Three Letter Words

Apparently, the ubiquitous four-letter-words we have in the US are nothing compared to the three-letter-words in Sweden:

While authorities in Sweden have been known to put their foot down when it comes to what parents name their children, the three-letter combinations on Swedish licence plates can also be censored.

[From The Local, October 3, 2008]

And they're not just "dirty" words, though their word for 'poop' (BAJ) is banned from the plates. Some of the combinations are translations: I suppose BAJ is BAJ in English as well as German, for example.

Interestingly enough, some are "sound alikes" to English. For example, FUC is banned, but strangely FUK is not.

And though the article states that the Swedish word FAN is banned because it's a swear word, it does not divulge what it means. It's the opposite of himmel if you're inclined to look it up.

For now, I'll stick with the four-letter words. I won't need to use a Swedish to English dictionary.