The demise of 'bastard'

[Offshore Toon]

Its stock really has fallen, hasn't it? I remember it being one of the top boys when I was younger, but not only do I rarely hear it, it seems far more funny than offensive to me.

Does anybody here get offended by swear words, in general or when directed at them? I reckon you've got to be a proper uptight bellend or extremely old fashioned (over 60s) to get annoyed.

[Offshore Toon]

Ffs why isn't the 'make voting public' option selected automatically?

[Henry]

Nobody on this board is going to say that they're offended by swearing.

Whether or not I do it tends to depend on the audience. Around mates it's all the time, at work or around family not so much.

[John]

Anyone offended by swearing is a right fanny.

[Lewis]

The North remembers 'bastard', and it makes sense to have that and 'dickhead' (and 'arsehole') on regular rotation to stop 'cunt' becoming boring and meaningless.

[Spikey M]

I love a well placed 'Bastard' and it's lack of use means it generally hits harder than 'cunt' does these days.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's strange that there's nowhere to go beyond 'cunt', really, apart from racist ones. There should be like a secret nuclear bomb word that everyone knows but no one dare use.

[Adamski]

Aye I agree with Spikey.

I'm not a huge fan of cunt (lol) but bastard is one that gets me everytime. Dirty big bastard.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As for 'bastard', it's probably been a casualty of white kids' insatiable desire to talk like black kids.

[Henry]

"Cunt" is pretty devalued around here. Americans think it's the worst word there is though.

[John]

Bastard is the go to when pretty much anything bad but relatively small scale happens. A stubbed toe, an opposition goal, a missed train, a menu item sold out, etc. 'Ya bastard' covers the lot.

'Cunt' is basically punctuation when talking to some people. 'Any cunt' and 'no cunt' are accepted versions of 'anyone' and 'no one'.

[Offshore Toon]

Bar-stid has also been replaced by bass-tid when it is used. In Jersey, anyway.

[Disco]

I'm enjoying 'dickhead' quite a lot at the moment.

[Kikó]

Lewis is correct on this. Bastard is better in the hands of northerners who are better at using swearing anyway.

[Samadini]

One of the twats I work with had a 16 year old respond to a text to her simply telling her to 'piss off'. She lost her shit. SEETHING she was.

I called a wasp a cunt recently and he swiftly fucked off.

[mo]

Nobody delivers a 'bastard' like Rik Mayall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxmCZbD7Q-c

[Magic]

Bastard is a pretty spesh word up here.

Cunt is a bit too common.

I think spastic and the like are better.

[Spikey M]

Lewis is correct on this. Bastard is better in the hands of northerners who are better at using swearing anyway.

Nobody says cunt better than a Cockney.

[Offshore Toon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYGy-j_oH5Q

[Pen]

I got to (justly) throw bastard around twice in football this Spring and it really is a glorious thing to call someone.

[phonics]

It's the only swear word that translates well too.

Nothing better than dropping in a cheeky 'batard'.

[Kikó]

Nobody says cunt better than a Cockney.

It hasn't got an "a".

[hfswjyr]

Is it because we've so many bastards around these days?

What's the count on immaculate conceptions?

[Spikey M]

It hasn't got an "a".

Hasn't got an 'o' in it, either.

[Kikó]

I don't say cont.

[Giggles]

Bastard works better when preceded by rat. Same goes for cunt too actually.

[The Merse]

Bastard needs a qualifying prefix.

You 'orrible bastard
You sweaty bastard
Etc

Almost every prefix still sounds better tied to 'cunt' though and cunt works as a standalone in both offensive, non-sequential (gap filler that cunt, this cunt etc as John states) and 'matey' terms. Hence, cunt wins.