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Message: <blockquote data-quote="STARP_Social_Officer" data-source="post: 3497487" data-attributes="member: 41202">As a representative of a nation where swearing is a national passtime, I find this discussion intriguing.I swear like a drunken sailor who's just dropped the anchor on his foot. I have an incredibly foul mouth, in general. Of course I do - I'm an Australian. My conversations are littered with Effs, esses, and milder terms more suited for casual use. The rules of the forum being what they are, I shan't bother mentioning them.However, I'm quick-witted enough to make sure I never swear in front of children - unless they do it first. I trained as a high school teacher, and as a general rule, we were told never to swear in a classroom, even if the kids do. Most teachers long abandoned that rule.I hate people who poo-poo ("poo" is OK, is it?) swearing as "not clever" or the like, implying it is only used by the unintelligent or people who can't think of something wittier. For a start, I know a large variety of intelligent, articulate people who swear as much as I do. It's not a sign of lack of intelligence - swearing serves a purpose; namely, to let off steam. We swear because it is in our nature to wish to vent frustration, and by letting out an exasperated string of forbidden words we are able to do just that.Interestingly enough, however, I hardly ever use "The Big One", the "Ultimate Swearword". It's the one that starts with "C" and refers to...well, you know. I understand it's the only one you really can't say on TV. You hardly ever hear it in movies. Perhaps that's why you rarely hear people say it aloud - it's just too "taboo" for most people to bother with. What really intrigues me is how there can be "degrees" of swearing. Why, for instance, is the "C-word" considered to be more offensive than the "F-word", evidenced by the prominence of the latter and the rarity of the former in broadcasting. It's just a word. They're all just words. Why can I say "bloody hell" with reasonable certainty I'll get away with it, when saying "you effing c..." to someone results in, if I'm lucky, icy glances or at worst a savage beating. Why does one word have a stigma when another doesn't? "F***" and "shag" mean the exact same thing, but you can say one in a PG movie over and over again, but the other slaps you with a higher rating. Ditto with, as we've seen "s***" and "poo". I find the entire concept bizarre. I also find it interesting that people can be offended by swearing. I'm never offended by it. I understand that some people are, which is why I moderate my language around the elderly, my parents, children etc, but I just find it fascinating that the use of a single syllable describing a part of a body or an act of reproduction can cause such vitriolic fury. Sometimes I make up my own swear words, just to see what happens. "Brodding" is one of mine. So is "spag". So far, I haven't been summonsed. I'm hoping it stays that way.</blockquote>

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