Cunt in the sphere of sex, as documented by Peter Fryer 1. Victorian period, when sexually explicit language was prosecuted as obscene. It was not until the latter half of the 2. Lady Chatterleys Lover, that the tide finally turned, and sexual taboos including that of cunt were challenged by the permissive society. During the Lady Chatterley obscenity trial, the word cunt became part of the national news agenda, and indeed the eventual publication of Lady Chatterley can be seen as something of a watershed for the word, marking the first widespread cultural dissemination of arguably the most emotionally laden taboo term Ruth Wajnryb, 2. The word has since become increasingly prolific in the media, and its appearances can broadly be divided into two types euphemism and repetition. Humorous, euphemistic references to cunt, punning on the word without actually using it in full, represent an attempt to undermine our taboo against it by laughing at our inability to utter the word, we recognise the arcane nature of the taboo and begin to challenge it. By contrast, the parallel trend towards repetitive usage of cunt seeks to undermine the taboo through desensitisation. Cult Sci Fi Movies The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger. If cunt is repeated ad infinitum, our sense of shock at initially encountering the word is rapidly dispelled. With other swear words notably fuck gradually losing their potency, cunt is left as the last linguistic taboo, though even the c word can now be found adorning badges, t shirts, and book covers. Its normalisation is now only a matter of time. Cunt Is. Cunt is probably the most offensive and censored swear word in the English language Of all the four letter words, CUNT is easily the most offensive Ruth Wajnryb, 2. Martin Samuel calls it one of the best words 2. Our taboo surrounding the word ensures that it is rarely discussed, though, when it is, the superlatives come thick and fast.