Bloody isn't really that bad a swear word and gets used quite regularly in English conversations - at leat in the circles I travel in. It's actually quite mild in comparison to some of the more high powered words, although I suppose, as with any expletive, it's the emphasis with which a word is pronounced that adds to its efficacy. i can't think of many people who would be shocked by the use of bloody - which, I believe, is a shortening of 'by our lady'.

I think that the word gap is narrowing with the spread of films and TV programmes, particularly from the States. sooner or later we'll probably all end up talking the same language, but will it be Chinese or Spanish?