"Damnit" get's a bit of play with me as well, usually when I do something stupid ;)

The Australian way is pretty much the same as the UK. It's nowhere near as offensive a word over here. Still not a nice word, but it can be said in jest, or other ways and not taken as offensive as you Americans take it.

Edit: Fixed a few errors. I must be getting tired. :-)

This was always the impression I had. It was just a more casual word for the location, and one to which I'm a bit more sensitive to due to its connotation here.

I wonder if there is an equivalent word that we find offensive that you do not? I can't think of one, but I guess there could be. I guess it goes back to the old saying of the US and the UK being separated by a common language.

It's funny now that I think about it. We call guys a (insert word for male appendage here) all the time and it's no big deal. :-)

Come on we need a few other members to chime in - maybe we can build a global "Ten Words You Can't Say" list for each part of this blue orb we live on ;)

I want to see ElT lay down some wonderful 10 syllable German word meaning "Ass That Eats Eyeball Drippings of Cow" that would make anyone's grandmother turn inside out with rage.

My former GF called me a 'wanker' when she was very angry, seems about as bad as it gets. :-)

Over here the word is usually followed by head (d***head).

Another word with multiple meanings over here.

In Japan just 'dishonorable' will shorten your life dramatically. :-)

I don't think I can be of much help on this subject. :-) Most of the more common curse and swearing words we have here are similar to the ones in english, I guess. Not considering words and expressions specific from each region of Brazil.

I think you're right, most of the ones I know in English I also know in Spanish. :-)

Sleep well! Good night!

I come from a part of the U.S. where I've heard PLENTY of Portuguese swearing. Hell, often from several members of my extended family! ;)

Japanese is a strangely contradictary language (I'd say schizophrenic even). You see it's severely lacking in colourful pet names for people you don't particularly like. However it has about a dozen different ways to say "you" all of them indicating subtle differences in familiarity, age and gender (as well as half a dozen forms of "I" but I diggress). The thing is, that using the wrong form of "you" is not simply a mistake in etiquette, depending on the situation it can double as a detailed description of your mother's bedroom habits comparing them to those of a monkey in heat, with just one single pronoun.
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