Certainly dosen’t sound complimentry Catharine. 
It definitely isn’t! Although when I am referring to my adopted home town, it is said with a degree of affection!
I equated plouc to “sheepsh*gger” which is hardly complimentary, and not a word I would utter to a rural neighbour, unless applied to my own lame pretensions to country life…
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Thanks so much Babeth, I wasn’t au courant with the back story and I get the message clearly. Thanks also to Bill (and several others) for the timely and friendly warning, phew, narrow escape… 
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I thought it was fairly rude anywhere in France if applied to a person (= whore) but could be used in a less insulting but still very vulgar way to emphasise a point as in Putain! J’adore ce chocolat.
It’s not a word I would risk though.
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I’ve heard “putain” uttered many times and usually in the same context I would use “oh sod it!” or, if slightly more serious “for f****s sake!”.
I don’t use it or any other French swear words, I already swear enough in English!!
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That too - I think the trick is to avoid describing an individual using the word.
I’m not confident enough to try swearing in French, even though I know a couple of possibilities.
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I enjoyed this French lesson recently, which gives more information of the many uses of the word putain!
For grown ups!
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I must confess, I use the word P****n quite a bit, but won’t use it in writing or use it if I’ve got a formal discussion. Only informal, familiar company !
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I found this video very funny, but then again, it’s not the same writing this word in a conversation. You don’t have the expression, the tone even with emojis. It’s maybe because I’m french, but always have been told by my teacher : “you don’t write as you talk”. I agree with that, and even my daughter, when she’s texting me, do full sentences with full words (can’t help it to be very proud 
)
It’s the way you tell 'em 
As in … “Putain”’ ce clavier français a toutes les lettres au mauvais endroit ! 
Exactly ! I don’t see what’s wrong with an AZERTY clavier, by the way 
Nothing wrong at all, just that I was used to a QUERTY, and the mistakes I made at first were terrible. At least I can now blame any errors on the clavier 
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Yes, had the same problem at work with QUERTY, and also Belgium keybord that are just slightly differents than French ones, but just enough to annoy you (and make you swear silently, cause you’re at work !)
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Ok Babeth, can’t resist posting again because I love this… not really on this thread but its good to have a laugh at ourselves and others … over to you ! 
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True, and at least, half an hour to ‘take your leave’, to say, ‘Tarra Folks’ 
It is so true ! We even decided at work, not to kiss anymore in the morning ! As a born Parisien, we use to give four kisses, now in Britanny it’s two kisses. When friends visit me from Paris, I just left them in the vacuum after two kisses !!! Embarassing 
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My Mum use to say “mer de chine”, instead of “mer-duh” in front of the kids !
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At our Thai Chi/Qui Chong classes there are sometimes 20 + people, I decided after a certain time, that for me, a general ‘bonsoir tout le monde’ was enough.
Especially during Winter when I would pick up all sorts of coughs and sneezes after being in too close a contact.
I was asked whether this was the typical British sang froid. My answer was that it made no sense to transmit germs between us. So many people said " tu as raison"! However it still does go on here, sometimes between the most casual of aquantancies. I am all for intigrating but some customs are gradually changing, for the best…
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