The second season episode where Picard uses the word 'merde' is "Elementary, Dear Data" when the captain discovers Geordi accidentally asked the computer to program an opponent who could defeat Data not Holmes.
Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie
What episode did O'Brien say 'bollocks' on air?
- Thread starter Candlelight
- Start date
The second season episode where Picard uses the word 'merde' is "Elementary, Dear Data" when the captain discovers Geordi accidentally asked the computer to program an opponent who could defeat Data not Holmes.
Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie
Nardpuncher
Rear Admiral
It wasn't that long ago that you'd never hear "ass" in any form on TV...now you do.
I don't think there's a word that's never been used on television. The Fox Network allowed the work "fuck" on TV way back in 1990.
It works the other way, too. Sometimes an innocent American English word is less appropriate for British ears. The word "fanny" in American is family-friendly word for the rear end of a man or woman; in British it signifies the female pudenda.
It works the other way, too. Sometimes an innocent American English word is less appropriate for British ears. The word "fanny" in American is family-friendly word for the rear end of a man or woman; in British it signifies the female pudenda.
Coincidentally - or maybe not 
- I heard "bollocks" on NPR (National Public Radio in the U.S.) just this morning. It was in an interview with a woman from South Africa, a poet, I think she was.
Now, I've never heard anything much stronger on NPR than "damn," but surely NPR, which regularly runs news from the BBC and has lots of BrE-speaking reporters, knows perfectly well what "bollocks" means. So apparently "bollocks" is OK whereas it's AmE equivalent is not. Interesting. At least to me!
- I heard "bollocks" on NPR (National Public Radio in the U.S.) just this morning. It was in an interview with a woman from South Africa, a poet, I think she was. Now, I've never heard anything much stronger on NPR than "damn," but surely NPR, which regularly runs news from the BBC and has lots of BrE-speaking reporters, knows perfectly well what "bollocks" means. So apparently "bollocks" is OK whereas it's AmE equivalent is not. Interesting. At least to me!
^Well, it's not one of The Seven Words, so it should be pretty OK.
Warning: strong language in the link.
Warning: strong language in the link.
...last I checked, both bollocks and wanker would be considered English. What with originating in England and all.
Thing is, there's enough of a difference between "American" and English where they almost ARE separate languages. Certainly different dialects.
That being the case, British English, to some extent, IS a foreign language in the States.
As for "bollocks" even being used, I don't get what the problem is. I mean, American TV quite often allows the word "balls" to be used, in the very context we're discussing. (And I'm not talking about pay channels either.)
"Bollocks" is quite a lot... heavier a swearword than "balls" even though they have the same literal meaning. In the way that "fuck" and "shag" mean the same, but the former is a 'stronger' swearword.
I must say, I have very seldom heard "balls" used on regular old prime time American TV - apparently gastrof has, but I haven't. So I'm not quite sure what he meant by "American TV quite often" uses it in this same context.
But anyway, Cultcross, apparently the opposite is true here - balls is a "heavier" word than bollocks, I would guess mostly because whereas balls has a definite literal meaning in AmE, bollocks has almost no literal meaning here. My guess would be that to a lot of Americans, it's just an interesting-sounding British word indicating "that's nonsense."
But I am guessing. I mean, I know what it means, but I don't know how general that knowledge is over here. Or maybe I'm underestimating my fellow countrymen - maybe they know exactly what it means and are just trying to see what they can get away with?
But anyway, Cultcross, apparently the opposite is true here - balls is a "heavier" word than bollocks, I would guess mostly because whereas balls has a definite literal meaning in AmE, bollocks has almost no literal meaning here. My guess would be that to a lot of Americans, it's just an interesting-sounding British word indicating "that's nonsense."
But I am guessing. I mean, I know what it means, but I don't know how general that knowledge is over here. Or maybe I'm underestimating my fellow countrymen - maybe they know exactly what it means and are just trying to see what they can get away with?
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I suspect you're largely right, before joining this forum and encountering it, I had never heard the word 'douchebag' nor would I have understood its meaning. It's entirely plausible that many if not most Americans do not understand the meaning of 'bollocks', 'bugger', 'wanker', 'shag', etc. etc. To the point that I have frequently seen Americans spell the first of those 'bollix'.
I loved this--I always thought with the situations they always got themselves into, there should be a lot more cursing than there was.
The Americanese translations aren't really the same, though. Can someone verify if my impression of is their comparative rudeness levels is accurate?:
Bollocks --> Balls (less rude in American)
Bugger ---> Faggot (more rude) (and not a cigarette, although I suspect this is an increasingly archaic meaning, largely due to the Internet and probably XBox Live)
Wanker ---> Jerkoff (less rude)
Shag ---> Fuck (much, much more rude).
I would imagine that there totally would be. In the movies it came out a bit more once or twice. A particularly funny scene with Data comes to mind. On the same token we have to remember that they were heavily censored when the show was aired so I could see that as a good reason as to why there wasn't. Also I'm not so sure it would suit the "vision" of 24th century humans. I could imagine the creators of the show thought that by that time humans were beyond swearing.
Entirely possible. But, c'mon, no matter how advanced, if a person sees an amoeba the size of a planet, their first impression is likely going to be expressed as some kind of swear.
But, yeah, sure there can't be all that much swearing on Trek, for the same reason that the gravity always works--production realities.
Entirely possible. But, c'mon, no matter how advanced, if a person sees an amoeba the size of a planet, their first impression is likely going to be expressed as some kind of swear.
Lmao!
That is so very true!!!Also very true.
Nardpuncher
Rear Admiral
That's why I liked it in Generations when Data swears as I think the crew just doesn't swear enough considering what wacky stuff they encounter almost daily.
The thing about fuck is that it's such a versatile word. Not many cuss words can be used as an adjective and be a word that describes making love or hating someone like fuck can.
Star Trek(especially 90s ones) did get away with made up curses with other alien languages just like the show Firefly did the same with Chinese curses.
Star Trek(especially 90s ones) did get away with made up curses with other alien languages just like the show Firefly did the same with Chinese curses.
"Patagh" means something like "asshole," iirc--not literally, but in its general sentiment.
Not that long ago? I remember hearing it in the 80s. Just off the top of my head, I remember a Dana Carvey bit where he threatened to kick the ass of anyone who tried to colorize his favorite old movies. This was like 1987. Jackass goes back even further. I remember eharing that one on Mr. Ed.
And like I said before, "fuck" and "shit" got on the Fox Network in 1990.
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