A teacher was fired for saying the word 'vagina'. Really, they've said far worse.

A teacher in the US has claimed she was fired after she said ‘vagina’ whilst teaching a year eight class.

Allison Wint told Detroit Free Press the noun was dropped during a discussion into the artist Georgia O’Keefe’s work.

“Imagine walking into a gallery when (O’Keefe) was first showing her pieces, and thinking, ‘Am I actually seeing vaginas here, am I a pervert? I’m either a pervert or this woman was a pervert,’” she recalls having said.

The idea that a teacher could be fired for using a noun that describes female anatomy is outrageous but it got us thinking: what have we heard that would actually suit such a punishment?

It seems we weren't alone as popular discussion board on Reddit provided a variety of outrageous and often heartbreaking stories.

One user described how a teacher turned a popular joke into a horrific taunt.

"There was a bigger kid in my class and a nasty old lady teaching it. One day he didn't have his homework and the teacher said, 'What'd you do, eat it?'" mrhuntingtonferder said. "Everyone was shocked."

Another teacher's outburst was recalled by a user who in hindsight, appreciated the raw emotion.

"You kids are all destined for failure, say it with me: 'DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT!?' 'PAPER OR PLASTIC!!?' ..actually it was pretty amazing now that i think about it," boogalooshrimpz said.

Some responses could be seen as a bit of fun, given the right tone.

"That essay would have been better if you had just vomited on the page," psyc-witch said.

Others were just outright devastating as one user recalled a teacher made light of their mother's poor health.

"You're using your mother's illness as an excuse," eternalpessimist23 said.

The example of the US teacher may be extreme but the concept behind it remains valid.

Words spoken to even the smallest of children can impact an adult forever.

Teachers should always take caution with phrases used in the classroom - unless they're 'vagina'. If you want to say vagina and it's relevant to the topic at hand, you should.

Vagina.