If language history's your thing, tune to Balderdash and Piffle (BBC2) - it's like Call My Bluff but with bigger budgets.

Last night's letter was C. That's C for cake, crapulous, curry … and that rude word your mum doesn't like.

Jerry Hall researched "cocktail", while Courtney Pine scoured jazz clubs for the origins of "cool".

Germaine Greer, meanwhile, delivered her analysis of c … (nudge) you know.

Painting it large on a brick wall, she celebrated the strength and power of the word. She tutted the lack of an acceptable alternative, but then decided it's probably best kept taboo - you wouldn't want it losing its edge.

Armed with her celebrity guest's findings, presenter Victoria Coren trotted off to bother etymologists at the Oxford English Dictionary, smugly nagging them to update their definitions.

God they must hate her. Through gritted teeth they smile and nod, "Well done, Victoria." And silently, you cunt.