Eine BBC-Liste der Schimpfwörter im britischen Englisch, nach Anstößigkeit geordnet, sollten einige Deutsche studieren. Nummer 2 auf der Liste, mit Variationen, wird gefährlich häufig von Nicht-Muttersprachlern verwendet. Üben Sie mit Nummern 24 und 21; auch Nummer 8 ist ganz nützlich.
(von badscience über Language Log)
Interesting, especially for foreigners and learners of English. Although the top and the bottom of the list feel about right, I don’t think I would have rated all these words in the same order. Which only goes to show that it can be quite difficult to get the intended level of insult right :-)
Some words I would have considered only mildly insulting (say, numbers 6 or 7 ), some more severe than they appaer to be (13, 18).
I don’t agree with it all either. No. 1 yes, but no. 2 is mainly American – but I may be out of date. I agree with you that 6 and 7 are quite common. 13, however, though it means the same as 1, has become very common too and really isn’t so strong.
No. 4 is really very common. Perhaps one could say there’s a bit of a gulf between 3 and 4 – there aren’t many really vulgar words.
By the way, see Language Log’s latest entry on Twonk! for another interesting link.