Jaunted

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Brit Swears 101

Tiger Woods has gotten into a spot of bother for self-criticizing a recent golf performance by saying "As soon as I got on the green, I was a spaz." While the American press yawned (or edited the word out of their coverage entirely), the British press is using the opportunity for criticism and some soul-searching of their own.

Spaz is a much harsher word across the pond, but how does it compare to other nasty British swears? According to this list of the Britain's Top 25 swear words, "spaz" tops out at number 15. But "wanker," at #4, is much worse. "Bastard" and "bollocks" also comes in surprisingly high, at #6 and #8. And "piss off," at #14, is just about as bad as "spaz." Remember all this the next time a Brit calls you a wanker -- he may be angrier than you think.

Related Stories:
·   The 's' word [BBC]
·   "As soon as I got on the green . . ." [Althouse]
·   Anglosphere is to Offense [Townleyblog]
·   Woods apologizes for 'spaz' comment [USA Today]