear I’m living in the wrong country. Swearing it so much fun. Saying cunt is even _more_ fun. Swearing, saying cunt and drinking _good_ beer/stout with loud, rowdy people? Why, I don’t think I could take that much fun all in one sitting. I’m willing to give it a go, though! Going out drinking in my circles means wearing trendy jeans with (very) high heels and a low cut blouse, sipping on sour apple martinis or Amstel Light and talking about the office bitch with only moderate cursing. Don’t get me wrong, it can be fun, but it gets old. JuanitaTech, adding ‘move to Scotland’ to her ten year plan. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/39 "2003-11-07T15:21:56Z")
yeah, over here swearing is just used to emphasise what you’re saying. the f word is ofcourse used liberally, and most people don’t even notice it anymore. We don’t even have to be drinking to be heard swearing profusely ( if not profoundly). I love the actual expressions: a shower of cunts a bunch of wankers (and if you want to be polite you say a wunch of bankers.) “polite” versions of the f word: fecking flippin’ freakin’ ---
**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, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859/40 "2003-11-07T15:31:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*Jennyrosity, please read carefully. I was replying to BIH Boy, not you. Didn’t you see that the two quotes were attributed to different people? > > BIH Boy writes: > > \> It described itself as an Irish Bar (or similar), the only Irish thing > \> about it was it sold Guinness. > \> It had a bloke in playing the guitar for entertainment (he was > \> very good) and it was dark (always the sign of a good pub in > \> my opinion). > \> It was a pub, there is no other way to describe it, trust me. > > I think it was more upscale than pubs in the U.K. The sort of places in the U.S. that call themselves pubs are mostly rather upscale places (particularly those places with live music) and are not generally the sort of place for heavy drinking. \*\* Wendell, I **did** read carefully and I know that wasn’t what you said. But then someone (I think it BIH Boy) quoted you quoting me, and made it seem like that remark had come from me. Then I quoted him quoting you quoting me and…wait, what? Fuck it, I’m going to get pissed… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-drinking-american-british-divide/211859.md?page=3)