F**k, and cursing in general

[Cosmo]

In Australia, the c-word we cannot type here is practically a term of endearment, and gender-neutral.

Same in the UK. It's the most popular word at a soccer match. Just above "pedo."

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I'd never wear clothing that has swear words on it. Not only is it inappropriate, it also is trashy and low-class.

 

[outofplace]

Years ago, Spy or Y'all or one of those magazines devoted to fluffier musings published an essay by Roy Blount, Jr. about the fact that "asshole" had wriggled its way into day-to-day adult discourse and thus lost much of its sting as a pejorative. The anecdote he used at the first of the story was about an encounter at a parking garage that ended with a friend of his calling someone a "jerk" and them getting obviously flummoxed by it. He went on to say that it seemed like the normalization of harsher words gave more power to milder expressions of anger and contempt.


My parents hated swearing, but they would have rather heard me drop an F-Bomb than say the N-word or any ethnic, religious, or other kind of social slur.

I agree with your parents. I have even worked to avoid using damn with G-d before it. I grew up thinking of that as a mild form of swearing, but I had a friend who was deeply offended if she heard those words together. She would angrily say, "Don't you use my lord's name in vane." I have to admit that I found it funny at first, but once I thought about it in the context of her strong faith, I got it. Yeah, it's someone pushing her faith on someone else, but at least her offense came from someplace real. Is there an actual reason to be offended by asshole or even fork?

 

[outofplace]

In Australia, the c-word we cannot type here is practically a term of endearment, and gender-neutral.

As Cosmo pointed out, it is that way in the UK, too. I'm sure it is that way in other places as well. I take that into account when dealing with someone or watching a show or movie with a character from one of those places. I'm a big fan of The Boys on Amazon Prime, and a character on that show uses it constantly.

 

[outofplace]

I do think the main difference now is people use cuss words in casual conversation - not really as expletives when they are riled up - they've become very acceptable adjectives. Really would have loved to have seen a School House Rock on cuss words.

"So we rolled out our Expletives!. (yeah, yeah)
We rolled out our Expletives (yeah, yeah)
Now son, words like fork and shirt and ass and biscuit are words
words for special occasions.
Like what?

When you drop a hammer on your toe.
When your boss says no to more dough.
When your girl really wants to go to bed.
When your team doesn't cover the spread...."

This is definitely true. Hermes is also right about people who do it without thinking and can't seem to control it. There seem to be many more of them, too. It seems so much more common for children to be cursing now, probably because they are exposed to it so much more.

It often bothers me most when I find the particular usage stupid. Ass doesn't seem to even be considered profanity any more, but the phase dead ass annoys me. One young guy I used to deal with at work couldn't go five minutes without using it. How did that become the same thing as "really?"

 

[Slacker]

She would angrily say, "Don't you use my lord's name in vane vein."

Fixed that for ya.

 

[Driftwood]

We took a school group to Boston a few years ago. The first time the kids heard some little old lady crossing the street say "faaaaack youuu" they looked at me. I just said "it's their town."

 

[ChrisLong]

Gosh, 45 or so years ago I was at a hockey game with a group that included one guy's grandmother, who was Canadian. I was into the game and after a blatant non-call, I shouted, "Ref, you suck." I was immediately embarrassed and turned to grandma. "I'm sorry, I apologize," I said. She said, "It's OK, and he does."

 

[micropolitan guy]

Ruth Langmore was a very creative swearer, right to the very end. My favorite was her calling someone a "forknugget."

 

[UNCGrad]

I'm the same with professional settings and t-shirts, all the "fork Biden" car stickers and the like. Come on, have a shred of decency. And "shred" shouldn't be too much to ask.

I also curse all the forking time.

The other place I don't like it is the unaware bros at any sporting event who just let shirt fly when kids are around. I hate those guys for a lot of reasons.

 

[Typist Clerk]

Fixed that for ya.

Not quite. It's vain.

 

[outofplace]

Fixed that for ya.

Actually, it should be in vain.

Oops. Typist beat me to it.