I used to believe that in America (I'm English) it was thought of as swearing to stick up your pinkie finger without the others.

I also thought that swearing could get you a heafty prison sentance in America so when we were going on holiday there soon and my dad swore I got upset.

Giggy

My parents were from a foreign country. Every time my dad would get mad, he'd let loose with a string of swear words in his native language. Then, when I'd hear an opera where they were screaming or singing loudly, I thought that they were also swearing.

Anon

I grew up in a ranching/farm family. One time we were running cattle through a chute to put fly spray on their backs and one kicked me through the fence. I was outraged and yelled "OW! You cock sucker!" To me a cock was a rooster or chicken and a sucker was a foolish person or an idiot. I thought I was saying you idiot chicken. Even after I got into trouble, I still didn't know why what I said was bad until years later.

cowgirl from the sticks

I used to think that "Hitler" was a bad word. I would say "Hit" and then spell out the rest of the name in fear of saying a curse word!

M.

One day whilst coming from a day Johannesburg, we were stuck in a big traffic-jam so in rage my dad shouted “For f*** sake!” and from then on I would say “F*** Sake!” If I couldn’t do something. As much as this was amusing to my parents my Grandmother was coming the next week so they had to try convince me that my dad had actually said ‘Milk Shake’.

Tuvaks Girl

In my fifth grade class years ago, someone said the word "boner" rather quietly. I asked "What's a boner?" but was quickly shushed by my classmates who said it was a bad word. I logically figured out it had something to do with a bone, like the typical white kind with rounded ends that's in your arm. It took me a long time to realize that there was nothing "naughty" about a skeleton!

H-Bomb

From early childhood to about the age of 7 i really used to beleve that the word "woman" was a bad word. This is because the only time I heard anyone say it was when my father would sigh "I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS WOMAN!!!!" I felt that it was a bad thing to say about a girl.

I used to always believe that the word "garbage" was a curse. To me, the first syllable (gar) was okay to say but -bage was the curse part. I thought it was pronounced gar-Bitch. I know, kinda dumb.

Anonymous

When I was little I found this book in my brother's room. It was called 'My first words in French'.

I was reading it for a while, then I went to my dad to show him the French I could speak. I didn't know why he was laughing.




I was pronouncing them right.

Toto

That people became mute because they said too many bad words

Micah

I'm thinking I was 3 or 4, maybe 5 at the outmost, but I thought the word "fart" refered to something that looked like a purple kangaroo. I knew about passing gas, but just didn't know that that's what the word "fart" meant.

purple kangaroo

i used to beleive that swearing would get you thrown i jail....and my dad was a police officer... i think that he told me that.

KELLY

When I was younger I rode the bus to and from school, and after school I went to a daycare. One day someone said that they were "PO'ed" and I asked my friend what they meant. He whispered really quietly what it really meant, butI didn't realize that it was a bad word.

A few days later I was in the room and my parents were talking with some friends, and one of them remarked, "Oh I'm so PO'ed." I looked at them and said in the most sincere way, "Oh, why are you pissed off?" Needless to say, my mom was not happy about this.

Callie

When I was six, I had some cousins whose parents were very strict with them in most everything. I remember saying to them "No way, Jose!" From their reaction, I ended up beleiving the name Jose was an actual swear word for a few years after.

Joots

Iused to believe that if I sweared, the devil would climb up a rope from Hell and taunt me... My parents made me believe this, saying I was calling for the devil if I sweared.
If sure worked, but for yeasr I was scared half to death every time someone sweared

Anon

This wasnt me (it was me and my uncle wen dey were little)

My Uncle we are talking bout here is the youngest out of 4 boys. And my mum was the youngest out of 3 girls. Well since my 2 aunties were too busy in their lives my mum was stuck looking after him. My uncle would swear 24/7 even if my grandad threatened to take off his belt and smack him with it across the back side! so one day my mum said "I know an even worse word u can use, its worser than f**k, its worse than sh*t. Can u guess wot it is?" so of course he thinks about it, so with that my mum says "dont tell anyone!" he nodds his head, and my mum goes "........Turnip!" Of course my uncle being young, immature and gullible every time he wanted to call someone a nasty rude word he would always call them a turnip...this happened until he realised that turnip was a vegetable not a swear word.

Polly Dolly

When I was a kid, I didn't know what the word "butt plug" meant. But I knew it was a naughty word, one you weren't supposed to say, so that is what I called my brother when I was angry with him. Father Bob, at the catholic school where I attended, one day gave a lesson in controlling your anger, and asked what names we might call our siblings when we were angry with them. He called on me, first, and I stood up and said loudly, "Butt plug! Douche Bag!" and everyone in the classroom laughed. Except Father Bob! He was so upset, he blustered, was a bright purple, and told me to sit down! I was never called on again! lol

JLE

My mother told me that when she was little a girl told her that waving the finger meant "hi!".So she waved it at someone in the next car and got in trouble for it.

Lindsay

one day at a family party me and my cousin were about 4 and we were sitting outside with our 14 year old cousin and in the yard across the street a boy about 11 or 12 came out and gave me and my other 4 year old cousin the finger. we asked our older cousin what it meant and he jokingly told us it meant the boy loved us. so we acted all flirtacious and went on about a week giving cute boys the finger until our mothers told us it meant something bad ...

Anon

When I was much younger, I was talking to my dad and my sisters about skipping school, and my dad referred to it as 'wagging school'. I misheard him and said, loudly and exitedly "I want to wank!"

Alee

when i was like 3 i learned how to read my first book.... that book happened to be a sex book, and i thought it was like all my other books. my mother encouraged me to use the words that i had been reading and one time at dinner ( my mom had guests over) she asked me to say the words i had read in my books...so out of my mouth comes the dirtiest words ie; c***, Cu*, P***s, V****a, D***o....so on and so forth lol i didnt get in trouble but my mom found my special book...hehehe lol

amy nay