Shee, swearing doesn't make you a bad person. Doing bad thhings makes you a bad person. LP, you took the wind from my sails ;-) I was gonna tell everyone where it came from too... LOL I guess that's why the foreigners aren't as used to seeing it as we are. Bri, over here that is swearing - with the fingers the other way around (ie. fingerprints showing) it's peace. Michael, we must read the same books and web sites ;-) Tibby, they're only 'rude brats' because of the way they use the words, not because of thewords themselves. My kids know they can get away with swearing to an extent, but they also know that's only in private. They have also realised the importance of not using such words in public. Let's face it, when they learn words from their peers (or more commonly, their parents) they're going to use them. I'd rather they knew the boundaries of when to use them and when not to. Thanks to all for your comments. (",)