Why not simply get rid of a football player who talks or acts like a hoodlum until the game is cleared of such individuals? If there are not enough players left after such actions, R. I. P. football.

The feminisation of the world continues, with the usual attendant hypocrisies. Ms Scutt should go out to any night spot and immerse herself in the conversations of the young women; if she can go the evening without being called a 'c..t' with any adjective preceding it I'll walk to Burke backwards.

Expletitives can lose their force; remember 'bloody'. The famous court incident is also instructive.

Digger had returned from the war and was before the bench for bashing his wife and neighbour after finding them in flagrante delicto.

Beak; why did you bash your wife?

Digger; your worship, I've been off f...ing fighting for f...ing King and f...ing country and what do I f...ing find when I get f...ing home; me missus and mate engaged in illicit cohabitation.

I think the 'F' word is used much more often that the 'C' word.

Of course the 'F' word describes in vulgar terms the sexual union between a man and a woman (when the 'C' word meets the 'P' word in a frenzy of mutual pushing and shoving) and it has no gender-specific connotations that I'm aware of. Yet the 'F' words appears frequently in Australian conversation regardless of class or breeding.

What is interesting is that the act of swearing involves so many words lewdly associated with the genitalia. What we need are new words for our genitals. If we called a 'C' a Y256F and a 'P' a 76WZZ, then perhaps insults and tensions might be lessened during social intercourse.

The excellent little joke above is pertinent to my point!

actually where I live men, women and children being called a fn white c is an everyday occurance. Often it is said by other than white women. Another inconvenient truth. I was actually trying to help a man by buying him some food and drink recently only to be continually called a white c from his woman. Charming! I am certain ly not a woman so you could hardly call her remarks hatred towards woman. Most hatred these days is towards white males especially by feminist blinded by their own hatred.

Firstly a word of congratulations to OLO for its forthrightness in printing an unexpurgated article and a simultaneous expression of disappointment the posting 'filter' doesn't allow the same in comments.

I largely agree with Dr Scutt's article. Negotiating the minefield of social interaction created by words of opprobrium can be a real prick.

Despite the contested etymology of the word cuunt and it's anatomical denotation, its use as a swear word when used by males these days seems largely devoid of this connotation.

The sidebar issue of Rep.(D) Lisa Brown's treatment for saying vagina in the Michigan State House really only speaks to the stupidity of politicians in the USA. Though it did make me wonder what the reaction would have been if she had said, 'And finally, Mr Speaker, I'm flattered that you also interested in my cuunt, but no means no.'

Double standards do seem to apply. For example, in the Terry case I doubt the British papers would have asterisked the word prick had it been claimed to have been used instead.

Spend any length of time in school courtyards, public transport or shopping malls and the statement "…the fight back against the hatred of women too often expressed in the word that can not be spoken out loud – except amongst men and, then, in derision" is easily disproven by the language – not merely spoken but frequently ejaculated – of younger women.

Despite this, Caitlin Moran seems to be on to something – reclaim, rejoice and recast the use of the word.

We know the vagina is strong and powerful and that males have been in its grip throughout history. That can be turned to a woman's advantage and maybe in the near future been called a cuunt will be nothing more than the highest compliment.

God isn't it something when so many people have so little of importance in their lives that they have to indulge in this cr4p.

The word in question becomes a swear word because it was frowned on in polite society. Along with words like "bastard, now often a term of endearment as in "old bastard", "sh1t", & we all do that & "prick". A lot of us have & do not hate them, by the way.

Please folk find something important to worry about, & for gods sake get the clapped out old hasbeens who run our sports out of the way, & let those who actually play the games set the standards.

If you don't like it, don't watch