We would be forgiven for our giggly taboo fixations because one of the xeno-eggheads would be an anthro-appologist charmed by our rustic ways. Then we would tell stories that would make Margaret Mead's toes curl.

[QUOTE=retina;396125]Okay, so aliens arrive from billions of kilometres away to greet us and to help us and the best we can do is stand there giggling, pointing and saying "Ooh, you said a bad word, hehe". A very mature response indeed. That would show 'em how intelligent we are.

But we already have words like that in English. What is the usual pronunciation of coxswain? cocks-in![/QUOTE]Maybe in your part of the world, but it's cocks'n here --- only one vowel.

Reminds me of the old riddle: why is the University Boat Race so hard?

[spoiler] Because there's 16 oars, 2 cox and only 20 minutes to do it in. [/spoiler]

[QUOTE=only_human;396046][URL="http://io9.com/dammit-science-writers-are-not-afraid-to-curse-1687115357"]Dammit, Science Writers Are Not Afraid To Curse[/URL]
[/QUOTE]
Indeed, one of the seven words (the last one) doesn't belong on George Carlin's list by his own standards (he wanted not to include words that are dirty only part time, and part time this one clearly a [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_tit"]genus of birds[/URL] [that like coconuts]); so no wonder that it was seen more than 650 times in [I]Nature[/I] alone. I miss them in America (and bullfinches, too). Back at home, there were at times more of them than sparrows.

But biologists had outdone themselves when they gave a systematic name to the [URL="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/950556"]fuculokinase enzyme[/URL]; once that was done, all the [URL="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/?term=fucK"]orthologous genes[/URL] in other bacteria had to have the same systematic name. Now there are dozens of them and hundreds of articles about them.

[QUOTE=Stargate38;396122]I see another problem: What if an alien race came to Earth, and in their language the word for "Hello" sounded like the F word? What would happen then? How would we react to their "offensive greeting"? Would peace between us and them even be physically (or socially) possible? I don't see any workarounds, unless we can find out the answer to the following question: HOW on Earth do you use the F word in an English sentence without swearing?! They would be crying out :help: when we start attacking![/QUOTE]
No need to imagine an alien race visiting Earth. It happens already between different languages on Earth.

My immediate family comes from the UK and our first language is English, but I am also a Dutch speaker and my sister is a Russian speaker (I have lived in The Netherlands for more than 20 years, she lived in Russia for some years and married a Russian man).

In Dutch, the normal way of greeting people is to say "Good morning/afternoon/evening" which is far less formal than it is in English. The inflected Dutch word for "good" in this context is spelt "goede" and pronounced approximately "ghh-oo-yer" (first consonant is a rasping sound made with the back of the throat). Whenever I say that word in front of my sister and her husband they always blench and stare at me in horror. Apparently it's just about the rudest word you can say in Russian.

They've never told me what it exactly means. Maybe it's the F-word in Russian, but I don't know. Perhaps Serge Batalov or anyone else with knowledge of Russian could identify the word from my description above.:smile:

My father remarried and his kids were in an AYSO soccer match held in Hawaii, and I came along to watch and enjoy a week of leisure. Another girl, Tina, clearly from the Philippines with a couple generations of her family present was a lead performer. All the teammates called out "Titi" as their nickname for her as she covered vast amounts of the field. I didn't tell anyone, and as her entire family there must have also have known, "titi" is the male sex part in Tagalog.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;396150]No need to imagine an alien race visiting Earth. It happens already between different languages on Earth.

My immediate family comes from the UK and our first language is English, but I am also a Dutch speaker and my sister is a Russian speaker (I have lived in The Netherlands for more than 20 years, she lived in Russia for some years and married a Russian man).

In Dutch, the normal way of greeting people is to say "Good morning/afternoon/evening" which is far less formal than it is in English. The inflected Dutch word for "good" in this context is spelt "goede" and pronounced approximately "ghh-oo-yer" (first consonant is a rasping sound made with the back of the throat). Whenever I say that word in front of my sister and her husband they always blench and stare at me in horror. Apparently it's just about the rudest word you can say in Russian.

They've never told me what it exactly means. Maybe it's the F-word in Russian, but I don't know. Perhaps Serge Batalov or anyone else with knowledge of Russian could identify the word from my description above.:smile:[/QUOTE]
Sounds about right. ;-) [SPOILER]It's the [I]p---s[/I] word. The word made its way into English as a part of expression 'a bunch of hooey'. Webster says 'origin: unknown', but [I]vee know, vee know[/I]![/SPOILER]

Similar phonetic problem exists for the words 'huis' (even though if pronounced correctly there's no problem; rather just the spelling) ...or e.g. the Hoegaarden brand of beer (which nevertheless is quite popular).

[QUOTE=Batalov;396165]Sounds about right. ;-) [SPOILER]It's the [I]p---s[/I] word. The word made its way into English as a part of expression 'a bunch of hooey'. Webster says 'origin: unknown', but [I]vee know, vee know[/I]![/SPOILER]

Similar phonetic problem exists for the words 'huis' (even though if pronounced correctly there's no problem; rather just the spelling) ...or e.g. the Hoegaarden brand of beer (which nevertheless is quite popular).[/QUOTE]
Thanks! This is all fascinating. I'll talk about these items you've mentioned when I next see my sister and brother in law (and when their children have gone to bed!).:smile:

[QUOTE=Brian-E;396150]No need to imagine an alien race visiting Earth. It happens already between different languages on Earth.[/QUOTE]Then there's Omerica[sic] On-Line, something which came to attention as fall-out from the Scunthorpe affair.

[QUOTE=xilman;396178]Then there's Omerica[sic] On-Line, something which came to attention as fall-out from the Scunthorpe affair.[/QUOTE]

I really need to find the box which contains [URL="http://www.amazon.com/The-Professor-Madman-Insanity-Dictionary/dp/0060839783"]this book[/URL], or order another copy or so. And, then, re-read; delightful.

[URL="http://www.arcamax.com/entertainment/weirdnews/s-1639470"]Texas man's license plate revoked over hidden 'offensive' message[/URL]
[QUOTE]Safer Hassan said he had the customized plate for three years without incident, but he received a letter from the state DMV saying his "370H55V" plate was being recalled after it was determined that the personalization is offensive.

"People have no idea what that plate means. My closest friends don't even know," Hassan told KPRC-TV.

The trouble, Hassan said, is that the seemingly random collection of numbers and letters turns into a clear profanity when it is viewed upside-down.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]he had the [B]customized[/B] plate for three years...[/QUOTE]
He ordered it and he "doesn't know" what it means! What an incredible [SPOILER]Achhhh---oool[/SPOILER] (self-professed)! :smile:

There are some commenters below article who still don't see what it means, too!