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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

t--ts

English translation: twats

12:39 Mar 22, 2011
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / swearword
English term or phrase: t--ts
In this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8330863/Brian-Cox-Im-not-... there is a lot of censored swearwords, among which "t--ts", which I don't understand what it stands for:

"And people who believe Cern’s Large Hadron Collider will suck the universe into a black hole are 't--ts'".

Can anybody help me?
Thanks a lot
f
_floriana_
Italy
Local time: 11:58
Selected answer:twats
Explanation:
Twat ia a vulgar wod for the female sex organ and is also used as a term of abuse.

There is also "twit", which just means a stupid person and is not likely to be censored, so I don't think that can be the word here.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:58
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +13twats
Jack Doughty
3 +8t..ts
izy
4 -2twits
Paul Lambert


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
twits


Explanation:
Rather silly people are called "twits". Not an outright swear, but not nice to be called either.

Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 11:58
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  B D Finch: Not likely to require any censorship asterisks! In fact, so mild that it's almost affectionate.
8 mins
  -> Thank you. A fair argument, but considering the source is the mainstream media, we cannot dismiss the possibility of them sexing up the story.
disagree  Tony M: I have to agree with BDF, I have never, ever seen this with asterisks; it simply isn't offensive.
51 mins
  -> Thank you. And no worries, I am certainly not fighting this one tooth and nail by any means. It is probably "twats"
neutral  British Diana: Perhaps twits is already the satinised form of twats?
19 hrs
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: I'd have thought twit was short for nitwit, but that's neither here nor there. :-)
6 days
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
t..ts


Explanation:
twats

my suggestion ... possibly?

izy
Local time: 10:58
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twat
3 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Alison Sabedoria (X)
8 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  P.L.F. Persio
20 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Sheila Wilson: If you look at the asker's reference you will see it written as "tw@ts"
22 mins
  -> indeed ;-)
agree  Bashiqa
1 hr
  -> thank you!
agree  airmailrpl: the "twats" have it
3 hrs
  -> thank you!
agree  Thuy-PTT (X)
15 hrs
  -> thank you!
agree  British Diana: "twit for twat" as it were.
19 hrs
  -> lol! thank you!
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +13
twats


Explanation:
Twat ia a vulgar wod for the female sex organ and is also used as a term of abuse.

There is also "twit", which just means a stupid person and is not likely to be censored, so I don't think that can be the word here.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:58
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 370

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twat
1 min
  -> Thank you.
agree  B D Finch
6 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Alison Sabedoria (X)
6 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Jenni Lukac (X): Right on, but in the U.S. if would probably require a footnote!
8 mins
  -> Thank you. US swear words are less likely to need footnotes for us, we often come across them on film & TV.
agree  MedTrans&More: right, twat is used here to mean 'idiot'
9 mins
  -> Thank you. Yes.
neutral  Paul Lambert: Could be. Wouldn't it be typical media hype if the word were actually "twit" but by blanking it out to "t--t" it gives the impression that the stronger word was used? I wouldn't dismiss that possibility out of hand.
10 mins
  -> Doesn't seem very likely to me.
agree  Thayenga
12 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  P.L.F. Persio
18 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Tony M
51 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Oliver Lawrence
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  airmailrpl: the "twats" have it
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  JaneTranslates
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  eski: ...Including L. Durrell! saludos, eski
10 hrs
  -> Thank you. But I don't share your opinion of Lawrence Durrell.
agree  Nicole Y. Adams, M.A.
2 days 13 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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