Is 'Bugger off' a swear word?

[scrummyyummy]

I grew up thinking that 'bugger' was a swear word but I heard a character say 'bugger off' on Neighbours yesterday. I know it's no where as strong as the F word but I still thought it was a swear word so was surprised to hear it on daytime TV?

[Kiki-frog]

It's because I'm new here and still find AB, its auto censorship, its owl threads and its users an endless source of fascination.

[craft1948]

My nan's favourite swearword was 'melt'.................god knows what that meant.

[DTCwordfan]

I rather like "Merde" pronounced "Maired" - it has a rather nice "Je ne sais quoi" to it.

[maclarencat]

I have to tell you this story.No-one in my family swears we dont even blaspheme but when my grandson was 4 and had justed started school he took to saying God. We explained this was not a nice thing to do and he must not say it. Some time later my husnband and I returned from a holiday in Brazil and were showing the photographs to my daughter and the grandson was looking too. One of the pictures showed my husband emerging from the sea with his surf board under his arm and he said Im a surfing God. At which point Grandson got very upset the he had said God and we had to explain to him that sometimes it is OK to say God depending on how you use the word at which point he calmly said Yes Grandma but what if he says f*** is that OK? It was all we could do not to dissolve into fits of laghter at this little innocent 4 year old. We did tell him that no it is never alright to say that!

[ttfn]

Swearing is never 'right' but can be accepted, dependent on tone and context ;)

[LoftyLottie]

I would never tell anyone to bugger off in anger or annoyance, only in jest and only to people who know me well. I really don't see it as a swear word any more. Perhaps I am wrong, but even my near 90 year old mother used to to say bugger off if she was mucking about and she was a real ladeeee!! ;o)

[LoftyLottie]

Exactly ttfn, tone and context.

[owdhamer]

is it f___k