Four-letter word
Encyclopedia
The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language
words written with four letters which are considered profane
, including common popular or slang
terms for excretory
functions, sexual activity
and genitalia, and (depending on the listener/reader) sometimes also certain terms relating to Hell and damnation
when used outside their original religious context, and/or slurs. The "four-letter" claim refers to the fact that a large number of English "swear words" are incidentally four-character monosyllables
. This euphemism came into use during the first half of the twentieth century.
Common four-letter words (in this sense) that are widely considered vulgar
or offensive to a notable degree include:
cunt,
fuck (and regional variants such as feck, fick and foak),
jism (or gism),
jizz,
piss,
shit,
twat and
tits. Piss in particular, however, may be used in non-excretory contexts (pissed off, i.e. "angry", in US English
; pissed, i.e. "drunk" in UK English
) that are often not considered particularly offensive, and the word also occurs several times with its excretory meaning in the King James Bible. Several of these (including even piss, despite its biblical pedigree) have been declared legally indecent under the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) TV and radio open-airwave broadcasting regulations.
A number of additional words of this length are upsetting to some, for religious or personal sensitivity reasons, such as:
arse (UK),
damn,
fart,
hell,
wang, and
wank (UK).
Ethnic and sexual-preference
slurs may also qualify, such as mong, gook, kike, spic and dyke.
Several "four-letter words" have multiple meanings (some even serving as given names), and usually only offend when used in their vulgar senses, for example:
cock,
dick,
knob,
muff,
puss,
shag (UK) and
toss (UK).
A borderline category includes words that are euphemistic
evasions of "stronger" words, as well as those that happen to be short and have both an expletive sound to some listeners as well as a sexual or excretory meaning (many also have other, non-vulgar meanings):
butt (US),
crap,
darn,
dump,
heck,
poop (US),
slag (UK, NZ, AUS),
slut and
turd, as several examples.
Finally, certain four-lettered terms with limited usage can be considered offensive by some, within the regional dialect in which they are used, such as
mong and
mary.
Occasionally the phrase "four-letter word" is humorously used to describe common words composed of four letters. Typical examples include the word work, implying that work can be unpleasant, or the game of golf
, jokingly referred to as a four-letter word when a player's pastime becomes an exercise in frustration.
— Cole Porter
, "Anything Goes
"
's radioplay of his comedy routine "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television
", better known as the "Seven dirty words" skit ("shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits", in that order). Carlin later expanded the list in live and cable-televised performances to include over 100 words and phrases.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
words written with four letters which are considered profane
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, including common popular or slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
terms for excretory
Excretion
Excretion is the process by which waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials are eliminated from an organism. This is primarily carried out by the lungs, kidneys and skin. This is in contrast with secretion, where the substance may have specific tasks after leaving the cell...
functions, sexual activity
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and genitalia, and (depending on the listener/reader) sometimes also certain terms relating to Hell and damnation
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
when used outside their original religious context, and/or slurs. The "four-letter" claim refers to the fact that a large number of English "swear words" are incidentally four-character monosyllables
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
. This euphemism came into use during the first half of the twentieth century.
Common four-letter words (in this sense) that are widely considered vulgar
Vulgarity
Vulgarity is the quality of being common, coarse or unrefined. This judgement may refer to language, visual art, social classes or social climbers...
or offensive to a notable degree include:
cunt,
fuck (and regional variants such as feck, fick and foak),
jism (or gism),
jizz,
piss,
shit,
twat and
tits. Piss in particular, however, may be used in non-excretory contexts (pissed off, i.e. "angry", in US English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
; pissed, i.e. "drunk" in UK English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
) that are often not considered particularly offensive, and the word also occurs several times with its excretory meaning in the King James Bible. Several of these (including even piss, despite its biblical pedigree) have been declared legally indecent under the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) TV and radio open-airwave broadcasting regulations.
A number of additional words of this length are upsetting to some, for religious or personal sensitivity reasons, such as:
arse (UK),
damn,
fart,
hell,
wang, and
wank (UK).
Ethnic and sexual-preference
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
slurs may also qualify, such as mong, gook, kike, spic and dyke.
Several "four-letter words" have multiple meanings (some even serving as given names), and usually only offend when used in their vulgar senses, for example:
cock,
dick,
knob,
muff,
puss,
shag (UK) and
toss (UK).
A borderline category includes words that are euphemistic
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
evasions of "stronger" words, as well as those that happen to be short and have both an expletive sound to some listeners as well as a sexual or excretory meaning (many also have other, non-vulgar meanings):
butt (US),
crap,
darn,
dump,
heck,
poop (US),
slag (UK, NZ, AUS),
slut and
turd, as several examples.
Finally, certain four-lettered terms with limited usage can be considered offensive by some, within the regional dialect in which they are used, such as
mong and
mary.
Occasionally the phrase "four-letter word" is humorously used to describe common words composed of four letters. Typical examples include the word work, implying that work can be unpleasant, or the game of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, jokingly referred to as a four-letter word when a player's pastime becomes an exercise in frustration.
Similar euphemisms in other languages
- DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: A similar tradition occurs with "three-letter words", e.g. kut ("cunt"/"twat"), pik and lul ("cock"/"dick"/"prick").
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: the word puta ("whore") is sometimes referred to as cuatro letras ("four letters"), for example, Esa chica es una cuatro letras ("That girl is a four-letter").
- Chilean SpanishChilean SpanishChilean Spanish is the variety of Spanish spoken in most of Chile. Though still entirely mutually intelligible with standard Spanish, Chilean Spanish has distinctive pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and slang usage...
: the phrase "el cuatro letras" (the "four letters") is often used as a euphemism to refer vulgar slang for the penis as there are many local slang terms consisting in four letters for that organ. Examples: pico, palo, mazo, pito, walo, ñaño, copi, nepe, niño, falo, etc.
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: the word merde ("shit") is sometimes referred to as le mot de cinq lettres ("the five-letter word"). Also, profanities in French are usually called gros mots (fat words).
- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: the phrase Setz dich auf deine vier Buchstaben ("sit down on your four letters") is mainly used speaking to children, as it refers to the word Popo, meaning "rump" in baby talk. A variant, Setz dich auf deine fünf Buchstaben ("sit down on your five letters"), alludes to the vulgar use of the word Arsch, meaning "arse" (UKBritish EnglishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
) or "ass" (USAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
).
- HebrewHebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
: another meaning of "four-letter word" (in GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, tetragrammatonTetragrammatonThe term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
) is the HebrewHebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
name of the Abrahamic GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, that is, י-ה-ו-הTetragrammatonThe term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
(commonly transliterated as "YHWH", "Yahweh", and "Jehovah"), which many practicing JewsJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
do not speak aloud and protect when written (see Geniza). It is an example of the quadriliteral words of Hebrew.
- LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: a common insult used to be Es vir trium litterarum, meaning "you are a man of three letters". The underlying implication was that the addressed was a fur, meaning "thief", although if challenged, the speaker could always claim he simply meant vir, that is, "man".
- PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: the word dupa ("arse"/"ass") is called cztery litery ("the four letters"). Historically, also kiep, which formerly used to be a taboo word meaning "female genitals", but presently is a mild or humorous insult meaning "a fool". Also , the word kurwa ("street corner prostitute") is euphemistically called słowo na k ("the word starting with letter k"). There is also a phrase Siadaj na cztery litery (sit down on your four letter), meaning sit on your arse.
- RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: the word хуй ("cock"/"dick"/"prick"), the most common obscenity, is called "the three-letter word" (russRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.: "слово из трёх букв") or just "three letters" (russRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.: "три буквы") and is one of the key words of the "Russian mat".
Quotation
Good authors too who once knew better words,
Now only use four-letter words.
Writing prose,
Anything goes.
— Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, "Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
"
Use in titles
- Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
's 1982 album One On One finishes with a song titled "Four Letter Word". - The fact that loveLoveLove is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
is a word with four letters has been used in several popular songs, including "Love Is Just a Four-Letter WordLove Is Just A Four-Letter Word"Love is Just a Four-Letter Word" is a song written by Bob Dylan, and long associated with Joan Baez, who has recorded it numerous times, and performed it throughout her career. Written by Dylan somewhere around 1965, Baez immediately took to the song, and began performing it, even before it was...
" written by Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and performed by Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, "Four Letter WordFour Letter Word"Four Letter Word" is the fourth single from the Kim Wilde album Close.It was released at the end of 1988 — the year that had seen Wilde release a best-selling album, have four international hits and support Michael Jackson on the European leg of his world tour."Four Letter Word" marked the first...
" written by RickiRicki WildeRicky Wilde is a British songwriter, musician, record producer and brother of singer Kim Wilde, and son of the singer and actor, Marty Wilde....
and Marty WildeMarty WildeMarty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
and performed by Kim WildeKim WildeKim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
, "4 Letter Word" written by Claude KellyClaude KellyClaude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
and Matt SquireMatt SquireMatt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
and performed by David CookDavid Cook (singer)David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
. - A television show called Love Is a Four-letter Word was produced by ABC in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. - The band CakeCake (band)Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
made a play on words in their song "Friend Is a Four Letter Word." - In a song sung by Cilla BlackCilla BlackCilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
and covered by The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, "Work Is a Four-letter Word," this phrase is used to describe work as obscene. - Work Is a Four-Letter WordWork Is a Four-Letter Word-External links:*...
is the title of a 1968 British comedy film. - That Four-Letter WordThat Four-Letter WordThat Four Letter Word is a low-budget independent digital film from India, directed by Chennai-based journalist Sudhish Kamath. The film, about a group of friends at the crossroads of life, features a set of new actors including Aashil Nair, Cary Edwards, Evam Sunill, Usha Seetharam, Paloma Rao,...
is a 2006 independent film from India. - WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
punkPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Four Letter Word, formed in 1991, named themselves after the phrase. This later inspired locals The LostprophetsLostprophetsLostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
to also parody the phrase in their song "Five Is a Four Letter Word". - Jack IngramJack IngramJack Owen Ingram is an American Texas Country artist signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eight studio albums, one extended play, six live albums and eighteen singles. Although active since 1992, Ingram did not reach the U.S. country Top 40 until the late...
's song "Love You", uses love as a play on another four letter word: "Yeah, I'm sick an' lovin' tired of all your lovin' around". - MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
uses the line "Love is a four-letter word" in the song "The Day That Never ComesThe Day That Never Comes"The Day That Never Comes" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica and the lead single from their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic...
" from their album Death MagneticDeath MagneticDeath Magnetic is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on September 12, 2008 through Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo and the first to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this Metallica's first album...
. - A Four Letter Word is also the title of a 2007 gay-themed movie staring Jesse Archer and Charlie DavidCharlie DavidCharles David Lubiniecki better known as Charlie David is a Canadian actor, who stars in the LGBT horror series Dante's Cove. He has also worked as a producer, writer, and TV host on a number of shows like F.Y.E!, SpyTV, Bump! and Crash Test Mommy...
. - R&B singer Raheem DeVaughan used the "love" meaning in his song "Four Letter Word" on his 2008 album Love Behind The Melody.
- "Four Letter WordFour Letter Word (Def Leppard song)"Four Letter Word" is a 2003 song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their X album....
" is also the title of a 2003 song by Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. - American punk-rock band Gossip released a track entitled 'Four Letter Word' on their 2009 album Music For Men.
- The 2007 Cold in CaliforniaCold In CaliforniaCold in California is the third studio album released by the pop-rock band Ingram Hill August 21, 2007.-Track listing:#"I Hear Goodnight"#"Four Letter Word"#"What You Want"#"Million Miles Away"#"She Wants to Be Alone"#"Why Don't You"...
album by Ingram HillIngram HillIngram Hill is a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee.In the summer of 2000, after attending the University of Memphis childhood friends Justin Moore and Phil Bogard joined with Shea Sowell and Matt Chambless to form the band. They spent much of the next year and a half touring throughout the...
includes a track entitled 'Four Letter Word.'
The "seven dirty words"
A famous citing of a litany of four-letter (and some longer) vulgar words was in the US FCC's censorship of comedian George CarlinGeorge Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
's radioplay of his comedy routine "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television
Seven dirty words
The seven dirty words are seven English language words that American comedian George Carlin first listed in 1972 in his monologue "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television". The words include: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits...
", better known as the "Seven dirty words" skit ("shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits", in that order). Carlin later expanded the list in live and cable-televised performances to include over 100 words and phrases.