How the word f*ck has become important

[iconoclast]

The word 'f*ck' does seem to have a cognate in German 'ficken', whose use is restricted to the physical side of things, although perhaps 'bumsen' is (or was) the true equivalent for that meaning.

As riverkid's excellent examples show, it's an awfully versatile little word: it functions as a verb (plus phrasal spinoffs with 'up', 'over', and 'around/about', as well as its incorporation into set expressions), as a noun (plus derivative '-er' agent noun), and as an adjective using both the present and past participles. The present participle also morphs into an adverb as in 'I couldn't f*cking care', which is sometimes expanded to 'f*cking-well' as in 'I couldn't f*cking-well care').

It and 'bloody' are the only (?) words used as infixes in English (admittedly not as a morphological feature), as in 'un-bloody-believable' and riverkid's equivalent example with the F word, as it's euphemistically called when the need arises in polite society.

The verb's even acquired a slightly self-conscious euphemistic variant 'effing and blinding' as in 'He was effing and blinding all afternoon', and 'effing and blinding' may occasionally crop up as a gerund as in 'There was much effing and blinding in response to the announcement'.

A national treasure, no less.

[Batfink]

A national treasure, no less.

I agree. And those who have a problem with its use, on a moral high ground, should stop and take a good look at themselves, because there are many a worse word.