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Apr 2023
50m 32s

A History of the C-Word

History Hit
About this episode

WARNING: This episode includes adult content and explicit language. As offensive terms go, you are entering a hard hat area.


It’s one of the most taboo words in the English dictionary. In Scotland, it can be a term of endearment, but in the US it's one of the worst offences out there, and it would more than likely get you fired if you said it to your boss at work. It starts with c, and ends in t and we're not talking about a coconut.


Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets for our 100th episode by our favourite Kathy Burke and linguist legend Professor Deborah Cameron to talk about the etymology and cultural meaning of the c-word.


Why is a word that simply means the vulva regarded as the most offensive word in the English language? Where does the word come from? And were medieval people really calling their children the c-bomb?


Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. Producer: Sophie Gee. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith.


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