History of Swear Words

The silly putty of the English language, our most malleable swear word can refer to sex, rage, confusion, excitement and a whole lot more.

With medieval roots as a term for excrement, this filthy vulgarity evolved over time into something much more versatile — and sometimes even positive.

Though it literally means "female dog," in recent years, some women have started to reclaim the "B word" as a term of strength and solidarity.