Just as a matter of interest, I looked up the meaning of "sacre bleu" (only took me almost two years to get around to it)... and it's quite a complicated, mostly French-Canadian saying, although it looks simple. The literal translation is "holy blue" or "sacred blue" and it's an outdated phrase used to express surprise and anger. The "blue" is a hidden way to refer to the Virgin Mary, who is depicted in statues and pictures wearing the colour blue. In other words it's an insult to the mother of Christ, and would be considered a sinful thing to say.

In a conversation once, I said that I don't care what men say to each other in their own company, but if someone swore more than twice in front of me I asked them politely not to. I also said that because of the excesive use of the `f' word I didn't watch `Gordon Ramsey' or `Outrageous Fortune'.

My friends laughed at me and said I was `silly' and `missing out'. One friend said "If you were an old lady I could understand it but you're only 50." I told her I would I would be equally offended if someone swore in front of her or her daughters - regardless of their ages - because it simply isn't nice to swear in front of women.

I asked her if she'd allow people to swear in front of her mother and she said "of course not!" ... so I said "then why allow swearing in front of any woman or child?" She just laughed at me and changed the subject.

It's because we, as a society, have relaxed the rules so much that no-one has any respect for anyone anymore. Shame really - and I carry on my little `protests' regardless.

I agree with you going- grey and I find it even more offensive when women use it as they so often do today..................I hear it a lot in my workplace which is mainly women....................It's just dropped into the conversation like any other word....................There are times when I'm really ticked off when I ask them why don't they use the real word 'intercourse' instead of a made up one and then go on my way.

To swear in any way is to degrade yourself and shows disrespect to those present. Personally I find swearing revolting.

it now become everyday language as far as facebook etc are concerned. I do not think its fine for 10 yr olds to think its acceptable language

You should hear our neighbours using the f word in everyday language. I am sure they don't even know they are using it half the time. Hubby quite often tells them to stop swearing and they end up going inside or around the other side of the house. It is awful if we are out in the back yard. With young children over there you can understand why today some kids have no respect for their elders. We are the only ones who seem to do anything about it. It gets worse after they have been drinking for a while which sometimes goes on for most of the day.

I cringe whenever I hear the F word used in Public. I was in the police years ago when it was an arrestable offence to use such language. The judicary decided that it was everyday language and no longer offensive or obscene.

Thank you Newry, we actually went to the police station to see what we could do but there was nothing. Not even noise control who came out a few times and said it was an acceptable level! We dont want to move away as we bought this our retirement home which we got ready the way we wanted while still working. However we are lucky that if the right person is over there they seem to heed what we say.