Rude, patronising boss?

I work in a small company and was promoted 3 months ago into a managers role. The person that used to do the role had an affair with the owner of the company and left to set up home with him.
Lately,. The owner keeps using offensive language when I mention my problems in my department i.e "Not my f'ing" problem etc, "i dont give a f***" etc and generally patronising me when he happens to spot a minor mistake. The owner is a very vindictive and petty indvidual who has in the past driven people out of the organisation with this behavior.
I can handle these verbals but I would like to know from a HR
perspective what legal ground I would be on if:

a) I used offensive language back at the owner when he swore at/patronised me
b) Complain to HR that I do not appreciate being spoken to like I am an a''hole by the owner
Or would it be best just to keep my head down until I find another job?
I am tending towards a) but think c) is the smart thing
Thanks!

Look for a new job! You can't make a jerk be nice. He owns the company, and he is what he is. If you don't want a part of it, find something else as soon as possible and go somewhere you can be happy, and where you'll be treated better!

keep your head down and look for another job, hes the owner dude he is gonna do what he wants.

i had an offensive manager, and when I made a complaint they pretty much told me that was the way he is and it wasn't going to change...

so that day I crossed my name off next weeks schedule wrote a huge "F* this I'm done" on it, got my last pay check and walked out.

probably wasn't the most mature thing..but apparently the employees were talking about it for a week

complain to HR about the owner? what are they gonna do? go to the owner and let him know the interoffice complaint? he's the owner, if you don't like it/can't tolerate it...find a new job. Sucks, but facts of life

Hmmmm. this is a dicey spot. First, check your company policies...is there anything that prohibits the use of offensive language? If not, you are safer legal ground.

Curse words are "power" words - you can choose to respond to the cursing, or to the underlying issue. I tend to take the "underlying issue" approach, i.e., "Is ther something about my work that you find unsatisfactory?" Then just stand there and look sweetly at them until they come up with some constructive feedback or give up.

If you do decide to use the "eye for an eye" approach, test this by using the language in a neutral manner rather than directed at the gentleman in question, i.e., "this f*ing printer always jams on me!" If there's no reaction, you're free to move on to. "what do you f*ing expect me to do here?" the next time he mentions how f*ing incompetent you are.

In the meantime, look for another job just so you have that in your back pocket...these situations tend to get out of hand pretty quickly sometimes.

Good luck.