Insults Without Swearing

I’m sure we are all aware of swear words to use if we ever feel the need to insult someone. Indeed they are used in films and television programmes repeatedly, so much so that they don’t really mean anything anymore. However, did you know that you can insult someone in English perfectly well without resorting to swearing? I don’t know about you, but I think there is something superior about not using swear words, it gives the impression that you are far more in control, and have a better use of vocabulary.

So, let’s have a look at a few examples. You may call someone an airhead, meaning they are a bit silly and empty headed. Similarly, a bimbo describes an attractive young lady who is an airhead, like a Barbie doll! Words like idiot, jerk, twit or muppet can be used to describe someone who does or says stupid or idiotic things. Just as an aside I actually prefer the Irish version of idiot which is “eejit”, somehow more expressive don’t you think?  Calling someone a flake suggests they are unreliable, the type of person who says they will do something but then doesn’t.

Various insults include the word arse. An arse-hole is an unpleasant, obnoxious person, whereas an arse licker or arse kisser says the things another person wants to hear to keep on their good side. An example of this may be a work colleague who can be seen to always agree with the boss, even when in private they express very different opinions! Then we have smart arses, who are always trying to impress and show off how knowledgeable they are on every subject, and tight arses who don’t like spending money, especially on other people! A dickhead tends to refer to a really annoying person. This insult is often accompanied by a hand signal suggesting a penis growing out of the head, indeed the hand signal itself, without any words is deemed an insult in its own right; everyone understands the meaning!

British people also use the names of some animals in an insulting way. You could say “a pig of a man” meaning a man who is selfish, possible putting his own needs before those of his family. A donkey or goose can refer to a silly person, whereas to call someone a chicken is to label them as a coward. A rat is usually used to describe a particularly nasty man, whereas an old cow would be seen as an interfering old woman. A silly mare, would again be used to describe a girl or woman who has acted in a particularly stupid fashion. Indeed, even amongst friends it is not uncommon to hear this insult if it is felt that someone has acted unwisely.

Once started we realize just how many insults we have! You can offend females by calling them “mingers” (unattractive), sluts (slovenly) or slags/slappers (of loose morals). On the other hand, tosser and pillock are fine insults for men whom you believe to be worse than stupid. I will leave you with perhaps the saddest insult of all “Billy no-mates” which refers to a friendless person!

Having mentioned muppet in this article, I could not resist including a clip of The Muppets at their best!

These are only a few of the pejoratives to think about. Maybe you can come up with others? Let us know in the comments box.

Don’t forget it is September madness time – there is a 10% discount available on our website for anyone who mentions our blog or Facebook page.