What the **** did they just say?

French

merde · baiser comme des lapins · osti

English

fuck · bollocks · taking the piss

Italian

cazzo · porca madonna · vaffanculo

Russian

хуй · пиздец · гандон

Polish

chuj · ja pierdolę · bzdury

German

Arschloch · leck mich am Arsch · Wichser

Spanish

cabrón · me cago en Dios · que te follen

Portuguese

foda-se · caralho · bosta

One word, many meanings: the most versatile swears

Some words do everything — exclamation, insult, intensifier, punctuation. A look at swearing's Swiss army knives.

Literal vs actual meaning: when foreign swearing gets weird

Translate a swear word word-for-word and you often get something baffling. That gap is where the fun lives.

What did I just hear? Foreign swears English speakers commonly mishear

The sound reaches your ears before the spelling does. Here's how some famous foreign swears land on an English ear.

It means complete bullshit or a blatant lie. The literal translation is 'dog lie,' which adds a bit of flair to the insult.

It's an insult for someone who's being an unpleasant fool. Literally, it translates to 'goat dick.'

It's an insult for someone who's an arsehole or generally unpleasant. Literally, it translates to 'bag of excrement.'

It refers to a mess or chaotic situation, but can also mean a brothel in a literal sense. It's often used to describe disarray rather than actual sex work.

This refers to someone who is a sycophant or brown-noser, someone who flatters others for personal gain. The literal translation, 'egg/testicle drooler,' hints at the idea of someone who is overly eager to please.

It’s an exclamation used to express frustration or annoyance, like saying 'damn it' or 'to hell.'