[Aaron Poochigian]

Got it. Thank you, everyone.

Mark, I taught an obscene Ancient Greek poem in a British translation, and my very American students were astounded to learn that "bugger" means "butt-fuck" in UK English. Here's another question--is "buggery" exclusively male on male? Can a male "bugger" a female or would that be an unidiomatic thing to say? I ask not just out of perverse curiosity but because of a translation issue.

Ann, I have become very interested in what I call "affectionate insults" (they are always dependent on context). I will add "sod" to the list.

Thank you, Matt and John, for giving your reaction and explaining.

It seems clear to me now that, on hearing the sentence "she went back to the old sod," the British mind would assume the "sod" is a person and not a place.