My goodness, what a hipster David Wearing turns out to be.

"Hmm" he asks on Twitter. "Would appreciate feminist thoughts re c word. Know some feminists who use it. Know others hate it. I like swearing but not offending ppl."

Isn't offending people the whole point of swearing?

Unless you are just swearing to be cool.

Perhaps he could adopt obscure 18th century swearing like "Gadzooks" or "Dash mi wig" if he really wants to be inoffensive.

David Wearing is SOAS PhD researcher on UK foreign policy in MENA (Middle East and North Africa); writes for The Guardian and New Statesman; and is Co-editor of the New Left Project.