"The New Republic" article on the use of curse words 3

[sleipnir214]

<caution>
The article, titled "Why We Curse" and subtitled "What the F***?", is an explicit discussion of the use in English of curse words. As such, there are a [heck] of a lot of curse words in the article.

If you are offended by the presense of curse words in the text of an article, even when used in a scholarly mode, then you will be offended by the article. In such case you should not read it.
</caution>

For those interested, here is a link:

http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20071008&s=pinker100807

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[CajunCenturion]

Excellent article. Thanks for the link.


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[p5wizard]

[soapbox mode]
Get the f<bleep> out of here! That is f<bleep>ing crazy, that is. If even f<bleep>ing members of f<bleep>ing Congress start using f<bleep>ing swear words in their every f<bleep>ing day's work. I ask you: where the f<bleep> is the world coming to.
I should have guessed: Cali-f<bleep>ing-fornia...
[/soapbox mode]

My $.02 (and 8 f<bleep>s)

p5

 

[SantaMufasa]

It is also interesting to me that in an otherwise scholarly article on the topic of profanity and/or obscenity that the author chose to use the imprecise terms, "swearing" and "cursing" as synonymous with profanity and/or obscenity.

Application of the terms swearing and cursing to profanity and/or obscenity has their origins dating back to ancient, biblical times, for example:

...Curse God and die.

Job's wife was not suggesting that he use profanities against God, but rather that Job renounce his relationship to God by swearing dis-allegiance from God, by making an oath to forsake a relationship to God, or by placing a curse upon their relationship.


From such usage, the the terms swearing and cursing next evolved, in meaning, to the uses of, in vain contexts, the names of dieties. For example, when one called down upon someone or something, damnation from diety, one might say, "Goddammit", thus cursing the target with God's wrath, or swearing out an oath of damnation upon the target.

As unimaginative users sought to colour and emphasise, with more and more obscene and profane adjectives, their oaths and verbal abuse of their targets, their "verbal vomit" still retained the labels, swearing and cursing.

The terms swearing and cursing to refer to general profanity and/or obscenity became misnomers. For example, when singer Bono dropped the f-bomb to describe the brilliance of his Golden Globe Award, he was cursing no one; he was not swearing out an oath on anyone; he was, in the minds of most viewers (and the FCC), simply being profane, obscene, vulgar, and tasteless.

So, nowdays, more often than not, people are not swearing and cursing when they use four-letter words. They are simply being profane, obscene, vulgar, and/or tasteless.


Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[ascotta]

Excellent article. Quite informative.

And to be honest no surprise that a politician would be trying to legislate.

Just where do these donkeys get off trying to legislate what I can and cannot hear/say.

I use that type of language quite often. Maybe not all of it, but certainly a lot of it. It may not be clever, it may not be pretty. Mostly I use it in humour. Either badly telling a joke or telling a bad joke or rebukes or just general mickey taking.

I have no intention of offending anyone. In fact I am unlikley to use it until I know fine well no one will be offended. There is a time and a place for most things.

I certainly wouldnt use it in here. I do know when to use it. I also know when not to use it. I will also pass that knwoledge on to my child, in that it is up to them to know when and where it is acceptable.

I suppose its like Billy Connolly would say. "Most politicians are about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit"

Now I challenge anyone to tell me that that is not just a funny statement. Ok the word is not one of your big ones if you like, but there is just as funny alternatives with the biggies in there.


[blue] A perspective from the other side!![/blue]

Cheers
Scott

 

[IknowMe]

I'd say those offended by colorful language are as guilty as those who use it when it comes to the strength of the word. I find it interesting how much variance there is in peoples use/tolerance for cuss words. From expirience I can say that even those with the lowest tolerance for swearing (aka my mother) will slip from time to time and when they do RUN!

As far as language goes there will always be those drawing the lines of decency and those crossing them.

I'm with ascotta I don't intend to offend when swearing and try to be consiencious of those around me when I do. But I still do it and show no signs of stopping.

ascotta, I for one find your spacesuit joke BONO funny


[small]Sometimes you gotta leave your zone of safety. You have to manufacture Inspirado. You gotta get out of the apartment. You've got to run with the wolves. You've got to dive into the ocean and fight with the sharks. Or just treat yourself to a delicious hot fudge sundae........ with nuts. - Jack Black[/small]

 

[rosieb]

An observation:

If you go to Ireland, they seem to have found a way around one of the "worst" words - "feck" or "fecking" seem quite acceptable, and are widely used as "all-purpose" expletives, without causing offense. [Irish persons, support please].

"Father Ted" on UK Channel 4 used both, extensively, with no serious reaction, on prime time UK TV.

This rather supports the article cited by sleipnir214 in that they don't elicit the same visceral reaction as the words they replace. Curious the difference a vowel makes.





Rosie
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." Richard Feynman

 

[sleipnir214]

If it's a bad thing to be feckless, then feck must be a good thing, right?




Want to ask the best questions? Read Eric S. Raymond's essay "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way". TANSTAAFL!

 

[SantaMufasa]

...feck must be a good thing, right?

Actually, yes. Wikipedia has good coverage of the definitions of feck. Although they mention in one of the definition senses that feck is a not-so-difficult-to-decifer shrouding of the f-bomb, the additional senses give greater context:

[ul][li]Verb meaning 'to steal' (e.g. 'They had fecked cash out of the rector's room.' James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist (1964) p. 40)[/li][li]Verb meaning in Irish slang 'to throw' (e.g. 'He's got no manners at all. I asked him nicely for the remote control, and he fecked it across the table at me.')[/li][li]Efficacy; force; value; return[/li][li]Amount; quantity (or a large amount/quantity)[/li][li]The greater or larger part [/li][/ul]

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[rosieb]

I think that when you hear it used, there's no question that it's an alternative to the other F* word.

What fascinates me is that it seems so acceptable - it's taken the expletive dimension but has completely lost the offensiveness, it's gone from being vulgar to perfectly acceptable with one change of a letter.

Rosie
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." Richard Feynman

 

[CajunCenturion]

Some additional reading on the subject:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/7047536.stm

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[sleipnir214]

I know that works for me. Just as soon as I get some know-nothing-but-wants-to-pretend-to-be-technical, gimme-what-I-want-when-I-want-it-or-I'll-go-over-your-head, don't-care-whether-it-would-bring-down-the-entire-network-and/or-expose-the-personal-information-of-20,000-students wackadoo off the phone (after NOT giving him what he wants -- I don't believe in rewarding bad behavior), nothing makes me feel better than a quick rendition of the "F**k You Very Much Chorus".




Want to ask the best questions? Read Eric S. Raymond's essay "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way". TANSTAAFL!