New research suggests people in Britain swear less than they did 30 years ago, but they are also slipping in the "f word" more than in the past.
The researchers estimate the use of "bloody" - the UK's previous favourite swear word -has plummeted by 80 per cent. But what about here in New Zealand?
Applied Linguist Dr Sharon Harvey from the Auckland University of Technology thinks what was once risky - "bloody" and "bugger" are now seen as passe.
She spoke to Susie Ferguson.
