The next time someone rolls there eyes at your casual swearing, just tell them you were being honest.

And if that doesn't work, hit them with the facts, because according to new research, people who choose to express themselves through swear words may actually be more trustworthy than those who don't.

Take that, Mam.

A study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal examined 276 people to find out how and why they curse.

The team, led by Gilad Feldman of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, asked the participants to make a list of there favourite swear words as well as a 'self-report' noting how many times they used them per day.

Subject were also asked to consider any emotion they may associate with those words – e.g. Anger, fear or frustration.

The foul-mouthed participants were then asked to complete a psychological survey designed to test their honesty and rank how likely they were to lie.

When results were analysed, researchers found that those who used more profanities actually told fewer lies.

The study concluded: “We set out to provide an empirical answer to competing views regarding the relationship between profanity and honesty.”

“We found that a higher rate of profanity use was associated with more honesty.”

So, the next time you need to get something off your chest, grab your most foul-mouthed friend and pour your heart out in total confidence.