# What word is $%£\*&? (Swearing question) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418 "2006-08-12T06:10:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/1 "2006-08-12T06:10:48Z")
Often in comics you get these strings of symbols instead of swearing. Usually when it’s something like, “You’re a %£\*&!" I assume the "deleted" word is bitch; a five-lettered noun expletive. But often it's more along the liens of "You're a %£\*& idiot!”; and I can’t think of a five-lettered adjective expletive. Is there one i’m overlooking, or does the number of symbols really not matter and i’m just very pedentic? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/2 "2006-08-12T06:22:04Z")
The [grawlix](http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/grawlix_1/) means nothing specifically other than words that can’t be printed in a family newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/3 "2006-08-12T08:41:43Z")
I assume your confusion stems from comparison with the similar practices, popularised on the internet, of just changing part of a swearword, such as asterixing the vowels, or turning them into leet speak (eg. @$$). This doesn’t actually change the content of the text, but it makes it acceptable to mindless computer censoring, and, for some odd reason, to many forum moderators. Grawlix on the other hand completely obscures the offensive word. The cartoonist doesn’t even have to have one in mind. Although in a non-ASCII environment such as a comic strip they can be more elaborate and pointed than the standard #¤£$€, such as having sculls and crossbones, mushroom clouds, head stones, nooses, etc, to replace an elaborate and violent threat. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/4 "2006-08-12T18:10:17Z")
Funny, it usually doesn’t have the “£” sign incorporated, as that’s not a character on most people’s keyboards. (by most people, I mean Americans. I assume it’s on British keyboards? I’m interested because you also used a dollar sign. Do you have both, or did you go into the character map for one?) ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/5 "2006-08-12T18:21:54Z")
Both them m£&^%@\>'s appear on UK keyboard$ ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/6 "2006-08-12T18:24:11Z")
Both. The symbols I get with shift-clicking the numbers are !"£$%^&\*(). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/7 "2006-08-12T18:32:49Z")
You shouldn’t assume a one-on-one character replacement for the offending word. Five nonsense characters do not necessarily mean five letters. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/8 "2006-08-12T18:36:02Z")
Ah, so you don’t have the @ symbol. (that’s the one we have instead of the £, and if I was substituting a swear word it would probably look like this: “$#&\*(@!”) ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/9 "2006-08-12T18:45:24Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] Ah, so you don’t have the @ symbol. (that’s the one we have instead of the £, and if I was substituting a swear word it would probably look like this: “$#&\*(@!”) [/QUOTE] But we do! otherwise how would emails work. @ ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/10 "2006-08-12T19:03:12Z")
[QUOTE=Myglaren] But we do! otherwise how would emails work. @ [/QUOTE] **Revenant Threshold** said: > [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Both. The symbols I get with shift-clicking the numbers are !"£$%^&\*(). So I imagine you have it on another area of the keyboard, rather than over the numbers (where one usually goes to make these grawlices). We have it over the number 2. ---
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/11 "2006-08-12T19:56:55Z")
My standard US keyboard has no Sterling Pound sign- you have to know the secret way to type in keys to get it, which I don’t. Above 1234567890 on the keybaord are: !@#$%^&\*() ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/12 "2006-08-12T20:29:18Z")
[Wikepedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout) has images of the majority of keyboard layouts, including the UK one. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/13 "2006-08-12T20:32:16Z")
[QUOTE=Myglaren] [Wikepedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout) has images of the majority of keyboard layouts, including the UK one. [/QUOTE] My keyboard is exactly the same as the UK one shown there. So..cool. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/14 "2006-08-12T20:59:58Z")
[QUOTE=Myglaren] [Wikepedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout) has images of the majority of keyboard layouts, including the UK one. [/QUOTE] This is useful information. Now when we see a grawlix, based on the symbols used we can reasonably determine the nation of origin of the artist. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/15 "2006-08-13T00:05:42Z")
I get the £ sign by setting the num lock on and typing Alt 0163 on my US keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/16 "2006-08-13T00:21:43Z")
[QUOTE=Myglaren] [Wikepedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout) has images of the majority of keyboard layouts, including the UK one. [/QUOTE] Ah yes, my fun adventures in a Berlin internet cafe, hunting for the @. Crazy Europeans and their AltGr key. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/17 "2006-08-13T00:25:18Z")
[QUOTE=robcaro] I get the £ sign by setting the num lock on and typing Alt 0163 on my US keyboard. [/QUOTE] I think there’s a site somewhere out there that lists all the different symbol codes - and if memory serves me correctly, it’s a Doper’s site. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/18 "2006-08-13T00:31:45Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] I think there’s a site somewhere out there that lists all the different symbol codes - and if memory serves me correctly, it’s a Doper’s site. [/QUOTE] That is good, but you can just pull up the Character Map and get all the characters that are available to you. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/19 "2006-08-13T04:05:06Z")
[QUOTE=robcaro] That is good, but you can just pull up the Character Map and get all the characters that are available to you. [/QUOTE] Or you can copy and paste directly from the character map. my 2 \ worth. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418/20 "2006-08-13T05:15:42Z")
Grawlix! Wow!! How could I have been calling myself a f\*%&#@g know-it-all for all these years, and not known that?! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-word-is-swearing-question/368418.md?page=2)