English curse words are recognised all over the world and while we don’t want to encourage you to say them in public it is useful to know a few so that you can protect yourself from people who might try to hurt your feelings. The l word swear is a particularly powerful one, and you should use it with deep caution.
The l word is a vulgar term that refers to the male body part but also can be used to insult someone. You might hear it from someone who’s acting a little too raunchy or who is behaving like an asshole. It can even be used in slang, such as when referring to someone as a ‘teub’ (pronounced tah-boo) or a 'pouffiasse'. It can also be verlanized to reduce the swearing a bit. This makes it more slangy and a bit more palatable.
While most of these French curse words are a little more sexy than the F-word, they are all still quite strong and should be used with caution. However, it’s worth noting that swear words are often a tool for expressing frustration, anger, annoyance and in some cases humour or irony. They can be used to express a desire for something that is forbidden, taboo or unobtainable; or they can also be a way to show affection, surprise and astonishment. In fact, swear words are so versatile that they can even be reclaimed in some feminist spaces to take power away from those who would abuse them.
