The silly putty of the English language, our most malleable swear word can refer to sex, rage, confusion, excitement and a whole lot more.

With medieval roots as a term for excrement, this filthy vulgarity evolved over time into something much more versatile - and sometimes even positive.

Though it literally means "female dog", in recent years, some women have started to reclaim the "B word" as a term of strength and solidarity.

You can have one or you can be one. But how did an unassuming nickname for "Richard" become one of our most popular swear words?

Though quite mild when compared with its profane brethren, "damn" has maintained its meaning from biblical times and can still pack a punch even today.