What episode did O'Brien say 'bollocks' on air?

[Mojochi]

I've gotten mixed messages on what means what. I was under the impression that "Bloody" was the counterpart to "Fucking" but now find out it is more akin to "Damn", but if Bloody is the counterpart to Damn, then what is "Sodding"? I always thought Sodding was Damn. Hell, Dominic Monaghan has used both on LOST before.

In general, British profanities are far less obvious than something like Americans referring to someone as a douchebag, which even if you'd never known it as a profanity, is somewhat easily identified, by anyone familiar with the practice of douching. lol

Somehow, I imagine that even if I was in England, were I to refer to someone as a sack of douche, they might get the picture, & not be flattered

 

[Odo You Didn't!]

^ Damn, bloody, sodding. All interchangeable to me. Sodding sounds even more English to me now, because I hear bloody in more American shows than I hear sodding. Must remember to use it more...

Douchebag is one of those uber-American insults that kind of get mocked over here. We'd definitely get it, yeah, but probably think it was funny before getting offended

I always loved seeing Giles swear on Buffy. It's like a touchstone to my world. And I don't remember the O'Brien incident and will therefore be compelled to seek it out and watch for myself

 

[Myasishchev]

I thought the British equivalent of "fuck" was "fuck."

 

[Braindeer]

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'd agree with all of those except bugger - as I understood it, "faggot" is a homophobic word for a gay person. However, "bugger" as a verb, as in "to bugger someone", denotes sodomy - so the link is there, but the meaning is different. And as a noun, "a bugger" is something or someone who is causing trouble in some way, as in "this DIY cabinet is a real bugger to put together". It's often meant affectionately, as in, "you daft bugger!" It can also be used where you might in American say "fuck" - as in, "oh, bugger!", or "bugger off!".

This is a wonderful thread! I love all the little nuances of language!

 

[ATW]

You have to see the context as well. For example, in Scotland we use both Bollocks and baws. They mean the same thing literally but we would usually use them in different circumstances... baws if we're talking about, well baws, while we would use bollocks if we were talking about someone talking nosence. As in -

"I got kicked in the baws"
"Bollocks mate, that's naw what he said"

Of course in speach it can be transfered...

 

[Bones2]

I thought the British equivalent of "fuck" was "fuck."

Yes, it very much is.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Sounds to me like we all need Kelly Bundy's "English to English Dictionary."

 

[Oceanborn_angel]

Apparently he said it and it got through the sensors cos the Americans didn't know what bollocks actually meant.

Not sure if this is a DS9 question of not, but I'm sure he said it in TNG.

I don't think it was a matter of not knowing what it meant. I think it's more a case of us in this country not really caring. Bollocks really isn't as offensive to us as other....colorful metaphors.