Try typing “7448” on your T9 enabled mobile phone and you will be surprised to see that your phone has guessed the word “Shiv” and not the more commonly used slang - S**t.

That’s because the default T9 Text input system doesn’t support any of the common curses or slangs and the only option you have is to manually type in those words.

You may also want to watch this BBC video clip that takes a light-hearted look at some of the possible reasons for not providing support for abusive language in the T9 text input system.

If you are not carrying a T9 enabled mobile phone, try the T9 Typing simulator available at t9.com - it’s done in Flash and requires no installation.

*T9 is short for “Text on 9 Keys.”