In a special late night Fry's English Delight, Stephen Fry and guests ponder the history, culture and legality of "The F word". With the help of language expert Professor Geoffrey Hughes we trace it back to the thirteenth century, when it was fairly harmless, and chart its progress to the present day. What makes the history of the word interesting if not difficult is that there was always a taboo about writing it down. Many explanations about the provenance of the word, like Fornicate Under Command of the King, are entertainingly off-target.

Denis Norden, present when it was first used on live television in 1965, remembers an even more shocking example from his teenage years in the 1930's; Graham Linehan, co-creator of Father Ted tells a story about the Irish word "feck", which he says is less offensive than it sounds. Meanwhile Kathy Burke reflects on how the English F word is used and misused today.

Stephen's guests discuss the word in its sexual context and whether less "aggressive" forms are preferable. They also talk about its changing level of taboo. Geoffrey Robertson adds a legal perspective, reflecting on the word's prominence in the Lady Chatterley Trial and its current legal status And lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower guides us through his own lexicon, The F Word, commenting on the versatility of the word and the diversity of uses to which it has been put.

Producer: Nick Baker
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4. Show less