In a comment to question:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=384901

You argued persuasively for swearing in German.

Having followed your advice, I have achieved considerable success with
'Donner und Blitzen'.

Could you now please suggest the German equivalents of 'Oh Phiz', 'Cor
Blimey' and 'Oh Sugarlumps'?

Very many thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by scriptor-ga on 18 Oct 2004 08:55 PDT

Dear Bryan,

After intensive consideration, I came to the conclusion that swearing
does not translate easily. I know "phiz" only as a slang expression
for "face", derived from "physiognomy". But I bet that, as a swearing
word, it has a different background. It's hard for me to find an
adequate translation for something I don't really understand. The same
is true for "sugarlumps".

However, "Cor Blimey" could be translated. As far as I know, that
expression is a corrupted variant of "God, blind me!". I'd propose
"Gottverdammich!" as its German counterpiece. It is a contraction of
"Gott, verdamme mich!", which means "God, damn me!". This should go in
the same direction, I think.

Greetings,
Scriptor

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Clarification of Question by probonopublico-ga on 18 Oct 2004 09:09 PDT

Gottverdammich, Scriptor

What a disappointment ...

I had been so looking forward to swearing at everyone I know in the
best German tradition.

However, I will accept substitutes ... if you can suggest some that
you had in mind when recommended this course of action. (Nothing too
obscene, please, in case Steph53 or Politicalguru are peeping ... )

Gottverdammich, indeedy.

Bryan

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Request for Question Clarification by scriptor-ga on 18 Oct 2004 11:51 PDT

Well, Bryan, I remember that somewhere in my bookshelves there is a
dictionary of swearing expressions hiding. I'll search it, find it,
and choose some nice entries for you ... are four or five enough?

Scriptor

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Clarification of Question by probonopublico-ga on 18 Oct 2004 21:45 PDT

Gottverdammich, Scriptor

Ja wohl, vier or funf vud be fantastiche.

Isn't it exciting?

Bryan

Well, it took a small while and I am really sorry for this delay ... I
had to do some research for my next writing project, but now I am
back. And I have thought about the swearing issue...

A classic German swear word is the well-known "Scheiße". To put it
nicely, it translates as "excrement". Less nicely, it is simply
"shit". It is a multi-purpose expression for general use in almost any
situation that calls for curses.
The great thing about it is that it can be easily extended for
intensifying its severity. Some of the many possible combinations are:
"verdammte Scheiße" - "damned shit",
"verfluchte Scheiße" - "blasted shit",
or even "gottverdammte Scheiße" - "God-damned shit", without providing
any reason why the Lord should bother for condemning some excrements.

"Gottverdammt" itself is already a stand-alone swear word. It can also
be combined with the object of annoyance, such as "gottverdammte
Scheißkarre" - "God-damned shit jalopy", just in case the automobile
won't start on a cold winter morning.

North Germans don't talk much, so their repertoire in swear words is a
bit limited, too. Among the most common curse expressions in their Low
German idiom (Plattdeutsch), my personal favorite is "Düvel ook". For
the native speaker of English, the "Düvel" is easily identifiable as
the devil. The "ook" ("auch" in High German, "also" or "too" in
English) is not important and can't be translated anyway - but the
Prince of Darkness alone should already be enough.

Back to the shit. The "Scheiße" can be replaced with other expressions
for excrements or smelly, dirty things. "Kacke" is sometimes even more
drastic than "Scheiße", though it describes the same excretion. "Mist"
(dung, manure) has become quite harmless as a word and is not a grave
swear word anymore.

It should add that "Scheiße" as such is not a very shocking word
anymore. Today, I've been in out municipal library and heard a
librarian say to a visitor:
"Mit der Karte können nur Sie selber Bücher ausleihen, aber wer die
Bücher wieder abgibt, ist scheißegal" - "With the library card, you
can lend books in person only, but it is 'scheißegal' who returns them
later." Had the librarian been speaking English, this would have been
"...but we don't give a fuck who returns the books later".

Nevertheless, I don't (yet) recommend that you use combinations with
"Scheiße" or "scheiß-" in conversation when you're invited to the
German ambassador's reception next time.

Have a nice day, Bryan!
Scriptor

Hi, Scriptor

Very many thanks for the swearing lesson and good luck with your new book. 

I am rather shocked that you still do your own research when there's
499 authentic researchers just a mouse stroke away.

Himmel ... Vot next?

Auf wiedersehen

Bryan

Hi Bryan...

Oh don't worry about me seeing anything obscene here ;)
I know one German swear word. I'm just not too sure of the spelling as
I was too young when I left and my parents refused to teach me how to
spell it:

" Schweinhundte"

This will probably be removed by the GA *higher-ups*:(
It comes from the two words "schwein" meaning pig and "hundte" meaning dog.

Take your own guess as to what it means.

Steph53

Not bad, indeed. Please allow me to slightly correct your spelling:
It's "Schweinehund" (singular), and "Schweinehunde" (plural).

But apart from that small thing, a good choice!
Scriptor

Dict.cc translates Blimey as: 
verdammt, verflixt, veflucht, zum Kuckuck, Himmelkreuzdonnerwetter!,
ick werd verr?ckt, Verdammt!

http://www.dict.cc/ 

If I understood the usage of "blimey!" correctly, then none of those
sounds too blimey to me.

You can always use 'verflixt und zugenaeht!!!' ;-)
or 'herrgottsakramentnochmal!' Which by the way can
be nicely put as 'sackzement!!' which is less blasphemous,
but sounds quite similar.

And you can even turn 'Hallelluja' into a swearword, as
http://www.bruhaha.de/muenchener_im_himmel.html
very nicely shows. There is a wonderful animated movie
about this, where you can hear how to swear with Hallelujah,
albeit it may be a little hard to find/relate to.
[Traudl+Walter Reiner, 1962, 13 minutes]

Hmm. Sorry for the random rambling. I simply could not resist... ;-)

Ohhhhh I just LOVE it when Scriptor starts swearing in German. I can't
think of another language so well suited to the purpose! My personal
favorite is Rattenfurz!