Sorry folks, Saturday's "Fleas-flies-fishes-and-fairies" post was mine, I hadn't realised I had no cookie until now.

I find, when I'm frustrated/impatient, I tend use slightly odd curses. More than once I've been heard at bus stops muttering phrases like "Get a move on, damn your eyes limbs and blue breeches!", although I have been known in company to bowdlerise the curse to "Limbs and breeks" or even to simply "ELB".
Often any term can be used as a substitute, another expression of frustration that I use in more 'polite' company is GAFMO! (It's fine as long as no-one wants an explaination*), the explosive relief effect is the same and none offended.

Am I right in my perception that Americans in general have little idea of graduations in swearing?
It always struck me that those Americans I had experience of (not an overly large sample, but varied), seemed to go from very mild "non-oatths" to "God-damned" then straight to variants on "F*ck", there seems to be very little between.

W


* Simply an acronym of "Get A F*ck%ng Move On"