where have they gone?

Perhaps it was Barak Obama. Or Angela Merkel.

What was?

There are so many words in the dictionary so why use the F word ?

Said we are all grownups.

Exactly what I thought ANA.
<wrings hands>

Satisfying harrigran. Though not so much as 'shite'.

I doubt if anyone on here would be so misguided.

I find a dummkopf or merde suffices

Yes but how would that help me when, finally at the very end of my tether with DH I yell:

I've effing had enough of your effing whiney complaining (or whatever).

Perhaps it's to do with how much passion you are having to deal with.

(Note I lost my nerve and said effing instead of f*cking [ grin]

Effing is funnier, petallus

I like to use the crossing out line to wind people up in jest.

Yes, big fan of the clever little line myself

I quite like seeing the words crossed out - it is usually a better/funnier phrase than the words that are left.
Ps I liked the effing too Petalus.

I like the crossing out too.
However wet old blanket that I am[giggle] I am not keen on the F word.
You always get one don"t cha !!

effing & jeffing does have a humourous ring to it though.

I've got to thinking now. I might swap f*ucking for effing.

I've never come across jeffing before though??

petallus, there's not much point in adding an asterisk to a rude word! It's supposed to act as a substitute...

It does remind me of the Billy Connolly story about the little Glasgow lad going on a school trip to the country.

His father asked him how he had enjoyed it. The boy said "it was great, we saw chickens and the wee little houses they live in, we saw pigs too, and we saw fuckers and some wee sheep, it was dead good Dad!"

The father was a bit confuddled and said, " Sorry son, but could you tell me again?" The lad sighed and said "I liked the chickens best, in their wee houses, the fuckers were ok, but the sheep were really good too"

The father was by now a bit concerned, so he gently asked " These fuckers, son, are you sure that's what they were?"

The boy said, "Well dad, the teacher said they were heifers, but we knew what she meant!"

I've gone a bit dumb now.

Ana did I add an asterisk somewhere instead of putting it in the middle?

I don't get the joke. I suppose everybody else does

This is what you wrote, petallus

'I might swap f*ucking for effing.'

. Oh yes, I see now!

petallus! I stuggled a bit with the joke as well, then realised it's a play on the word 'heifers' ('eifers). I didn't know Glasgow folk dropped their aitches...

'struggled'

I still don't get it.

eff (f)-uckers

I suppose that's it. (perhaps you need to hear it straight from Billy Connolly)

Oh yes of course!