Depends on how old you are. Teenagers curse up a storm in both French and English where I live. Adults just don't curse as a general rule. It's considered vulgar. Having said that, you occasionally hear a merde or a cul being muttered under people's breath from time to time.
But a normal conversation just littered with les gros mots, no, never. I have seen the bird being flipped by drivers, but not in any other situation. As for it being illegal, no, it's not illegal.
No, Tom, I don't speak Italian. But I do have many friends who are Swiss and French and we certainly don't litter our conversations with f* this and f* that, even after a few bottles of wine.
I guess it's the same anywhere, curse words aren't considered polite...but who the F cares? Anyway, what I'm asking is...is it considered to be an offense legally?
Someone I know was almost run over by someone, where they said a few words in passing and the idiot who almost ran them over stopped their vehicle and confronted them aggressively and stated they would call the cops over the f bombs that were dropped and the birds that were flown. What would the cops do in response? Especially to a foreigner who flipped the birds at a very Swiss person? The person I know is very considerate of the laws in her new country so to say...
Lol, Rachel, are you a swearer? I used to be, too, until I moved here and I stopped after they pounded it into my head in French class that it was just not done. I should introduce you to my husband who still swears like a sailor and who gives zero f*s what anybody says. (He is much cooler than me.)
Actually, you bring up a very interesting point. Do I swear? well actually...NOT IN FRENCH (ou, de temps en temps mais très peu). No, I retain my sweary side in English, but not every 2nd word is one, and then it dépendes what I'm talking about and who's on the other end.
Well yea, running someone over on a crosswalk is also considered a real serious provocation too, not much harm I can do with my "stinkefinger" other than to one's a@@hole entitled ego.