Bad words happen to good people

Did you know “bastard” use to be a really, really bad word and “nigger” not so much? Do you want to know how “fuck” got so bad throughout history? Do you want your mouth washed out with a bar of soap? Well, do you young man?

Just wait until your father gets home, or let the Explainer, explain it now:

Fuck has always been an offensive word, though its exact origin is unclear. It's related to words in Dutch, German, and Swedish, and the etymological meaning has to do with moving back and forth. The first known evidence of the term is found in an English and Latin poem from before 1500 that satirized the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England.

Related: Slur Power