Profanities

[kirinke]

I very, rarely 'curse' nowadays, that is use the forbidden words, having become used to using alternatives and I frequently make up words to express ahh frustration. It took me along time, cuz I used to swear like a sailor.

 

[jaerdaph]

I think our culture’s problem with “bad words” is completely ridiculous. To assign some sort of verboten element to a collection of syllables is, in my opinion, utter nonsense. It should be the intent behind the word that causes concern, not the word itself.
BD

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Or it could smell like doo doo, depending on if you ask Shakespeare or OutKast.

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

Uh, you really don't know the answer to that? Perhaps one word is demeaning and degrading to women, and the other is a vague reference to a Judeo-Christian astral plane?

I don't know about Australia, but in North America the politically correct thought police have forbidden the use of any words that might be considered "racist". Witness the firing of Don Imus as an interesting recent example.

I do know the answer. It's worse. The C-word is much worse. But why is it worse? It's demeaning to women. Absolutely, I agree. But why is it demeaning to women? Why is calling a man a "dick" not as offensive to men as "c***" is to women? I'm not suggesting things should be otherwise - I'm merely wondering why things are so.

 

[Huw]

I do know the answer. It's worse. The C-word is much worse. But why is it worse? It's demeaning to women. Absolutely, I agree. But why is it demeaning to women? Why is calling a man a "dick" not as offensive to men as "c***" is to women? I'm not suggesting things should be otherwise - I'm merely wondering why things are so.

But men are the main people called c***s. Women get compared to animals, men to genitals.

Interesting story: When the Normans conquered England, they brought over their nobility terms - except "count". There are no counts in England, only countesses. Realise that French "ou" and Old English "u" both sound like the "oo" in "look", and you can see why the Normans kept the English term "earl". 'Course, the peasants might have other ideas about their new rulers

 

[sedarfaery]

Personally, I can't stand it when people swear to or around a child. It is borderline verbal abuse.

 

[papastebu]

pudding

Is that a coined euphemism?

From Swearing: A Social History of Foul Language, Oaths and Profanity in English, by Geoffrey Hughes;
"There is also the interestingly exact correlation between degree of taboo in verbal usage and the degree of taboo in actual public exhibition of the referent."
This means that basically, the less people want to see it done--or the more they SHOULDN'T want to--in front of them, then the more offensive it is likely to be.
The same book talks about inuration by readily-observable violence, sex and over use of the swears, themselves.
The same thing, I think, is true of racial slurs and the like. THAT, to my thinking, is the reason that we should refrain from swearing in front of our little ones. My nephew popped out with f-word at the dinner table, one Thanksgiving, and everyone ignored him. Good or bad? Hard to say.
As to why we, as Americans, generally don't think that swearing is such a great thing, we can probably point to our Puritan ancestors. I may be wrong.

 

[Ranger REG]

My nephew popped out with f-word at the dinner table, one Thanksgiving, and everyone ignored him. Good or bad? Hard to say.

I can understand why everyone who is not your nephew's parents would ignore him, because in their minds, his parents did not parent him well. Also, they have judged him to be uncouthed. At least that's how I would think initially if I'm at your family dinner table.

But if his parents would not pulled him aside and scolded him properly, then by not correcting him, they're enabling his behavior to use foul language.

As to why we, as Americans, generally don't think that swearing is such a great thing, we can probably point to our Puritan ancestors. I may be wrong.

Actually, I don't blame them for that. I blame them for the lack of nudist colonies and clothing optional beaches that other countries have in abundance.

 

[Doctor DM]

Man I swear ALL the time. No one does here because it's against the rules, and I think that's a perfectly fine rule. I try not to swear around little kids, just because come one, that's not cool.

As for swearing in a game store: All the time in the back room. We all know each other. But you don't do it around customers, that's just not profesional. I mean, what would you think if you walked into Target and all the cashiers were swearing at each other?

 

[Sidekick]

I don't swear around children consciously, however I have been known to accidentally let the F-word slip out at what are considered socially inappropriate times.

I think that Umbran is right, it's about the emotional connotations behind those words and the appropriate place to use them, ironically I've found that just swearing once when I really need to just doesn't cut it anymore for me. I ave to string at least 3 together to get the appropriate level of venting out.

But you know what really pisses me off about the whole swearing being obscene thing? Its when people won't swear and use other words in their place. Do people who say "He' a real Se you Next Tuesday", or "Fudge" realise how stupid it sounds?

Swearing does mean some people think you're not as intelligent, but then again actively substituting other words for swearing can make other people think your a complete muppet.


Also I dunno if anyone here has seen it but I recently watched the Documentary entitled "F*CK, a history". Highly, highly, highly entertaining and rather informative as well.

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

Swearing does mean some people think you're not as intelligent, but then again actively substituting other words for swearing can make other people think your a complete muppet.

I love the way you phrased that. Spot on.